Bad Planning
Dublin City Council – Development plans must include Motorcycles.
While formulating the Dublin City Draft Development Plan the Council Planners met with MAG Ireland. MAG were asked for input on what motorcycle users needed when new developments were formulated.
MAG met the planners some time ago and discussed at length the outline of the Development Plan and how it would impact on all new building plans – commercial and residential. Regulations are tightening up and some of the changes are drastic. For example, how much of any area can be laid out for parking spaces – quite important if you were thinking of getting that penthouse apartment by the Liffey!
In all seriousness though, the shape and look of any new apartment blocks or retail parks will be different to those of old and, as with Bus Lanes & 30kph limits, where Dublin leads in implementing these new ideas – the rest of the country will surely follow when it comes time to revise their local planning laws.
It is refreshing for MAG to be involved in the consultation phase, it is even better to be able to report back that not only are motorcyclists not going to suffer from less parking spaces being available (as the case will be for all four wheelers) but we get not just 2% of an allocation (as a representative percentage of the road going fleet) but we get double that, 4% of parking spaces in all new commercial or domestic developments must be set out for motorcycles.
Dublin City Councils own survey showed a huge growth in motorcycle use in recent years so, looking to the future, it makes perfect sense to encourage more people onto Two Wheels.
We’ve been saying it for years and now the D.C.C. agrees; Two Wheels Good / Four Wheels Bad.
Footnote:
Quote from draft development plan;
“Section 17.40.6 Motorcycle Parking
New developments shall include provision for motorcycle parking in designated, signposted areas at a rate of 4% of the number of car parking spaces provided. Motorcycle parking areas should have limited gradients to enable easy manoeuvrability and parking. Fixed and robust features such as rails, hoops or posts should be provided to secure a motorcycle using a chain or similar device.”