
N51 Park and Ride Facility
New development for the N51 Park and Ride Facility by Meath County Council – view our submission below
Meath County Council proposes to undertake the development of a Park and Ride Facility in the Townland of Moathill in Navan. It will consist of a new offline bus bay along the westbound lane of the N51 capable of accommodating up to 4 large coaches, incorporating two new bus shelters, a new bus stand area and cycle parking; a new Park and Ride car parking area. You can view full information here.
Navan Cycling Initiative’s Submission
Reference: Part 8 P8/20015
Introduction
This submission is provided by Navan Cycling Initiative (NCI), a non-profit organisation representing the residents of Navan Municipal District, whose objective is to make cycling safe, enjoyable and convenient. NCI supports the provision of integrated public transport and active travel facilities, as part of an integrated sustainable mobility network. NCI is pleased to support the proposal, if the points listed below are addressed.
Note that there is an adjacent junction and cycle lane that are covered by a previous planning application (reference) that require modifications in order to be consistent with current policy and the N51 Park & Ride facility. Our submission covers both areas.
Contents
- N51 Park & Ride
- Adjacent Junction & Cycle Lane
1) N51 Park & Ride
NCI are proposing six modifications to the proposed N51 Park & Ride facility.
1. Cycleway on West of N51
The area covered by the N51 Park & Ride facility includes a section of the N51, which currently includes a segment of cycleway. NCI proposes that this cycleway be extended along the full length of the West side of the N51. This cycleway extends into the area with the adjacent junction at the R161.
Cyclists traveling Northbound should be afforded the ability to turn right into the park & ride facility in a safe and impediment-free manner. Similarly, cyclists exiting the facility should be afforded the ability to turn right out of the park & ride facility onto the cycleway in a safe and impediment-free manner.
2. Cycleway & walkway on South of N51
The cycleway and walkway are currently proposed to be immediately adjacent, with no barrier or separation. Shared cycling and walking paths should be the exception, not the norm. As space is not a pressing issue, a fully segregated cycle lane with kerbs on either side will make it safer for both pedestrians and cyclists. NCI proposes to separate the proposed cycleway and walkway into fully segregated sections on the eastern side of the N51 as based on international best practices.
3. Entrance to Park & Ride Facility
The proposed entrance/exit road to the facility requires pedestrians and cyclists to yield to motor vehicles entering or exiting. Pedestrians and cyclists should have priority over motor vehicles, per the National Cycle Manual and DMURS. The following illustration shows a continuous walkway and cycleway, requiring motor vehicles to yield.
4. Sheltered bike stands (front)
The current proposal includes 10 bike stands at the front of the facility. Bike stands must be secure, “Sheffield” stands (as opposed to insecure one-wheel stands), as recommended by Gardai. Additionally, the bike stands should be sheltered, as bikes are likely to be parked for a substantial portion of the day.

5. Sheltered bike stands (rear)
As per item 4 above, the bike stands at the rear of the facility must be sheltered and be fully secure “Sheffield” stands.
Attention should also be given to how cyclists will enter and exit the stands. Cyclists should be able to ride continuously to/from the stands, as opposed to navigating kerbs or other impediments.
6. Cycleway and Walkway at West entrance to St Patricks School
Similar to point 3 above, the Cycleway and Walkway that is currently interrupted by the West entrance to St Patricks School should be made continuous and uninterrupted.
2) Adjacent Junction & Cycle Lane
This section refers to area 2 shown in Figure 1, and includes the area covered by planning application NA151301.
1. Continuous Cycle lanes at R161/N51 Junction
The current cycle lane at the R161/N51 junction is interrupted, and motor vehicles take priority.
Cycle lanes should not ‘end’ and ‘start’ when intersecting with a junction. Disconnected sections of paths or lanes cannot be described as a network – routes have to be coherent and comprehensive.
NCI note that this junction layout was designed several years ago, since which engineering best practice for safe multi-modal transport has evolved. NCI requests that current best practice be employed in the redesign of this junction and traffic light sequencing.
Conclusion
In summary, the changes proposed by NCA are:
- All cycleways to be continuous and segregated, not shared with cars or pedestrians
- Junctions should prioritise the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists over motor vehicles
- The design should afford cyclists safe entry and exit, when entering or exiting in either direction
- Bike storage should be covered
With the changes proposed by NCI, the N51 Park & Ride facility has the potential to create 600m of safe, uninterrupted cycleway, in close proximity to a school, Blackwater Park, and the new Boyne Valley to Lakeland’s County Greenway This strongly supports regional and national policy to change the modal share of transport from private motor vehicles to sustainable modes of transport.
References
The following illustration is very similar to how the N51 layout will look after the proposed improvements.
Source: Sustrans Design Manual, 2015
Make your voice heard
If you would like to make your own submission, you can email planning@meathcoco.ie, or submit via the Councils website, on or before Tuesday the 1st of December 2020. Be sure to reference ‘Part 8 P8/20015 – N51 Park and Ride Facility’. Navan Cycling Initiative would encourage all our followers who wish to have more safe cycling infrastructure in the town to make your voice heard and make a submission. You could send a quick email outlining our proposals, i.e:
1. All cycleways to be continuous and segregated, not shared with cars or pedestrians
2. Junctions should prioritise the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists over motor vehicles
3. The design should afford cyclists safe entry and exit, when entering or exiting in either direction
4. Bike storage should be covered
