General Election 2007

Questionnaire for election candidates

Please tick or number boxes in order of importance, or as you feel appropriate - also please annotate if you wish.

  1. How often do you cycle? every day every week rarely never
  2. What do you primarily use your bike for?
    exercise
    leisure
    commuting
    shopping
    visiting
  3. Would you favour a speed limit of 30km/h in certain areas?
    Yes, all residential areas
    Yes, on request of locals
    Yes, in business or shopping areas
    Yes, as many areas as possible
    No
  4. What do you consider the main benefits of cycling? Please mark the following in order of importance
    Reduce obesity, heart disease and inactivity
    Reduce death and injury by motor accident
    Reduce traffic congestion
    Saving the Exchequer EU fines for Irish non-compliance with air quality legislation
    Saving public health from pollution
    Better quality of public spaces due to safer and quieter streets
    Increase in social networking and social capital due to reduction of isolation and anti-social behaviour of motorists
  5. What do you consider the main obstacles to increased cycling (achieving the DTO aim of increasing cycle use to 30% of short trips by 2016)?
    poor facilities
    danger from cars/high speeds on roads
    convenience of cars
    too exhausting/ lack of fitness
    Lack of enforcement of cycle provisions in planning permissions
    Poor town planning allowing sprawl
    other (ten words or so):
  6. What would you do to encourage more children to cycle to school?
    Increase funding to 'safe routes to school', 'cycle-bus' or similar schemes
    Prohibit parking of motor vehicles within 200m of school
    Implement congestion charging for motor vehicles near schools
    Educate children regarding health benefits
    Proved cyclist education in schools
  7. What would you do to ensure that awareness of the perspectives of cyclists and pedestrians is given greater weight in driver education?
    Revise provisional driving test
    Revise Rules of the Road booklet
    Alter Road Traffic Acts
    Encourage driving schools to include cycling in driver education
  8. What would you do to encourage more cycling generally, particularly for trips less than 6km long?
    Reduce and enforce speed limits for motor vehicles on urban roads
    Reform the planning system to prevent more sprawl
    Increase road safety education
    Improve road design allowing more space for cyclists
    Enforce parking laws in cycle lanes
    Make it easier to combine cycling and public transport
    Other (please specify)