Anti-cycle lane residents reference Northern Ireland Troubles in placards opposing active travel plans and claim “no parking equals no safety” + more on the live blog

Here on the road.cc live blog, we’ve seen our fair share of overblown, hyperbolic reactions to active travel plans down the years. But this latest one, from Limerick – where residents are up in arms over a new cycle lane and its impact on their car parking spaces – must be right up there.

After all, it’s not often you see a row of houses adorned with placards criticising “cycling for the few”, while claiming that “no parking equals no safety” and that a bike lane will make an area “un-liveable”. Oh, while also referencing one of the most famous phrases from Northern Ireland’s three decade-long ‘Troubles’. Did I mention it was overblown?

Let’s get a bit of context first, shall we? Back in August, work finally began on the long-delayed South Circular Road Active Travel Route in the city of Limerick, in the south-west of Ireland.

The 2.5km route aims to provide a link to the city centre, connecting to several schools and following the ‘Dutch’ model by mixing two-way cycle lanes and low-traffic street designs, where through traffic would be restricted on residential streets.

The route was originally proposed over a decade ago, but wasn’t approved until 2023 when councillors voted to remove a section of the planned cycle path.

And even with construction already started, the changes have kept coming, Irishcycle.com reporting last week that officials have brought forward plans to limit motorists’ access to a section of a residential street, through the use of automated bollards, while retaining two-way access for some residents.

Meanwhile, more parking spaces have also been added to the project, requiring changes to parts of the carriageway and the new cycle lane.

> Majority of new cycle lane projects “maintained or enhanced” ambulance accessibility in city, new report from Irish council finds

While former Limerick mayor Thady Coughlan described the changes as a “reasonable compromise” between the council’s active travel team and local residents, the plan was still criticised by Social Democrat councillor Elisa O’Donovan, a consistent opponent of the scheme.

“I am being contacted almost daily by residents and businesses with legitimate concerns, yet despite repeatedly raising these issues and requesting clarification, I am not getting the answers I need to pass on to people,” O’Donovan, who didn’t attend the meeting discussing the changes, posted.

“These proposals will have an enormous impact on traffic movements, particularly for the many schools in the area, as well as surrounding residential streets and local businesses.”

Referencing the local authority’s active travel team, O’Donovan continued: “They are a law onto their own and would rather work against the councillors that live locally than work with them. They don’t live here so they don’t care.”

> Rockin’ around the cycle lane Christmas tree: Backlash as city’s massive tree plonked in middle of contraflow bike lane, forcing cyclists into oncoming traffic

And it seems her views are shared by at least some of those residents, who have been busy installing placards outside their homes criticising the project and, most importantly, the impact it will have on their car parking spaces.

Here are a few of my, ahem, ‘favourites’:

Some of the other slogans included: “Stop using EU funds to undermine city living”, “Cycle lane funding chosen over disabled and elderly”, “Save our parking, support families”, and “Safety for all, shared surface, lower speed”.

However, the most eye-catching placard of them all has to be this one, positioned in a prime spot just as you enter the street:

Yes, that feels entirely appropriate, comparing a cycling scheme to the slogan painted on a gable wall signalling the entrance to the barricaded nationalist Bogside, Creggan, and Brandywell areas of Derry in the early days of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Now a renowned tourist attraction, the Free Derry graffiti was itself inspired by the free speech protests at UC Berkeley in California in the mid-1960s.

Fast forward 60 years, and it’s now being appropriated by opponents of a cycle lane in Limerick. That makes sense, right? But at least it’s made a few active travel advocates chuckle on social media.

“I fully understand that these are fellow citizens’ sincerely held beliefs, but some are just unhinged,” wrote Keith Adams on BlueSky.

“Parking is life,” added Dave Mathieson, while Keith jokingly described it as “an unimpeachable human right”.

And, considering we’re talking about Limerick here, Urbane Cyclist decided a poem was in order:

An old man from Limerick town,

Saw cycle lanes painted in brown.

He cried, “What a disgrace!

There’s no parking space!”

Then sat in the bike lane and frowned.

That’s not bad, actually.

Fair play to the Norwich Cycling Campaign and local councillor Maxine Webb, who managed to secure – a month ahead of schedule – some better, safer wands for the cycle lane on Newmarket Road:

Delighted to see the wands on the Newmarket Road cycle lane have been replaced, a month ahead of schedule. These are the new narrower type of wand that are much easier to see at night and don’t have the awkward black base.

Thanks again to local councillor Maxine Webb who made this happen.

[image or embed]

— Norwich Cycling Campaign (@norwichcycling.bsky.social) November 4, 2026 at 3:02 PM

However, as the campaign’s photo suggests, that should only be the start of the council’s bike lane improvement measures.

“Yes, the wands should be spaced much closer together, the cycle lane should be wider, and it should be cleared of leaves!” the NCC posted, before anyone had the time to point that out themselves.

But hey, a narrower, less dangerous wand, that’s a start, right? Get a few more of them installed and now we’re talking.