Luas link-up - Where would the buses go?

It looks like BX as a stand alone project is dead. Really we should be discussing the extension of the Green line to Liffey Junction. Thus although the middle section of the Green line will overlap with the Metro North, this doesn't seem like a major flaw to me. As someone else said, whether we like it or not, unfortunately Metro North and the Green Luas are going to be different modes. Also in terms of the fraction of the overall length of Metro North and the extended Green Luas which will overlap, we're looking at less than 5% of the distances. And this overlap will span one of the busiest corridoors for the movement of people in the city so it's not like one or other will be under-utilised between Stephen's Green and O'Connell Street. There are huge synergies to be gained in terms of the utility of the Luas system by allowing easy movement from one line to the other which will happen automatically with the extension to Liffey Junction.

The RPA should also give consideration to mimising the impact on buses but unfortunately the cockamaymee "preferred" route is almost the most disruptive possible and provides great ammunition against extending the Grean Luas north. However I also think some people are overstating the disruption to buses caused by ANY link up. If the straightforward option A were implemented, the only pinch point I can see is the section along Nassau Street/end of Grafton Street. Dawson Street, College Green, Westmoreland Street, O'Connell Bridge and Street have plenty of width to support both transport modes. A pair of Luas lines occupies about 1.5 traffic lanes. The only other point of contention is the flow of buses along the quays.

Ideally, if the RPA was thinking strategically, they should be planning to have metro North extend south westish - in the direction of Harolds Cross and beyond. Thus the Green Luas and metro North would form a diagonal cross intersecting in the centre of the city. Each "piece" would be far more digestable and would make sense - build BX (properly not the stupid "preferred route"), build Metro North, build D (extension to Liffey Junction), build X (metro extension to Tallaght). This could be fairly easily sold to the public as each bit would be viewed as being strategic and people would recognise the value of the end goal. Their current d*cking about inspires no confidence.

trellheim wrote: »

Not at any cost. Too much pain for not enough gain.

Building it as BX is currently planned is worse than staying as we are; therefore do not build BX as currently planned.

That's what people said about the Luas and it's the kind of attitude that had us sitting waiting for it for years and it eventually costing *more* cause of the delays and mind-changing etc. It should never have been split into two separate systems.

It's absurd that the lines are not linked. There is no way that BX as currently planned, even if flawed, is worse than staying as we are - staying as we are involves idiotic Luas maps with a pictogram of a man walking in the central area.