What do you think are the worst 10 junctions in Dublin today? Back in 2011 15 years ago the Dublin Cycling Campaign pushedfor the 10 worst junctions to be fixed. Would it be surprising to say none of them has been fully fixed? Recently, IrishCycle.com came across the following on the campaigns website: We surveyed our members and Facebook friends to find the 10 worst junctions/streets in Dublin. These were presented to the Dublin City Council Cycle Forum in January 2011.So, we went through all of the top ten and included some of the others listed too. Heres the results: Top 10:Yes: 0Partly: 2No: 8Another 12:Yes: 4Partly: 2Work in progress: 1No: 5And heres the review of the junctions:1-3. DOlier St, College St, Westmoreland, Tara St, Townsend StIMAGE: Posting before-and-after images is pointless here.The 2011 survey response said: Including junctions with Fleet Street / Townsend, and curve around to the junction with Pearse Street. The whole multi-lane one-way system around Trinity College/Pearse Street/DOlier Street/Westmoreland Street is threatening. Junction of Tara St. and Townsend St. If you come down Pearse St, follow onto Tara St, and want to turn right onto Townsend St, you have to cross three lanes of traffic. A bit awkward if youd like to park your DublinBike at the Townsend St bike station.DOlier Street heading south from OConnell St: lanes disappear, no visible road markings, buses dive-bombing the left hand lanes (especially at rush-hour), no cycle lanes at all and traffic is forced to merge from 4 lanes to possibly three? (its pretty hard to tell). Also zero options for bikes coming around College Green: No cycle lanes anywhere!Has it been fixed?: No.Overall, only localised improvements. Its quite a lot bundled into one (the campaigns website had it in one), but there have been no major changes for cycling on DOlier Street, College Street, Westmoreland Street, or Pearse Street. These one-way systems are what the former Minister has for years called Ben-Hur-like racing tracks for motorists, which people cycling have to survive. There was sadly little progress in the area under his ministership, although it is mainly a local council issue. While there have been some improvements on the one-way system around Trinity College, such as the contra-flow cycle path on Nassau Street (its a separate item below) and the short two-way cycle path on College Green, most of these are still short or isolated. The bus priority changes at the corner of Westland Row are a mixed bag for cycling.The planned College Green/Dame Street plaza will help link up the current isolated cycle path, but it is years off and a plan to manage traffic ahead of the major. While there is an outline vision for Pearse Street and Tara St, there is no timeline to make this into a plan. There is no known plan for DOlier Street, College Street, and Westmoreland Street.4. Talbot Memorial BridgePIctured in 2011 on Google Street View.Pedestrians moving on the cycling phase after the 2024 redesign.The 2011 survey response said:Heading left onto Cty Quay, youre directed off-road on the corner, conflict with pedestrians and lose priority when joining the road after the corner. Heading straight or heading right, the time delay on the toucan crossing can take ages, even when theres light traffic.Has it been fixed?: Partly.Theres been a mixed outcome. With better connections, but some of the same or different issues exist at the junction. New two-way cycle paths are now on City Quay and towards OConnell Bridge, but the new junction design aims to control pedestrian and cycling interactions with traffic lights, which international experts generally say is unrealistic, and the results show that in action pedestrians go on cyclist time and vice versa. The traffic lights for both pedestrians and people cycling can also still be red when theres no motor traffic, so, that also leads to less head of the traffic lights. The traffic lights reaction time to a person cycling approaching or waiting is better than it was, but theres a new issue with the bicycle light turning right having a green, but an unusual and unexpected light halfway across being red, which you can miss, if, for example, another cyclist or pedestrians are in the way. Its why bicycle lights at full high as well as the smaller version can be useful in these types of situations.The layout is very poor for pedestrians, especially those walking along the quays, so they regularly (and expectantly) avoid the pedestrian crossing and instead use the cycle crossing or go to the north of it. 5. The Customs House areaThe junction in 2009.Since then a cycle lane has been removed and replaced with a shared bus lane which motorists often use illegally. The 2011 survey response said: The junction of Memorial Rd, Amiens St and Custom House Quay. Coming from the Northside there are numerous lane-changes involved if youre going straight or right onto Georges Quay.The junction at Store Street / Beresford Place / Amiens Street / Memorial Road far too much going on, traffic going all directions at speed. But also at other locations, like: Amiens Street leading to Mayor Street cycle lane ends in a place wheres there no room rather than long before it. Coming from Abbey Street, Gardiner Street or Butt Bridge, numerous lane changes in moving traffic required, depending on desired route.Has it been fixed?: NoActually, a slight downgrade. Theres been no major change in the last 15 years. An unprotected cycle lane on the Amiens St southbound side of the junction was replaced with a shared bus lane, while the cycle lane on the northbound side was shortened twice and lost its red colour.The central island, which provides access from the Talbot Memorial Bridge contra-flow cycle lane and from Amiens St northbound to southbound to allow people to avoid moving across many often fast-moving lanes, has been greened, which is an improvement. The painted cycle lanes on the island have been changed to a shared path, which makes little practical difference, but there are no markings to inform pedestrians it is a shared space, and the path has been elevated so that there are now notable ramps up and down from the corssing which is poorer for people using bikes and wheelchairs, etc. Changes including protected cycle links are proposed for later this year as part of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, but these are already long-delayed and had been expected to start right after the Clontarf to City Centre route.6. Kevin St and Bride StThe 2011 survey response said:Cycle lane too narrow. Remove cycle lane.Has it been fixed?: Partly? Kind of? Its unclear if the complaint was about the newer or older cycle lane the above image is from 2014 and shows an outline of the older cycle lane that went closer to the car parking and into the mouth of the junction. The new cycle lane was also shown in a Google Street View image from August 2012. While this gets marked as partly, it could be a lot better.7. Doyles Corner in PhibsboroughThe 2011 survey response said: Doyles Corner (Phibsborough Road/North Circular) is atrocious, particularly when youre approaching from the Cabra side. There is no cycling lane at all.Has it been fixed?: No.And BusConnects will remove the existing narrow and non-contiguous north-south cycle lanes and reduce footpath widths to fit in bus lanes, with the cycle route on a parallel route away from all the shops in the urban village centre.Dublin City Council has also been slow to propose an east-west route that would be continuous along the North Circular Road. Instead, they are taking a slow and piecemeal approach to cycling provision. 8. North King StStreet View from 2010.Street View from 2025.The 2011 survey response said: The cycle lane going out of town passes Smithfield and turns right (you have to cycle across from the left to the right hand side of a fast moving one way street here) and then left onto North Brunswick Street it then comes to a full stop at Blackhall Place/Stoneybatter/Arbour Hill junction you lose the bike lane and even more there is no traffic light to let you proceed and traffic is too busy to let you out you have to get off your bike and walk up to the pedestrian crossing and wait some minutes for the light to change. No warning is given of the end of bike lane here.Has it been fixed?: No.At best, minor improvements. The main issue at the north-west corner of Smithfield still exists: you have to cross two lanes of turning traffic while you are going straight, to then turn right towards Stoneybatter or Grangegorman. The issue at the corner of Blackhall Place/Stoneybatter/Arbour Hill also remains. Overall, there is a slight improvement: bollards have stopped motorists from parking in the cycle lanes, especially to access the short contra-flow lane into North Brunswick Street. At the north-west corner of Smithfield, the bollards keep the lane clearer and allow some people to feel safer while waiting for a break in traffic, but these also make it harder to get out of the cycle lane and into the right turning lane.Bollards were also needlessly added to the contra-flow cycle lane on North Brunswick Street, which rarely has issues with motorists parking into the cycle lane. Its unclear why this was done, and it narrows the space.BusConnects will massively change the area (see draft planning drawing below), including more continuous cycle paths, but the draft plans include a convoluted junction design at the corner of North Brunswick Street and Grangegorman Lower, and it mixes cycling and pedestrians in shared surfaces on narrow spaces outside a pub and busy shop at the corner of Blackhall Place/Stoneybatter/Arbour Hill.The design also does not accommodate people cycling towards Blackhall Place, and possibly not to/from North Brunswick Street and Arbour Hill. 9. St Stephens Green WestThe 2011 survey response said: Cycle lane appears to be marked between York Street and Glovers Alley but then disappears. No access for cyclist through to Kildare Street.Has it been fixed?: No.While there have been various projects which proposed solutions to allow two-way cycling along this section of St Stephens Green, none have been progressed. 