Eamon Ryan says the transport plan should be an opportunity to create beautiful streets

Draft plans to transform Dublin’s bus network put cyclists at risk and ignore national standards for safety, two of the largest cycling groups claim.

The Dublin Cycling Campaign and Cyclist.ie said yesterday that the Bus Connects proposal was dangerous because it forced cyclists to ride beside buses on motorways.

The campaign groups said that protected bike lanes included in the plan “disappeared” at junctions, putting cyclists at risk of colliding with traffic.

Bus Connects, a €1.5 billion project to revamp Dublin’s public transport, will provide 230km of bus lanes and 200km of dedicated cycle lanes through 16 corridors into the city.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) released details of its preferred routes last November to connect Clongriffin, Swords, Blanchardstown, and Lucan to the city centre.