[Article] Leafy locals put brakes on bus lane

Victor

Ah, the spin than money can buy.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/3615111?view=Eircomnet

Leafy locals put brakes on bus lane
From:The Irish Independent
Sunday, 18th July, 2004

LIAM COLLINS

ONE of Dublin's finest roads - lined with million-euro homes - will be ruined if the authorities go ahead with a Quality Bus Corridor, it was claimed yesterday.

The corridor along leafy Mount Merrion Avenue in south county Dublin will cost a huge amount of money to speed up buses, many of which carry only five or six passengers.

The mile-long avenue which links the Rock Road and Stillorgan Road is in danger of "serious damage, which is not reversable" if the bus corridor goes ahead next September.

"It would be extremely damaging in its present form to the environment of the avenue," says well known architect Michael Collins who lives on the road.

Once the avenue to the stately home of the Earl of Pembroke, it is one of the last remaining tree-lined avenues left intact in the capital. It has only three small shops and there has been very little development along the avenue since the original houses were build in the 1800s.

A survey of the two bus routes which will use the QBC has revealed that the No 17 had a seat occupancy of 5.6 passengers per bus, while the sleepy No 5 carried just 3.6 passengers per double decker.

In one day the two bus routes carried just 365 passengers. "It is clear that the proposal will encounter a number of difficulties that call into question its practicality," say residents, citing a lack of demand as a major issue.

Construction of the QBC will also lead to the felling of trees (although the number is disputed), a narrowing of pathways and the disappearance of some grass verges.

The QBC Office and the local authority, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council are determined to press ahead with a huge investment that will see bus corridors at each end of the avenue. "It is part of an overall quality bus network and part of transportation policy. A network is only as strong as its weakest link," said Ciaran de Burca, project manager of the Quality Bus Network (QBN). The bus corridor aims to link the Dart at Blackrock with the Stillorgan QBC, UCD and the Luas in Dundrum, he says.

Mr de Burca admitted that while they haven't done a study of bus occupancy levels, the general trend is that if the service is provided then business follows.

The QBN office say that only seven of the 80 mature trees along the avenue would be affected by the necessary works. But this has been described as "not credible," by residents. Landscape consultants employed by them say that "it is apparent that, of a total of 80 trees along Mount Merrion Avenue, 44 will be put in serious danger due to root loss from works associated with the QBC."

Mr de Burca accused the residents of "jumping the gun," with their protest. The authorities have employed an arborist to study the trees, he said, which has not yet been published. "We are rather surprised they haven't waited until we made this available."

However, this move was rubbished by Mr Collins. "They told us at the beginning that between four and seven trees would be affected. It seems strange that only in the last couple of weeks have they sought professional advice, long after we employed consultants."

Despite the red ribbon protest on the trees along the avenue, the authorities remain determined to press ahead. "At the end of the day we will be implementing bus priority measures on this road, it is an executive decision," said Mr de Burca.

Bee

Mr de Burca admitted that while they haven't done a study of bus occupancy levels

Do I remember somebody else suggesting that a (staggeringly incorrect ) costing of the Luas was probably done on the back of envelope....sounds the same

I hate seeing tax payers money squandered on anything that has not been researched. Basic business principles should apply even to free spending councils before any tax payers money is handed over.

I can think of at least ten other areas that need QBC's with high bus occupancy levels rather than on this stretch. I hope it's scrapped.

Dun Laoire / rathdown council will be guilty of vandalism if they destroy this stretch of road.

They would be better off spending the cash on local public housing needs rather than on an unwarranted QBC.

Bee

EvilDoctorK

Also given that the Number 5 Bus runs from town to the Sandyford Industrial Estate (with a very very limited timetable) it's probably unlikely that this bus will survive the likely re-org of the bus routes post - Luas ... It would be more likely that the 114 which runs from Blackrock up to there (not via Mt Merrion Ave.) will survive/be increased and the other buses running from S'ford into town will be reduced

Also if I recall (from a few years ago) there never used to be many problems going up Mt Merrion Ave. on the #5 bus - the delays were on the Rock Road and Stillorgan Area more usually .. no real problem on the Avenue that I can recall.

Genghis

I don't know much about the area, or the bus routes involved, but listening to a row on the radio last week about this very subject, the whole thing sounded to me like something off the Ross O'Caroll Kelly column in the Sunday Tribune.

As a neutral observer, a QBC linking the Dart, the Luas and one of the biggest public transport hubs (UCD) in the city makes sense to me.

EvilDoctorK

Not that I live anywhere near this road or am any relation to Ross O'Carroll Kelly ! . but I do agree it seems a bit odd to me.

Their point about low bus usage is correct I think

The number 5 runs times a day (yes 5 services only!) ... 4 on Sat and none on Sunday (As I said previously it wouldn't surprise me if this fantastic service gets dropped now the LUAS is running)

The number 17 is more frequent but not a whole lot more ... it's approx 2-3 buses per hour in each direction. The bus never seems very popular (just how many people who live in Rialto shop in Blackrock? )

I don't know what it would cost for this QBC but surely there are more heavily used sections of roadway where QBC investments would deliver greater results .. (whatever about the trees and the well heeled residents)

As regards linking S'ford, UCD and the DART. The main S'ford link to Blackrock DART is the #114 bus which operates via Newtown Pk Ave. and Carysfort Ave. and will not be helped at all by these measures. The logical main UCD-DART link up is the #3 bus via Nutley Lane (or indeed the previously much better 52? bus)

I'm all for QBC's and much as it might be pleasing to see a QBC driven up Mt. Merrion Ave. against the residents moneyed wishes it just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.

Tommy Vercetti

They should use the money to build a halting site on the road. Sleepy leafy suburbs are ideal for this.

Bee

I'm all for QBC's and much as it might be pleasing to see a QBC driven up Mt. Merrion Ave. against the residents moneyed wishes it just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.

I'm all for appropriate use of tax payers money not being squandered on idiotic QBC's.

Put the QBC where it makes sense only a ******* **** ****** *** or a **** ***
is stupid enough to think a QBC along this road is a good idea.

n.b. (Self censorship or I will be banned again by Victor!):D

I also hate environmental vandalism by anyone, most of all by councils that should be looking after the environment rather than destroying it.

Bee

p.s. any other suggestions where the QBC would be really appropriate?