Sir, – Every day I cycle up Pearse Street in Dublin, and every day, without fail, I have to slow down or come to a complete stop due to pedestrians walking out onto the road in front of me. So long as there are no cars coming, it appears that many pedestrians are quite happy to take their chances that I will stop for them. Sometimes I can make it through my green light at these pedestrian crossings by merely slowing down – usually this is accompanied by an expletive or two. – Yours, etc,
MARK KENNY,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – A cycle lane, which is simply a coloured strip on the road, is a waste of resources. Cyclists are forced to swerve off that strip to avoid bus stops, potholes and parked cars. Then there are the cycle lanes painted on roads clearly not wide enough to accommodate both car and bike. Is it any wonder that cyclists, fearing for their lives, take to the footpaths? If a coloured lane can protect vulnerable road users, why not apply that same logic to pedestrians and get rid of raised footpaths? As a cyclist, I am petrified of cars overtaking me (even with a cycle lane) and was once knocked down in that circumstance. As a motorist, I am terrified of hitting cyclists as I pass (while also conscious of the inevitable beeping from behind if I try to wait for a safe opportunity). – Yours, etc,
EMMA FARRELL,
Dublin 2.