Healthy Trinity Forum
Fewer people are walking and cycling to Trinity. What can we do about it?
Walking and cycling to Trinity have declined by 8% and 14% respectively since Trinity started measuring commuting in 2011 (pictured). Physical activity is central to good health and the World Health Organization has identified transport as a key setting for promoting physical activity, particularly to non-exercisers.
Respond to the Dublin City Transport Plan Consultation
The Healthy Trinity Smarter Travel group sees the Draft Dublin City Centre Transport Plan as a way to address this decline and are asking you to engage with the Plan by:
- Responding to the Consultation. The link is here and it takes two minutes. The deadline is the 1st December. That might be as much time as you have to engage with the Plan and that would be a big support to the work of the Healthy Trinity Smarter Travel group;
- Coming to the Healthy Trinity Forum and giving us feedback on Trinity's response to the Plan. You can tell us what you think at the Forum or email Martina Mullin on mullinm1@tcd.ie.
Come to Healthy Trinity Forum
The Plan raises lots of questions like:
- How will the proposed transport changes affect Trinity's College Green campus?
- Will it be easier for students and staff to get to Trinity on foot, by bike or on public transport?
- Will the Plan make Dublin healthier, greener and more fun to spend time in?
- How will Trinity manage our very busy College Green campus?
To answer these questions we’re hosting Healthy Trinity’s first Forum and all are invited. We're grateful to following Healthy Trinity partners who will speak
Speaker |
Topic |
Duration |
Chair: Prof. Eleanor Denny, College Bursar |
Introduce speakers |
2 minutes |
Claire French, Senior Engineer, Dublin City Council |
Why this plan now and what it will mean for Dublin |
8 minutes |
Prof. Brian Caulfield, Professor Transport Systems |
How this plan affects Trinity from a transport perspective |
8 minutes |
Prof. Jane Stout, VP Biodiversity and Climate Action |
How this plan affects Trinity from a climate, biodiversity and health perspective |
8 minutes |
Mike Clark, Director of Campus Infrastructure |
Challenges and Opportunities: |
8 minutes |
Panel chaired by Eleanor |
Questions and answers |
14 minutes |
Closing remarks: Martina Mullin |
How to complete the consultation |
2 minutes |
Total |
|
50 minutes |
Date: Tuesday, 21st November 2023, 3pm
Where: Online: https://tcd-ie.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EaJAJWj6TzC6Kv8l2Rnn3g
This event is part of the Healthy Trinity Smarter Travel group's #LiveableDublin campaign. More details below.
About #LiveableDublin
In 2018, Healthy Trinity identified a 37% reduction in cycling since 2011. In response, we began to explore how cycling could be segregated between our campuses.
Building on Trinity's existing relationships with Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority, as well with many civic organisations and active citizens, Trinity took the following actions to encourage changes to the built environment in Dublin:
Pictured: Dublin City Council's open College Green event 2019
June 2021: Could O'Connell Street be an extraordinary garden like the Champs Elysee?
Paris is planning an extraordinary garden on the Champs Elysee. Could O'Connell Street be similar? Barcelona has superblocks which are neighbourhoods of nine blocks, where traffic is restricted to major roads around the outside, opening up entire groups of streets for communities to gather, children to play and people to walk and cycle safely. Is Dublin ready for superblocks? Trinity hosted this conversation to explore what's possible as Dublin creates its new Development Plan 2022-2028.
June 2020: Covid-19 Submission to Dublin City Council
Trinity made this submission to Dublin City Council on transport policy as the city reopens after Covid-19 requesting a number of measures on four routes in the city that have been identified since 2018 as a priority for the University. They include:
- Widening footpaths
- Installing bike tracks and increasing the width of those that are too narrow
- Prioritising walking and cycling at junctions
- Reducing speed limits on roads
- Where feasible, using greening features to make the changes above
November 2019: Liveable Dublin - Lunchbox Lab
Healthy Trinity, the Ignite Programme in Trinity and BYCS of Amsterdam hosted a follow-up lab with the support of Dublin City Council to answer the question raised in the June lab.
Over 60 people attended and made over 280 suggestions for changes to Dublin to make it more liveable. More details and a report on the event can be found here.
Pictured: Members of the general public marking changes on maps to make Dublin more liveable.
June 2019: Velo-city - Pop up Lab, Showcase and Seminar
In partnership with Dublin City Council, Trinity hosted an event for the general public to celebrate the 2019 Velo City Conference coming to Dublin. Healthy Trinity hosted a pop-up lab as well as a student and academic showcase. The school of Civil and Structural Engineering hosted a seminar.
BYCS of Amsterdam led the pop-up lab pictured at which participants collaborated to develop the following question:
"How can we speed up change in Dublin to make it more liveable?"
More details of the event can be found here.
Pictured: Members of the general public participating in the pop up lab.
#Cycling for All Campaign
Healthy Trinity ran this campaign in February 2020 on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook in response to the recommendations of the November lab.
Pictured: An image from Trinity's video by alumnus Ronan Griffen's on cycling with a visual impairment
Liveable Dublin on Campus
Healthy Trinity has participated in the National Transport Authority's Smarter Travel initiative since 2011.
In 2019, we won multiple awards including Dr. Gar Bennet for best lecturer.
We do ongoing promotion of walking, cycling and public transport via our social media sites.
Trinity Sport offer showering facilities on campus and many buildings have their own shower facilities.
In 2019, with the support of the National Transport Authority we installed new bike parking on campus. We have been awarded further funding by the National Transport Authority to upgrade our bike parking on campus in 2020.
Pictured: In 2019, Trinity installed Ireland's first disability bike parking.