Luas and car usage?

silverharp

Has the Luas taken many cars off the road, especially at rush hour? I'm guessing that it has taken few cars off the road going into the city centre, as anyone who drives to city centre will have free parking and will not be inclined to give this up.

MarkoP11

I've seen the detailed stats and the interesting things are

Most people could have used a car to make the journey
A very large number of passengers are new e.g. off peak/leisure they travel because they now can
There was a transfer from Bus but the transfer from car wasn't really substantial from what I remember there was a transfer alright but it hasn't led to a noticable difference on the road where as the Rock Rd saw a noticeable reduction post DART

Flukey

I don't think there is a much of a difference. People like the independence a car gives. Bus corridors have more effects, both positive and negative. For example, when the Stillorgan QBC opened, there was a noticeable increase in cars going into town on the road via Roebuck, Clonskeagh and Ranelagh. We need more imagination in routes of bus and rail and do more non-radial routes.

There has been much talk of linking the Tallaght and Sandyford Luas lines in the city. There should be links between them at a number of points along their routes, as part of a series of other lines. There should be a link from Sandyford to the Tallaght by Luas and it should continue on linking all the industrial belt around the city, similar to the M50. There should be various lines going into the city at different points along that outer line.

markpb

Most people I know from Sandyford and Tallaght continue to drive because of the distance from their homes to the nearest stop. This isn't the fault of the Luas - it just needs high frequency (with high priority) feeder buses serving the area around each stop. And not a 103 style feeder service either :rolleyes:

tonylee

just listened to this podcast which is connected to what is being discussed here. well worth downloading and listening to.

Nevyn

None on the northside and certainly non in the greater Dublin 15 area which has been the largest growing area in europe nevermind this country for the last 5 years. All the luas does for D15 is delay the buses from getting into town.

thewing

Need more of them, and to lengthen the 2 we have.

Flukey

Yes, and as I said, interlink them all.

Victor

Flukey wrote:

People like the independence a car gives.

Independence is like karma. This alledged independence costs up to ten grand a year and no end to consternation.

Flukey

Well you have to pay for your independence. No matter how good a public transport system is, it can't do a lot of things that your own transport can do. Being able to come and go when you want, where you want, at your own pace, by your own route, in your own space, with your own comforts, carrying your own belongings, with your own friends and family....etc. Public transport doesn't come close to all those things. Your own transport may get clogged up in the same traffic, drawing it down to the same problems that much public transport has. Public transport can overtake some of the things that private transport does, but it can never do all the things in the sphere of independence that private transport provides.

All that can be done with public transport is to improve it as much as possible and get the people whose daily journeys are basic A to B ones and can be served by public transport, to transfer. It is the ones that drive straight to work each day, to the same place, and stay there all day and then go back home and who have a public transport alternative that will do the same job for them, that have to be targetted. People with various and multiple journeys to often inaccessible places by public transport, who have to bring a lot of things with them and can't be waiting around for buses, taxis, trains etc., have to stick with their own transport. Public transport is of little use to them. We have to target the A to B to A people.

Victor

Flukey wrote:

Well you have to pay for your independence.

Only if you need to be defined in car terms.