10. Christchurch junctionThe 2011 survey response said:Junction at Christchurch cathedral, Dublin 8 High Street / Nicholas Street / Winetavern Street / Christchurch Place. This is a wide, multi-laned, intimidating junction. Manoeuvres which are particularly difficult are the right turns from Nicholas Street (continuation of Patrick Street) onto Christchurch Place, or from High Street onto Nicholas Street. Even while cycling straight ahead (eastwards) from High Street onto Christchurch place, the cyclist can feel squished as traffic lanes narrow here. This junction needs a complete overhaul to make it feel safer for all cyclists.Has it been fixed?: No. There are minor cycling improvements overall, mainly in the form of some partly-protected cycle lanes on the Nicholas Street approach to the junction but these are the kind of improvements that are mainly for the people who have little choice but to cycle or those who cycle despite the conditions. There are two known proposals for the junction the first is the BusConnects Tallaght/Clondalkin to City Centre planning stage design (its unclear if the detailed design phase would change this much or at all), and the second is the concept design as part of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan vision for the junction (second image below). The latter is worse for cycling and potentially worse for pedestrians on two out of four crossings, but the designs chosen here mean less efficient operation of the junction for all users or long waits for cycling. With both plans, Im very unclear how the proposed cycle crossing from High St to Nicholas St would even work. With the transport plan design, cyclists are left exposed more to left-turning buses, trucks and cars. 11. Frederick St North and Parnell Square EastThe 2011 survey response said: Frederick Street North onto Parnell Square East. The layout encourages buses etc to pass closely.Has it been fixed?: No.While the buses have been modernised and a contra-flow cycle route put in on the other side of Parrell Square East, no change has been made to this junction design going southbound.12. OConnell St northbound and Parnell StThe 2011 survey response said:Top of OConnell St northbound no advance stop line (ASL). An ASL would be good for those turning the corner and those going around Parnell Square.Has it been fixed?: Yes. While there are other issues with the junction, including the lack of two-directional cycling links leading up to it, the issue mentioned has been resolved with the provision of a cycle track in one of the northbound traffic lanes (pictured above).13. Harolds Cross BridgeThe 2011 survey response said: Junction of Harolds Cross Road, Parnell Road and Grove Road. (Location of ghost-bike). The right hand turn going from Harolds Cross Road onto Grove Road is very very tricky. While there are (just about) two inbound traffic lanes here, the right-most lane is for both straight-ahead and right-turning traffic. As a cyclist, if waiting to turn right here, cars and trucks intending to drive straight-ahead become impatient waiting behind the cyclist and beep their horns and drive right up behind the cyclist this is intimidating. It also feels worse because of the hump-backed bridge in that you cannot see oncoming vehicles very easily when waiting to turn right. As a result, many cyclists hop across onto the footpath (outside of the bicycle shop) and nip across at the pedestrian crossing to get onto the (eastbound) cycle lane. Why not make the right-most lane on Harolds Cross Road right-turn only? This junction needs to be redesigned.Harolds Cross Bridge (heading North)Going north & waiting to turn right is awful. Coming the other direction is dangerous -not enough room. Youre also up against a 1 metre thick solid stone wall on your left. Surface is bad on all approaches to Harolds Cross Bridge, and too many drivers jump red lights.Has it been fixed?: No.Nothing of much significance has changed at the bridge, and a recent court case suggests a possible silent rise in serious injuries that go unreported until they reach court. It is to be addressed as part of the Kimmage to City Centre BusConnects route with the following as the draft planning design:14. Guild Street and Upper Sheriff StreetThe 2011 survey response said: Guild Street / Upper Sheriff Street new road markings layout means little room for other traffic passing bicycles both ways on Guild Street.Has it been fixed?: Partly.The markings at the time were to put lane markings in place, but the main issue with cyclists was and continues to be left hooks at the junction, where Donna Fox was killed by a left-turning driver as she was trying to cycle straight on in 2016. An attempt has been made to make the junction safer after her death, but reports of left hooks