NEW PROPOSALS BY the National Transport Authority (NTA) could see the Luas Cross City line extended into the north of the city.
The Luas line could be put in place along the Finglas Road with potential to branch out onto the Ballymun Road or the Drumcondra Road/ Swords Road.
A potential option that has been developed by the Railway Procurement Agency proposes a tunneled section of the line from Cabra to Ballymun.
Rapid bus system
National Transport Authority also have plans for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to Dublin Airport which could see journey times for travellers significantly reduced.
A BRT system allows vehicles move in rapid transport corridors, which private cars are not permitted to use. Similar systems are in place internationally and generally see a level of segregation from other traffic.
The current average speed in a Quality Bus Corridor in Dublin is 15 km/h. The new system would aim to increase this to potentially 20-25 km/h with an aim of competing with the journey time of a private car.
The NTA hopes to have the proposed BRT system – running from Swords and the Airport into a City Centre corridor – by 2017.
At the moment this scheme is only in the planning stage and the NTA concedes it is just a temporary measure because it will not cater for large enough numbers.
A longer-term outlook is focusing on the development of a rail-based solution for transport to the airport.
Greater connection
The proposals are being developed as part of the General Scheme Corridor, an area that is the focus of transport into Dublin City Centre, and aims to create closer links between the north and the south of the city.
The General Scheme Corridor includes the Malahide Road, Dublin City Centre, the Finglas Road, the Lissenhall Junction and Ashborne.
The project sets out its ‘horizon year’ for completion as 2035.
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