[PR] Metro West - Environmental Impact Assessment

Victor

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METRO WEST
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) is currently preparing a Railway Order application for Metro West, the proposed orbital line that will connect the towns of Tallaght, Clondalkin and Blanchardstown with Metro North.

Part of this process involves the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a document which will report on the environmental impacts of Metro West. RPA is coordinating the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a key output of which will be the EIS, and is working with multiple specialists to consider the likely environmental effects associated with the preferred route corridor which was identified for the scheme in July 2007.

A draft EIS Scoping Report has now been prepared for Metro West. This document sets out the proposed content (scope) of the Metro West EIS, the environmental issues to be investigated and the methodology for assessment of the environmental issues.

The Draft Scoping Report for the Metro West EIS is available for download at www.rpa.ie We look forward to your views and comments. Please request additional information or submit your comments using our contact details below by Friday 9th of May 2008.

www.rpa.ie
info@rpa.ie
1800 67 64 64
RPA, Parkgate Street, FREEPOST, Dublin 8
RPA, Sráid Gheata na Páirce, SAORPHOST, Baile Átha Cliath 8.

Additional ducumentation here: http://www.rpa.ie/?id=380

weehamster

You gotta love the RPA. They are about to spend billions on this so called 'metro' and they have the nerve to use the term 'Segregation'.

2.3.3 System Concept
In terms of its size and capacity, Metro West is considered to be in between the
existing Luas system (a partially-segregated rail system) and the DART system (a
segregated rail system). The system will be designed initially to operate with capacity
similar to that of existing Luas but with the capability of being significantly enhanced
over time. It is intended that Metro West will be segregated from other road users
except at some junctions where the system will cross traffic under signal control.
Segregation allows Metro West to operate at greater speeds and more frequent
intervals than an on-street line. Metro West will thus combine the high level of
accessibility associated with light rail with the high level of reliability and fast journey
times associated with other rail systems.

I have counted on the draft maps a grand total of 37 level crossings, more with alternative routes. From the experiences of the Luas line, particularly the Red line, signal controlled level crossing does not guarantee that vehicles wont crash into the 'metro' trams, causing accidents, and effecting the service/frequency.

How can they have "the capability of being significantly enhanced over time" with 37 level crossings? I'm sorry, but the current design total contradicts that "Segregation allows Metro West to operate at greater speeds and more frequent intervals than an on-street line". I can't understand why a line with 37 level crossing cost billions. So if the RPA are going to spend billions, they should do it properly, like the metro north, which even though it is a tram, at least it is fully segregated, offering a guaranteed frequency/service.

:rolleyes:

D.L.R.

I'm still looking for the 'Metro' element in Metro West. What makes it different from an ordinary on-street Luas?

paulm17781

D.L.R. wrote: »

I'm still looking for the 'Metro' element in Metro West. What makes it different from an ordinary on-street Luas?

The name

DWCommuter

And the bull**** from the DOT.:eek:

Nostradamus

Delighted to see this project moving forward. It is far more integrated than Metro North (which I also love) - in time, MetroWest will be seen as the most far sighted rail project in the history of the state. It counteracts the "donut" effect of terrible planning of the past.

gjim

in time, MetroWest will be seen as the most far sighted rail project in the history of the state. It counteracts the "donut" effect of terrible planning of the past.

If this is sarcasm it's a bit too subtle for me?

Metrowest is half a donut in shape and is plonked outside the M50 which should have provided a natural boundary for the city. Counteracting the "donut" effect would mean concentrating on building up and densifying inside M50 not providing an excuse for rezoning green belt outisde it. Its effect will be to reinforce and strengthen the donut around the city.

I don't want to sound too negative as want it to succeed and the people who ended up in these satelite settlements because of previous bad planning decisions deserve something but claiming Metrowest will counteract the "donut" effect is a bit much.

markf909

Nostradamus wrote: »

MetroWest will be seen as the most far sighted rail project in the history of the state. It counteracts the "donut" effect of terrible planning of the past.

We had less level crossings on our first railways 170 years ago.

As it is currently being planned, this is Dublins equivalent of the Western Rail Corridor.

paulm17781

Nostradamus wrote: »

Delighted to see this project moving forward. It is far more integrated than Metro North (which I also love) - in time, MetroWest will be seen as the most far sighted rail project in the history of the state. It counteracts the "donut" effect of terrible planning of the past.

