Luas Cross City (Line BX/D) [now open]

Should do.

In Manchester the platforms can take two trams at a time in the city centre for this reason. They can keep up each others bumper until they split.

AngryLips wrote: »

Just looking at the proposals for Luas Line F and it seems that there is no interchange facility for the city centre terminus of this line with BXD. Line F is planned to terminate in College Green at a stop called Trinity but there is no stop planned for BXD at this location. Surely they're going to change the plans for Line F in this case given the lack of an interchange. Between this and the way BXD meets the red line it seems that city centre interchanges are being poorly implemented with some distance between interchange stops. In the case of line F what's stopping them routing line F further north onto Westmoreland St to create a three or four platform terminating stop that is shared with BXD? Wouldn't that make more sense?

The whole rollout of Luas has been a disorganised mess. Disband the RPA and bring in the Germans. We haven't a clue what we're doing.

lxflyer wrote: »

And how do you arrive at that conclusion?

Very easily, but a bit late due to the traffic.

D.L.R. wrote: »

The whole rollout of Luas has been a disorganised mess. Disband the RPA and bring in the Germans. We haven't a clue what we're doing.

The rollout of any public transport project is more dependant on the political administration than the engineering one. Given the haphazzard support for trams over the last twenty years, I think what we have isn't bad. You can't judge the integration of a line under construction with one which barely exists as a pipedream - if F is built, it may look nothing like what the proposals say now.

cgcsb wrote: »

the expensive decision to separate the luas lines was a political one, that decision has cost the Irish tax payers hundreds of millions. Nothing to do with the RPA though. The then minister should be put on trial for treason.

Fair enough lads my ire should be directed at successive govts, not the RPA.

Disband the govt then

murphaph wrote: »

Lol...you sure about that?

That airport was ''ready'' to be opened when I lived there in 2011, crazy.

Saw a coupla of RPA surveyors taking measurement on Oliver Bond Street (back of NCAD) earlier today. Nothing to do with BXD I acknowledge, but perhaps to do with LUAS F Liberties? Certainly wouldn't be anything to do with Metro North either.

I see they chose not to have their 10 year Luas party on the red line preferring instead the relative safety of St Stephen's Green and the Green line.

Surely they want to celebrate what the majority of users have to tolerate on a daily basis. No?

Great images of what Dublin might look like someday if anyone has not seen them before

http://irishcycle.com/2014/01/20/artist-impressions-of-key-city-centre-streets/

Also does anyone have any info about what is happening regarding the Maxol on Constitution hill? http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0404/606784-maxol-considers-legal-action-over-dublin-site/

I have not been able to find any updates on this.

Schadenfreudia wrote: »

Only concern is - would there be many retail units left in those areas if shoppers who use cars are excluded?

I'm looking at the collapse of Dun Laoghaire due to lack of car "friendliness" and accessibility.

Dun Laoghaire's collapse had more to do with planning policy that allowed Dundrum village to be gutted and a shopping centre cynically named Dundrum Town Centre to be built in its place than any restriction on cars.

When people speculate about the green line being extended to the airport, what route are we talking about:
an extension from broombridge or
a spur from somewhere like parnell street or phibsoro onto the airport.

For me Broombridge would be too far out of the way for a quick link to the city when compared to the current bus option.

Van.Bosch wrote: »

When people speculate about the green line being extended to the airport, what route are we talking about:
an extension from broombridge or
a spur from somewhere like parnell street or phibsoro onto the airport.

For me Broombridge would be too far out of the way for a quick link to the city when compared to the current bus option.

It seems to me that the NTA keeps mentioning connecting Swords to the city centre, which would most likely link to the airport also. That leaves the rest of us to speculate as to how this would be achieved, one of the preferred options seems to be by extending the Luas. I personally dont believe there to be a suitable route for a service that is better than whats available now.