close calls continue. A side factor is that a lot of people cycling on the route between North Strand Road and the Docklands now use the Royal Canal Greenway.15. Bleeding Horse junctionThe 2011 survey response said: Bleeding Horse junction. One-way contraflow needed.Has it been fixed?: Partly.There has been a fix, but it is shared with buses. The contra-flow bus lane on Camden Street, starting at the junction beside the Bleeding Horse, allows people cycling towards Rathminds Road or the South Circular Road westbound to avoid the one-way system that goes in a loop around the block via the Harcourt Luas stop.BusConnects includes an upgrade to cycle tracks. This is the draft planning drawing: 16. Adelaide Road and Earlsfort TerraceThe 2011 survey response said:Adelaide Road at the end of Earlsfort Terrace: Motorists on Adelaide Road often ignore the yield sign and expect that rightturning cyclists (who have right of way) will yield.Has it been fixed?: No. The road is virtually unchanged since 2011. For a relatively minor junction, there are a significant number of recent entries about these issues here on collisiontracker.ie:17. Harts CornerThe 2011 survey response said: Harts Corner outbound. Mainly when youre on the Finglas Road and want to turn into Prospect Way (towards Ballymun etc). From this junction leading up to the next junction is problematic. Main problem is speed of traffic around the junctions makes it harder to get into the right turning lane quickly. Harts Corner Southbound where cycle lane dumps you close to the kerb just before a point where the road narrows, cars are speeding past and cars etc park half on the footpath.Has it been fixed?: No.While it has not been fixed yet, the Ballymun / Finglas to City Centre BusConnects route is planned to offer a segregated route from Royal Canal Bank around Harts Corner:18. Fairview/Marino Mart at Malahide RoadThe 2011 survey response said:Fairview/Marino Mart at Malahide Road junction going out of town is hell if you are going straight on towards Clontarf, traffic pulls across the bike lane at speed to turn left, similar situation though not quite as bad for the Howth Road junction 100 yards further on.Has it been fixed?: Yes.The Clontarf to City Centre Bus and Cycle route has fixed the issue. 19. Grattan Bridge and Essex QuayThe 2011 survey response said:Grattan Bridge [aka Capel Street Bridge], turning right onto Essex Quay. The bridge is one way and cars are pushing behind and youre not sure which side of the lane you should cycle: very dangerous!Has it been fixed?: Yes.Overall, yes, but the unprotected lane presents a possible issue if an inexperienced cyclist uses it. Now that Parliament Street and Capel Street are mostly car-free, the three lanes of traffic are gone, and theres now a two-way cycle path and a turning lane into Essex Quay. But for some reason, a cycle lane has been left on the wrong side of that turning lane, since those cars will be turning towards the outer lane on the quay, and turning cyclists will mostly be heading to the bus lane.The unprotected cycle lane (pictured to the left in the photo above) should be removed, with the space reallocated to the planter-protected two-way cycle path. 20. Kevin Street Upper/Patrick Street/Dean St/New StreetPatrick Street side in 2009Patrick Street side in 2022Kevin Street side in 2012Kevin Street side in 2022The 2011 survey response said: Patrick Street, the crossing just after Patricks Cathedral. Two regular lanes become three sorting lanes for cars and one bike lane on the far left. Very hard, dangerous and scary to sort to go right towards the Coombe / Cork street as cars usually drive very fast down Patrick street.Has it been fixed?: No.Although the Kevin Street side has been improved for cycling with a bollard-protected cycle lane outbound, and similar treatment is (partly?) finished on the Dean Street side. BusConnects plans to massively redesign this junction the planning-stage design (shown below) would likely mean (1) an inefficient junction for buses or long delays for people cycling. Its unclear how or even if it will be improved during the detailed design stage. 21. Victoria Quay and Frank Sherwin BridgeThe 2011 survey response said: Victoria Quay (just outside Guinness gate), turning right on to Frank Sherwin Bridge (to then turn left to go up to the Pheonix Park), cyclists need to go from the bus lane to the third of four lanes. Lorries and fast cars going along the quay make it terrifying to change lanes.Has it been fixed?: Yes.The interim Liffey Cycle Route works included a separate cycle path and cycling crossing.22. Nassau St Nassau St going to Merrion Square. Usually crossing two lanes to the right to sort right with many big busses involved. Nassau street in general is a pain to cycle with all the bus stops.Has it been fixed?: Work in progress.The contra-flow cycle path has been widened to be upgraded to a two-way cycle path, but it has not yet been fixed at junctions, etc., to be two-way.