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TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN Dublin is impacting on people’s quality of life, according to Fianna Fáil’s transport spokesperson Robert Troy.
The Longford-Westmeath TD said traffic congestion in Dublin is undoubtedly set to worsen in the months ahead.
Despite welcoming the progression of the Luas Cross City project, he believes motorists and commuters are fed up of the ongoing disruptions and lack of planning.
While the completion of the Luas Cross City project will allow for “a clean-up of the city” it will have a limited impact on alleviating the current traffic disruption, he said.
No plan
“Dublin Bus passengers in particular will be alarmed to learn that there still is no plan in place for the re-routing of key services once the Luas Cross City project is complete,” said Troy.
The comments come ahead of Dublin City Council’s meeting next week where councillors will discuss the restriction of cars along parts of the city quays.
It’s proposed that cars be completely banned from College Green – which will then be turned into a civic space.
In addition, there are plans to create clear passages for Luas Cross City to ensure trams do not get stuck in traffic.
Some of the traffic restrictions proposed include requiring traffic travelling east to turn left onto O’Connell Street from Bachelors Walk, and restricting car access on Eden Quay.
Luas trams
To enable free passage of Luas trams it’s proposed that access to Nassau Street from Dawson Street will be via Molesworth Street and South Frederick Street.
There are also plans in the works to develop a Liffey Cycle Route.
Speaking about the new plans for College Green, Troy said the Luas construction works has led to a significant increase in journey times for cross-city bus passengers as College Green has essentially been reduced to one lane.
“The area will have significantly less capacity to cater for buses on a permanent basis once the Luas Cross City project is complete. The potential pedestrianisation of College Green will require Dublin Bus to identify a new arterial route for cross-city services. The fact that such a route is yet to be identified does not bode well for passengers, and suggests that journey times are set to increase significantly in the months ahead,” he added.
Opposition to the new plans
While there has been opposition to the new plans from some Dublin business groups and the Irish Car Parking Association, the chair of Dublin City Council’s Transport Committee, Ciarán Cuffe told TheJournal.ie that plans need to be put in place before the Luas Cross City comes into operation.
“The Luas is coming down the line and doing nothing is not an option,” he said.
“I am confident we will get the traffic management right. We need to ensure we keep the city moving,” said Cuffe.
He said feedback about the plans from local businesses has been “mixed”.
“I think those that are shouting the loudest are the car parks. We have to strike a balance between the profits of car park operators and those in the city,” said Cuffe, who added there will continue to be access to all car parks in the city.
Cuffe said Dubliners can expect to see trial trams operating along the new route in August, with passenger trips beginning in December.
Troy said the current situation with traffic congestion in Dublin is unsustainable and said key transport projects such as the DART Underground and Metro North need to be prioritised.
“Failure to progress these projects will only compound traffic congestion in the years ahead and will continue the trend of allowing one relatively minor issue on our roads to bring the entire capital to a standstill.
“We need more public transport options which are independent of the road network to help bring this disruption to an end.”
In light of the recent discussions about traffic in the city, we want to know what you think.
Mini-poll: Do traffic jams impact on your mental health?
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If you dont like facebook, don’t use it.
Tony add me man!
Easier said than done, Tony.
Facebook… The CIA database for normal people.
Ya know, just in case you step out line..
Go back to sleep everyone. Everything is under control.
Read Facebook and eat crap and then get up for work. Again.
Regardless of Facebook’s policies, people should never forget it’s the internet. Don’t put up any content you would be embarrassed about if the whole world saw it.
They can add as much privacy rules as they like but considering the complexity of these rules it is very likely they’ll at least be flawed in some way, whether they’re misunderstood or have defects.
My problem with Facebook is that there are a lot of very nasty racist groups posting their hateful garbage on it, and to make matters worse they can turn off comments from anyone who disagrees with them so that it appears they have universal support
So do you think groups with distasteful opinions should be silenced, or that their views should be open to challenge and debate? If the former, I disagree, forcing opinions underground doesn’t make them go away; and if the latter, maybe, but would it really make much difference to anyone if you were to challenge the well researched opinions of Jimmy Joe Bob from Southern Alabama? Communication between like minded people has never been as easy as it is today thanks to the internet, yet racism has probably never been less prevalent in society. I’m not sure these things really pose as great a threat as is sometimes made out.
Totally disagree; ignorant, distasteful groups should be allowed to voice their ignorance as much as moderate opinion. Free speech is free speech; at least if everything is all out in the open these distasteful groups can be called on their ignorance.
@ Egg Head
Thank you for your well thought out and reasoned response.
I’m sorry, I did not make myself clear, no I don’t think they should be silenced,but I wonder if it’s a good idea that they should go unchallenged. A lot of impressionable young people read this tripe.
That comes down to parental responsibility, Pius. The Internet is fine as long as you’re able to differentiate between fact and opinionated BS. This knowledge should be imparted to the kids as well. They aren’t stupid; they learn quick enough that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear in the schoolyard or in the street. If they’re properly informed as to the reality that the Internet is largely the same then there’ll be no issue.
Obviously, there are exceptions to this, take the young ones on route to ISIS for example but largely it comes down to parental responsibility in my opinion. If you take the time to explain the reality to the kids there shouldn’t be too many problems.
What’s not to like?
If it was over here the guards would be called and your personal rights ignored, you’d be forced to be a Facebook member and if you complained you would go to jail.your fellow citizens would think this was fine and applaud the judiciary.
people will undoubtedly vent their anger… on Facebook- jesus wept :D
Hello!
Deleted my Facebook a month ago. Best thing I ever did. I don’t ever want to know that you are “going to bed now night peeps” makes me want to scream!
On Facebook you can report false/troll accounts and they do investigate & close the accounts.
Unlike twitter.
You can report twitter accounts ya mad yolk.
If you don’t like Facebook’s policies… DUH don’t use it… These privacy cranks are something else…..
Facebook is only usually used to point out flaws ect because it’s popular, the real truth is that any online account, profile, subject data or whatever is open for abuse as unfortunatly thats what people do, they take the good and turn it bad.
Facebook, although I don’t like it myself is/would be a great tool for social media but even at it’s best I’ve found it to be mainly “Maltesers and a hot chocolate for me to night” followed by loads of “likes” and me too’s (yes I have an account, just don’t use it)
The internet is probably the greatest thing from the twentieth century with the power of knowledge and good, yet probably 90% of it is now misinformation, information gathering & marketing and hatred.
Faceache
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