Commuting during COVID-19 restrictions

Is it safe to walk in Dublin?

Maintaining social distancing while walking would be challenging on many footpaths in Dublin. Trinity has made this submission to Dublin City Council asking for wider footpaths and lower traffic speed limits. We believe that with wider footpaths and slower traffic walking would be one of the safer modes of travel to Trinity.

How far can I walk or cycle in half an hour?

Our walking and cycling time maps show how far you can walk from Trinity's campuses.

Is it safe to cycle in Dublin?

In our 2018 travel survey, 87% of the Trinity community questioned the safety of cycling in Dublin and 91% wanted segregated cycling or quiet ways to increase cycle safety. Full report here. Trinity has made this submission to Dublin City Council asking for protected cycling infrastructure and lower speed limits in Dublin. We fully support Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority's plan to reopen the city and believe that improved cycling infrastructure and lower traffic speeds would make cycling safer.

Where can I buy a bike?

New bikes: There are bike shops all over Dublin. While we have our favourites, it would be unfair of us to recommend one.

Second-hand bikes: Many bike shops stock second hand bikes. Bikes are regularly for sale on adverts.ie or donedeal.ie but we can't vouch for either of them.

Are there bike share options in Dublin?

Dublin Bikes are an affordable alternative to owning your own bike and are very convenient to Trinity. See this Healthy Trinity/TCD SU video of how to use them.

Bleeper Bikes are also a very affordable alternative to owning your own bike and are on campus. They're like Dublin Bikes but you can park them all over the city, not just at bike park stations. We have a bleeper bike location behind the Old Library and outside the Chemistry Building on our College Green campus and in Trinity Hall. Bleeper rent push bikes and e-bikes.

Should I get an e-bike?

Moby e-bike bike share is now available in Dublin and Bleeper Bike have some e-bikes available. E-bikes are an excellent option for longer distances and are eligible to be bought under the staff bike to work scheme.

Where can I park my bike?

As of July 2020 our College Green campus has outdoor bike parking, secure parking and inclusive parking. On our St. James's, Tallaght and Trinity Hall campuses, parking is on outdoor racks. Further bike parking is being installed during summer 2020.

Can I apply for the bike to work scheme?

The Bike to Work Scheme is open monthly for staff. The Closing date for submitting applications is the 10th of each month. In order to proceed with an online application, you must have your Trinity email address and staff number. More details here.

Is Trinity telling me I have to walk or cycle if I live within 5km?

Absolutely not. We are asking you if you can because social distancing requirements will mean our public transport systems will be very much over-subscribed.

Who won't be able to walk or cycle?

There are people who can't walk or cycle for physical reasons or simply because they don't feel mentally able to. That's fine. We're asking those who can, to do so in an effort to relieve some of the pressure on our transport systems. We hope that with wider footpaths and protected cycling, people who didn't walk or cycle last year, will begin to do so.

Obviously people who live far away will also not be able to walk or cycle. 80% of the Trinity community however, commutes within 10km of campus.

How did you choose the 2km/5km distances?

The 2km/5km walk/cycle distances were chosen because:

• The limited literature available e.g. this Spanish paper and this Danish one, both focused on distances of approx. 2km and 5km;
• Trinity wished to align to the Enabling the City to return to Work plan published by our partners in Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority. It recommends 2km/5km;
• By including a return walk of 2km or cycle of 5km in their day, people will achieve the national physical activity recommendations.

Shouldn't the limits be higher than 2km/5km? I walk/cycle much further.

The further you walk or cycle, the better. People who commute actively have a significantly reduced risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence and diabetes, are more productive and are happier with their commute. Well done for walking/cycling further. Keep it up! You're making yourself healthier and you're leaving space on public transport for those who need it.

Could I walk or cycle part of the journey?

Yes. You might find public transport becomes very busy as you approach the city centre. Could you get off public transport earlier? The biggest determinant of modal choice is time so it may not be feasible to incorporate a walk or cycle (possibly using bike share) on your commute but maybe you could consider doing so.

Is there anyone I can talk to about getting support for starting to cycle?

We are working on a bike buddy system.

Is it practical to expect people to walk or cycle during an Irish winter?

In the Netherlands, which has higher annual rain fall than Ireland, over 50% of trips are made by bicycle. In Copenhagen, 62% of people commute to work by bicycle. As their neighbours in Norway say, there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. We think this is an interesting read about weather and commuting.

Does Trinity have a bike buddy scheme?

We have had bike buddy schemes in the past and will reestablish the scheme if there is sufficient demand. To register your interest, email Dr. Mike McKillen.