Luas reduces traffic congestion or Not!

Bee

There was much publicity andit was major selling point as to why so much tax payers money was being sunk into the Luas project( I never believed it!) that the Luas would vastly reduce traffic congestion as all nice people would jump on it leaving there cars at home resulting in peace and harmony for all. Or something like that!

Now that one section of the Luas has been up and running for some time has anyone genuinely noticed a fall off in traffic?

I know the schools are off on Hols and there is the usual fall of in congestion.

The only discernible affect I have seen via the Luas is that rush-hour commuters have switched from Dublin bus and on to the Luas resulting in fizz all reduction in traffic congestion along the Luas route.

Outside of commuters, (non-rush hour times) its the usual collection of elderly folk making use of their bus passes etc.

I know we can't really tell until there independent traffic measurement made but I was wondering what you good people think?

Bee

Kevok

Well I've switched from using buses to the LUAS everyday now, the P+R is always full from early on, but I doubt it has had any massive effect yet. May notice more when line 2 comes online.

sliabh

I have moved from my car to the luas and I know of two more people that have done the same. so scratch 3 cars at least :-)

But during the week I had to drive to work. I thought the run was a little bit quieter. I guess we will have to wait a few weeks until the DTO start publishing their impact surveys.

thejollyrodger

i would like to travel on luas instead of a car or smelly bus, but it doesnt go anywhere near where i live:(

BrianD

that the Luas would vastly reduce traffic congestion

That was never stated by any organisation, any where at any time. Luas was always proposed as two components of Dublin's transport solution.

Bee

Originally posted by BrianD
That was never stated by any organisation, any where at any time. Luas was always proposed as two components of Dublin's transport solution.

Err!...All of the nice TD's/Local Councillor would be's that were banging on my door recently promised it would! Apart from those nasty FG types (bloody cynics!)

Oh! there are numerous example of the following that I am too busy to quote but to give you the general flavour...

"June 30 (Bloomberg) -- Ireland's government opened a 775 million-euro ($944 million) tram system in Dublin that it says will attract 20 million passengers a year and reduce traffic congestion in the capital. "

"
The first Luas line, which will take passengers to the city centre in 22 minutes, was described by transport minister Seamus Brennan as "a major piece of transport infrastructure" – He said it would carry 20 000 people a day and meant a fewer cars on the roads"


Bee

John R

"reduce" and "vastly reduce" are two entirely different things.

From what people who travel along the Dundrum corridor have told me the traffic in the peak has been lighter.


Anyone who thought that one tram line would have a huge overall effect on Dublin traffic was just dumb.

BrianD

Bee you have clarified yourself with your second posting. Thank you! A lot different to your original posting.

DadaKopf

Originally posted by Bee
The first Luas line, which will take passengers to the city centre in 22 minutes, was described by transport minister Seamus Brennan as "a major piece of transport infrastructure" – He said it would carry 20 000 people a day and meant a fewer cars on the roads"

Bee

More an example of Brennan skipping a few lines to cut to the chase for political point scoring. Point 1: The LUAS is a major piece of transport infrastructure. (Point 2: the LUAS is one component of a whole public transport solution for traffic congestion in the city.) Point 3: That means fewer cars on the roads.

Not difficult to grasp. It's not entirely his fault that people can't read properly and make the right conclusions. Still, I'd appreciate a little more honesty and a little less publicity from our transport chiefs thanks very much.

Flukey

We will have to wait until September onwards to see for sure. They are already planning to have more frequent trams from then due to demand.

Hecate

Opponents of the system like to quote the reduction in traffic volumes due to the luas as 1% or somthing like that, what they fail to mention is that figure represents the *entire* Dublin region.

The figure within the catchment area of the luas might be somewhat different however

AngelofFire

at peak times the amount of time i spend in qeues for the ticket machine is longer than the time i spend on the actual tram.[OFFTOPIC] More ticket machines are needed in stephen`s green[/OFFTOPIC]

Bee

Originally posted by BrianD
Bee you have clarified yourself with your second posting. Thank you! A lot different to your original posting.

Well if you insist on being pedantic about semantics Mr.B!

I found it very funny to listen to the vote beggars that called to my door when I asked was the Luas a good thing and why? The funny FF/PD people virtually promised it would eliminate all congestion, bring peace and sunshine to Dublin and cure all known ills...the other side highlighted the costly rip off of the tax payers, the incredible overspend, the Gov mismanagement and how we will have bad summer weather due to those electric wire things polluting the air waves etc!

Bee

Bee

Originally posted by DadaKopf
Still, I'd appreciate a little more honesty and a little less publicity from our transport chiefs thanks very much. [/B]

A little more honesty from our politicians? What will we think of next? Honesty from bankers?

I must give photo opportunity bunny Mr. Brennan a call and suggest some FF honesty.:p

Bee

Kevok

AngelOfFire, it's well worth getting the return ticket, it's not worth waiting 20 minutes at Stephens green for a ticket.

Flukey

It is still only going a few weeks and extra machines are one of the many teething problems they will be looking at. Extra machines will surely come and once they get the prepaid tickets, like on the buses, those problems will abate. We really have to give the Luas time to settle in and sort out the little problems before we can really judge. If some of the problems have still not been addressed in a few months, then wil be the time to complaining. In the meantime pass suggestions onto staff, so they can bring them to the attention of the people who can do things about it and see if they will.

P&L

I disagree with you on this one Flukey, why do they need a few months to get things right? If that was acceptable, then they should not be charging full fare if they do not have confidence in the implementation of their own system.

As for the original question, LUAS was never expected to reduce the number of cars on the road dramatically (I think 6 or 7% were the normal estimates). LUAS gives people the option to give up their cars. If the service is good, it will (and already is) the best option for certain people. It will never be the solution to everyone's prolems, and never claims to be.

The better the network, the more people with that option.

Flukey

Well it is only when something goes live that you can tease out the last of the problems. No matter how well you test it, which will get most problems sorted, there are always going to be things that only arise when something is in full swing. I am not defending them, just being realistic. Their test phase would have got rid of the majority of things. Things can always be improved upon and seeing it in full operation gives a chance for those things to become apparent. No one realistically expected it or any similar type of project to be 100% perfect from day one.

I was on the "first" Luas tram from Sandyford. Remember that one, the one that they had to get everyone out of because someone stuck a bottle in a door after 2 stops? We all had to get off as that tram returned to the depot. 2 more came along with passengers before an empty one came along for us. So although we were first to leave Sandyford, we were not first to reach St. Stephen's Green. So that wasn't 100% perfect, from tram 1.

On the way in I was talking to some of the staff and asking questions and giving my opinions on things to do them. Others were doing the same. As more and more passengers are using the system, people will give other ideas and the people running it will be able to analyse things and see where improvements can be made. That is all I am saying, that as it is used for real problems and solutions and innovations will arise. That is a natural part of any kind of creative process. It is and will continue to be a learning experience. It is not that things aren't working, but they can be made to work better, when they can see the system in operation.