[PR] New Dublin Bus Route 4

Victor

New Route 4

Dublin Bus is pleased to announce the launch of Route 4 from Sunday March 12th,2006. This cross-city service is the first of a number of new service developments initiated by Transport 21, and will use the new Ballymun and Merrion Road Quality Bus Corridors. Route 4 will operate from Ballymun to St. Vincent’s Hospital, via DCU, Botanic Road, Phibsboro, O’Connell Street, Mount Street and Ballsbridge.

It is a fully accessible low floor service operating every 15 to 20 minutes, Monday to Saturday, with reduced frequency on Sunday. First buses depart Ballymun at 06.00 and St. Vincent’s Hospital at 06.50 (Monday to Friday).

http://www.dublinbus.ie/your_journey/viewer.asp?route=4

strassenwolf

Nice to see the #4 back on the road.:) I remember years ago it used to pass through Baggot Street and terminate at Lansdowne Road station but it was so rare you hardly ever saw it and I can't remember where it came from. A service every 15-20 minutes sounds good.

Victor

strassenwolf wrote:

Nice to see the #4 back on the road.:) I remember years ago it used to pass through Baggot Street and terminate at Lansdowne Road station but it was so rare you hardly ever saw it and I can't remember where it came from. A service every 15-20 minutes sounds good.

That would be a good idea. There is no service from St. Stephens' Green / Lower Baggot Street to Ballsbridge.

EvilDoctorK

Wonder will this be at the expense of some of the 13/A services ?

Route is similar

segadreamcast

EvilDoctorK wrote:

Wonder will this be at the expense of some of the 13/A services ?

Route is similar

Similar question on my mind... the first half of the route is identical anyway.

KC61

EvilDoctorK wrote:

Wonder will this be at the expense of some of the 13/A services ?

Route is similar

This new route is made possible through the delivery of the 20 additional tri-axle buses that are now in use on the 46A. These displaced 20 buses to Harristown which are now enabling additional services to be operated.

There have been serious problems on the route between City Centre and Ballsbridge, with delays to the 7 and 45 (esp. inbound) and overcrowding and this route will alleviate that with large capacity articulated buses operating with reasonable predictability and a frequent service.

There are no plans to reduce the 13/13A. Route 4 is an additional service aimed at alleviating the loads on routes 11/A and 13/A on the northside and on the 7 and 45 on the southside. Good news for everybody on those corridors!

ardmacha

Who knows, ancient routes like the 9 might even arise from the ashes.

Transport21 Fan

trainuser wrote:

This new route is made possible through the delivery of the 20 additional tri-axle buses that are now in use on the 46A. These displaced 20 buses to Harristown which are now enabling additional services to be operated.

There have been serious problems on the route between City Centre and Ballsbridge, with delays to the 7 and 45 (esp. inbound) and overcrowding and this route will alleviate that with large capacity articulated buses operating with reasonable predictability and a frequent service.

There are no plans to reduce the 13/13A. Route 4 is an additional service aimed at alleviating the loads on routes 11/A and 13/A on the northside and on the 7 and 45 on the southside. Good news for everybody on those corridors!

Hi John.

dowlingm

I thought all "new" routes had to go to tender and this was why DB keeps tinkering with existing ones instead?

Victor

dowlingm wrote:

I thought all "new" routes had to go to tender and this was why DB keeps tinkering with existing ones instead?

But this is an old route. Instead of calling it the Number 4, couldn't they call it an extended 13/A?

Maybe the penny has dropped with the DoT?

jd

Victor wrote:

But this is an old route. Instead of calling it the Number 4, couldn't they call it an extended 13/A?

Maybe the penny has dropped with the DoT?

The 4 doesn't do the extended tour through the Ballymun estates. It is a smoke/drug free bus (hopefully)...
jd

gjim

That would be a good idea. There is no service from St. Stephens' Green / Lower Baggot Street to Ballsbridge.

It doesn't go via St. Stephens' Green - it goes via Clare St., Westland Row, etc. It's a pity it doesn't because the other buses coming in the Merrion Rd already go this way.

I got it yesterday. It wasn't packed but it was reasonably well patronised. As you'd expect, the driver had to field quite a few questions concerning the route. To give him credit, he handled everyone with very good grace, I thought.

strassenwolf

Now that I think of it, I vaguely recall that the #4 followed much of the route of the #10, branching off at Baggot Street/Waterloo Road to head down to Lansdowne Road. I think it even started off at North Circular Road/Phoenix Park like the 10, though I'm not 100% certain about that.

It would certainly be a good idea to have a bus from the lower Baggot Street area down to Lansdowne Road. There's even a roundabout now just over the Dodder Bridge to allow buses to turn. I don't know how they managed it in the days when the 4 took the route it did.

There was a link floating around for a good website with the history of old Dublin bus routes. I can't seem to find it now.:(

Victor

It should be in the useful links thread.

strassenwolf

Victor wrote:

It should be in the useful links thread.

Thanks - the obvious place to look of course! And indeed there it is:
http://routedatabase.proboards25.com/
Though their history section doesn't seem to deal with the #4 - yet.