Brian O'Neill, accountant:How do you travel to and from work? My commute takes me from the southside suburb of Booterstown to Raheny on Dublin's northside via bicycle or via DART and bicycle. When I travel by DART, I use a folding bicycle which I carry in a black nylon zip-up cover. I also use my folding bike when attending meetings around town as I find trying to park a bicycle not that easy and you also have the worry of theft.
How long does it take? It takes 45 minutes when I cycle. This time never varies no matter how heavy traffic is, whether it is morning or night and the return journey is exactly the same. If I travel by bicycle and DART, the journey time is either 10 minutes less or 10 minutes more depending on the times of the trains.
What time do you leave home? At 8 a.m. I have breakfast with my family and still make it to work in good time.
What time do you arrive back home? Usually at 7:30 p.m.
Do you travel the same route every day? No. Once a week I go to the Naas Road by bicycle and from there on to Raheny.
What do you enjoy about your commute? On a bicycle, you are always moving despite the traffic. There are no frustrations, no meters to feed, no problems with parking and you are always on time for meetings. You know exactly how long it takes. By being able to combine DART and bicycle, I have a fair bit of flexibility. The cycle along the coast road is also beautiful at this time of year. You arrive feeling great. The number of cycle tracks which have been developed in Dublin over the past five years is great.
What bothers you most about your commute? The state of the roads around the East Link and also along the Naas Road. The number of large pot holes is at an unacceptable level and they are very dangerous for children.
Would you change your mode of transport if you could? No, cycling is a very pleasant way to get to and from work.
How could your journey be improved? If the three feet out from the kerb could be checked by Gardai on motorbikes to ensure that major potholes are reported and fixed, then the cyclists' lot could be improved. Inexperienced cyclists run a huge risk of hitting some of these holes and falling off. Also more cycle lanes would help.
In conversation with Sylvia Thompson
I cannot understand why buses are not allowed to use the main road through the Phoenix Park. This road is over 2.5 miles long. Instead, we have a traffic jam of single-occupancy cars every morning and evening. If the Government was really serious about encouraging people to use public transport, it would ban cars from the main road of the park during rush hours. This would speed up the time it takes to get to town for bus users and slow down the time for people who insist on using their own car.
Martin O'Malley, Dublin
E-mail trafficgripes@irish-times.ie or write to Traffic Gripes, Features Dept, The Irish Times, 11-15 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2
