In praise of city cycling....
28 April 09

The next time the sun is shining get on your bicycle and cycle around. Cycle anywhere: to the shops, to the park, to the end of the road. It doesn't matter where. Just cycle and you'll notice how liberating getting on a bicycle is.
 
I had a wry smile to myself last week when I heard Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey imploring people to cycle to work. It was like a jump back in time. Let it be known that in April 2009 Fianna Fail discovered that cycling is a good mode of transport - the country must be in trouble! We'd believe you more minister if we thought you'd use a bike yourself. You should take a leaf out of Minister John Gormley's book.
 
Dublin City Council should be making it safer for people to cycle in the city, and maybe more people would take to their bicycles. Helmets should be compulsory, heavy trucks should have a special speed limit, and cars should be prosecuted for driving in cycle lanes. They should also make helmets compulsory for their open city cycling event.
 
A couple of months ago a man was killed off his bicycle at Harold's Cross Bridge by a cement truck turning left. The cyclist was killed instantly and had no chance. When you pass Harold's Cross Bridge you'll notice a white bike chained to the railings in tribute to the cyclist. It was placed there by Ghost Bikers who are running a very impactful campaign to improve safety for city cyclists.  www.ghostbikes.org/dublin
 
Despite the dangers, city cycling should be celebrated. Maybe some day Dublin will be like Copenhagen, where the law favours the cyclist over the motorist, where city planning has the cyclist at its core, and no cars are allowed in the city centre. We live in hope.

Check put this clip of a bicycle filled Copenhagen.