Thread: There'll be lots of opposition and legit questions about plans to ramp up Dublin city's cycling and walking rapidly.

But the key question: what's the alternative? Here's the context we face... (1/9)

On a given workday in 2019, to cross the canals into the city:
113k people used public transport
58k drove in with cars
25k walked
13k cycled

Forget for a moment the 120k who live within the canals (and we shouldn't, really): just focus on those coming in. (2/9)

With social distancing and other changes, public transport is facing an 80% capacity reduction. Do nothing, and there are potentially 80k+ people who need to get into the city. (3/9)

Even if you decrease that amount massively as folks work from home - how do we bridge that gap? Cars take up too much road space and it's congested enough, even with 70% of commutes made by other means. (4/9)

We can't pave over the Liffey. We can't knock the city and start from scratch to build a motorway. (And we shouldn't.) Forget climate, air quality, noise, and all that Green stuff: the roads simply do not have enough space or capacity to replace public transport with cars. (5/9)

So how do we move people? We encourage walking, we make it easier, safer and more pleasant. We do the same for cycling. And that's what these proposals are about. (We'll need to do more!) (6/9)

Cycling isn't for you? I get that. But I'd encourage you to give it a shot, if you're physically in a position to. After a week or two, I'd be amazed if you don't become a raving cycling loon on Twitter like the rest of us. (7/9)

Because not only is it close to free, sustainable, healthy and often quicker: it's actually fun. Especially once it's made safer. That's why for most people who cycle, they've asked *missed* their commute during COVID-19. (8/9) https://twitter.com/fietsprofessor/status/1258304518225264641

Anyway. Key point: if you're against changes to reduce car space to improve walking and cycling , and you accept that public transport capacity is slashed: what's the alternative? (9/9)