The NTA seem to think they can develop BRT to Swords/airport (although they admit that this would be under capacity from day 1 and MN would still be needed) but again I dont see a suitable route. Really, I think the NTA recognise the need to provide high capacity, high frequency public transport to Swords/airport and keep stating it as an objective despite not having the ability to achieve it, its a bit like me stating my desire to win an All Ireland despite it not being achievable.

Van.Bosch wrote: »

When people speculate about the green line being extended to the airport, what route are we talking about:
an extension from broombridge or
a spur from somewhere like parnell street or phibsoro onto the airport.

For me Broombridge would be too far out of the way for a quick link to the city when compared to the current bus option.

I have a few speculative maps saved of the proposed route but can't post them.

What I can tell you is the routes are explored through Finglas and go out to the Charlestown shopping centre and out past Meakstown.

Before either existed, the plan was to go to the west side of the airport for a far future Terminal 3. But since Finglas's expansion to these new areas the plan changed to the Luas only going as far as the Metro West's proposed Meakstown stop. An arguement that the combined Metro was better for serving the airport and that the Luas couldn't take the traffic, but a link would help.

Finglas is likely to remain a long term goal for the Luas, but it may be beyond 2025.

Certainly, and we never give it the credit, it has expanded a lot since it's creation. All necessary, and all brining greater revenue as we scrape back some growth. The original service as delivered seems like an under capacity joke compared to the current network, and it's on coming connection.

I still believe the "Airport" and Swords are best reached via Metro North as it has many other important stops and population areas. A BRT is too under capacity, a Dart spur would cause traffic problems and wouldn't reach Swords, a better dart spur from Clontarf has junction/traffic issues with Docklands/Connolly, and the Luas could never do it.

A lot of people have a wrong headed idea that its ONLY the Airport, or with Swords that needs to be reached. It's everywhere along the way that needs it too in order to grow faster and more dense. Dublin bus can't carry all of them forever, and traffic will only increase.

liamog wrote: »

The fact that the NTA recognises the need and is working to develop plans to fulfill them is a good thing. This is just good forward planning, they shouldn't abandon the objective just because they can't achieve it with current funding.

Yes but the problem is the government are not interested in forward planning and long term thinking. Not the NTAs fault, but the government seem unwilling to pony up the billions need for MN so NTA are forced to look at a half arsed job costing hundreds of millions instead.

Muahahaha wrote: »

Just wondering about the Westmoreland st stop, their website says it will be located north of Fleet Street and on the east side of Westmoreland St which would place it outside the old EBS building. I'm just wondering is there any links to artists mock ups of how the street will look when complete ? Is the plan to only build a platform on the existing pavement or will there be a platform on both sides of the tram ?
Also are there any plans to put a new pedestrian crossing across the four lane width of Westmoreland St to link the new Luas stop to Temple Bar? I know there are pedestrian crossings 50m away in either direction from Fleet Street but for some reason that section is really dodgy with pedestrians taking a chance running across four lanes of traffic. Then you see tourists following the locals example, it seems only a matter of time before something happens along that stretch.

I am sure the platform will be on the existing pavement, having one on the other side of the tram would be in the middle of a very busy road and not a sensible option. There would need to be railings on the platform to prevent people from walking on the road behind so people would need to be directed back to the existing footpath anyway, easier just to have people get off on that side.

Westmoreland Street is a mess at present, you have a large number of Dublin Buses, tour coaches, taxis and private traffic using it. The tour coaches should be banned from here, they sit there for too long and take space away from Dublin Bus. DCC need to provide a dedicated parking area for them somewhere in the city. Also, the bus gate should be extended to 24 hours, this should have been introduced when the Luas works started in College Green and retained after completion. That corridor is busy enough at present without adding a Luas line through it.

The left turn from Westmoreland Street onto Fleet Street needs to be closed immediately, you have taxis and private traffic turning into Fleet Street while buses are pulling out, it is very dangerous and really slows down the bus service. Fleet Street should be pedestrianised with taxis accessing to Temple Bar from Aston Quay and looping back without entering Fleet Street.