THE NUMBER OF people travelling into Dublin city by public transport has reached a record high, a new report has shown. 

The annual Canal Cordon Report for 2018 tracks the mode of transport share of people coming into Dublin on a typical morning. The data was collected over a period of a few days in November.

The report found that a total of 112,512 people came into the city on bus, train or Luas, compared to 107,160 in 2017 – an increase of 5,352.

This is the sixth consecutive year that the numbers taking public transport has increased.

The increase coincides with a drop in the number travelling by car. The report shows that 48,820 cars coming into the city in the mornings carrying 60,537 people.

This marks the 10th consecutive year that the number of cars has dropped. 

The number of people travelling into the city by bike also dropped. With 12,227 people cycling, down from 12,447 last year – a drop of 2%.

It is the first time since 2010 that cyclists have declined in numbers. The number of people walking into the city also declined slightly – from 24,936 in 2017 to 23,858. 

Commenting on the report, CEO of the NTA Anne Graham said:

“The growing gap between the numbers using public transport and the private car means that things are moving in the right direction,” she said. 

We want to incentivise more people to leave their cars at home by continuing to improve public transport. 

Graham referenced last month’s Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action report which called for strategies to provide integrated, reliable and affordable public transport in the coming years, and how these would be essential to fulfilling Ireland’s goals to cut carbon emissions. 

She said the NTA was “very much on the same page” and referenced projects like the BusConnects plan to increase bus priority on about 200km of main corridors into the city.

“Just last week, with Dublin City Council, we announced plans for the Liffey Cycle route but we acknowledge more is needed. That is why further cycling infrastructure will be delivered under our BusConnects core bus corridor plans,” she said.