A few more city routes would be preferable IMO.

steve-o

RPA (via weehamster) wrote: »

The system will be designed initially to operate with capacity similar to that of existing Luas but with the capability of being significantly enhanced over time

Does anyone actually believe that tosh? We were assured that the Luas Green line is upgradable, but the reality is that connecting it to Metro North anywhere near the city centre can't ever be achieved without a lengthy closure.

Surely the ideal route for a segregated Metro West should be identified first, and then compromises made to reduce cost. Instead, it seems the approach is to find an unsegregated route that's easiest for now and not worry about how it could be upgraded in the future, potentially making it impossible from an engineering perspective or prohibatively expensive.

marmajam

steve-o wrote: »

Does anyone actually believe that tosh? We were assured that the Luas Green line is upgradable, but the reality is that connecting it to Metro North anywhere near the city centre can't ever be achieved without a lengthy closure.

Surely the ideal route for a segregated Metro West should be identified first, and then compromises made to reduce cost. Instead, it seems the approach is to find an unsegregated route that's easiest for now and not worry about how it could be upgraded in the future, potentially making it impossible from an engineering perspective or prohibatively expensive.

Very impressive. You should be working at the RPA Steve, they really need people like you who can see the obvious without even having any relevant facts available.

Skyhater

marmajam wrote: »

Very impressive. You should be working at the RPA Steve, they really need people like you who can see the obvious without even having any relevant facts available.

Now That's very hard on Steve!!!!
Just because his opinion isn't backed up with every scenario and option available to the RPA, doesn't make it any lass valid.

Obviously the exact rout is only a relatively small part of the segregation issue.... the main issue is the RPA penny-pinching at almost every intersection and not providing proper grade-separated junctions.

murphaph

Skyhater wrote: »

Obviously the exact rout is only a relatively small part of the segregation issue.... the main issue is the RPA penny-pinching at almost every intersection and not providing proper grade-separated junctions.

Replace RPA with DoT and/or DoF and it's a lot closer to the truth.

steve-o

marmajam wrote: »

Very impressive. You should be working at the RPA Steve, they really need people like you who can see the obvious without even having any relevant facts available.

Yes, the RPA's plan for how the Green line can be upgraded surely makes great reading. And clearly I've only witnessed the public 'pretend' route selection process for Metro West because I've been excluded from the top secret 'real' route selection process.

Skyhater

murphaph wrote: »

Replace RPA with DoT and/or DoF and it's a lot closer to the truth.

Yep.
The solution is really simple IMO: "Build it properly, or don't build it at all!!!"

icdg

I'm in two minds about Metro West...

On the one hand, its nice to see a public transport project that realises that people want to go to places in Dublin other than the City Centre. Currently it is almost impossible to go by public transport in Dublin from Suburb A to Suburb B without going through Dublin city centre. Leixlip and Celbridge are less than 10 minutes between each other by car and both have railway stations. Travel time between them by rail? Two and half hours, according to irishrail.ie.

(Even by bus, it involves going to Lucan and then back and **hoping** there's a connection).

On the other hand, its not really metro at all, is it. Its overground and is essentially a tram. One more segregated than the Red Line to be sure, but is that any different than the Green Line route? Really its a cheap(er) way of attempting the old Circle Rail Line plan that was promoted a few years back.

DWCommuter

Can't see it ever being built and if it is built, I doubt it will make an iota of difference to cross radial road traffic congestion. Its too far west. It may be a decent linkage of some suburbs, but as a major contributor to reducing car dependency, forget it. And here's me thinking that T21 was supposed to achieve that. How daft am I.:D

Metro West is a weak concept in the greater scheme of things and will no doubt cost a lot of tax payers money. To fully appreciate what Im saying here, one has to have experience of the region and the peak hour traffic patterns/congestion. Metro West will not solve it. Whoever came up with it, had a few pints on them at the time.

Finally, if marmajam weighs in with any snide, irrelevent and patronising posts about my "knowledge" etc etc. then do it by PM, so I can save us both from being banned. Life is too short for time wasting at other peoples expense.