[Tipsy Mac]

I noticed that there's a massive belt of land beside Clontarf DART station that has been levelled out and is beginning to resemble a park and ride area, anyone know if this is the case? Would be good use for the land as it was just sitting there derelict.

[mikemac]

Is that not the driving school area? Been there for years

[Tipsy Mac]

Originally Posted by mikemac

Is that not the driving school area? Been there for years

Yes but it's all been levelled off and cleared.

[lightening]

From what I can gather it's going to be sports grounds, soccer, rugby and GAA, all floodlit and allweather. I think I saw this in the Dublin forum.

[Bluetonic]

Indeed.

A FORMER traffic school for children on Dublin's northside is to be replaced by three new all-weather sports pitches.

The €2.7m development is expected to be completed before the end of the year and will include a full-size GAA pitch, a full-size soccer and rugby pitch, along with a pitch for seven-a-side games.

STATION

It is being built on a site next to Clontarf Dart station, which includes the site of the now closed traffic school.

In the past, the huge site also boasted an athletics track and a football pitch dating back but the new development will be the most up-to-date of its kind in the city.

The project is being funded by Dublin City Council, along with the Department of Sport.

There has been a contribution from the GAA.

While the pitches are aimed at training, each will meet the full requirements of the playing code for each of the games.

The pitches will be floodlit and surrounded by a see-through perimeter fence.

The seven-a-side pitch is being built on the exact site of the old traffic school, which was used to teach more than 20,000 children the rules of the road for more than three decades.

Four years ago, Dublin City Council announced plans for a major revamp of the traffic school, to include lecture halls and an indoor arena for use in bad weather.

It was also planned to double the size of the road track, complete with traffic signals, road markings, pedestrian crossings, corners and road signs.

Pending the revamp, the school closed and road safety aught by a team from the Council's Road Safety unit visiting schools with portable equipment.

SAFETY

A council spokeswoman said it had since been decided to replace the traffic school with the football pitches, while the road safety team would continue to visit schools.

The site of the traffic school had been handed back to council's parks section for the sporting development.

[dereko1969]

Originally Posted by Tipsy Mac

I noticed that there's a massive belt of land beside Clontarf DART station that has been levelled out and is beginning to resemble a park and ride area, anyone know if this is the case? Would be good use for the land as it was just sitting there derelict.

This has been answered but do you not think Clontarf Road would've been way too close to the city centre to be really useful as a Park and Ride? Would have thought they would work better much further out.

[BrianD]

They should build a multi-story and charge for it provided that you are taking the DART. Handy enough for the city but still keeping traffic out of the city. The charge would be high enough to make it no so sensible for 5 day commuters.

[bk]

Originally Posted by BrianD

They should build a multi-story and charge for it provided that you are taking the DART. Handy enough for the city but still keeping traffic out of the city. The charge would be high enough to make it no so sensible for 5 day commuters.

I think it is probably still too close to the city center and the area isn't really fed by any major roads. The Dart station car park is typically only used by people who live in the general area.

Park And Rides typically should be placed on a motorway, like around the M50.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by bk

I think it is probably still too close to the city center and the area isn't really fed by any major roads. The Dart station car park is typically only used by people who live in the general area.

Park And Rides typically should be placed on a motorway, like around the M50.

I fully agree but I wonder is there a further market for closer park and rides that would be charged at a higher rate.

Personally, I would like to see multistory car parks built an all outlying DART/Arrow stations with an integrated parking and rail ticket. Parking at stations shouldn't be free.

[bk]

Originally Posted by BrianD

I fully agree but I wonder is there a further market for closer park and rides that would be charged at a higher rate.

Personally, I would like to see multistory car parks built an all outlying DART/Arrow stations with an integrated parking and rail ticket. Parking at stations shouldn't be free.

Well the car park at the Clontarf Dart station isn't free and while it is very busy, it doesn't seem to be completely full, so I don't think there is enough demand there for a multistory, perhaps at other stations.

Plus I think a lot of the Westwood gym members just use the Westwood car park next door when getting the Dart.