Luas Cross City (Line BX/D) [now open]

MJohnston

Yeah, the ground floor is what I meant sorry. But they essentially define the street level feeling of that street, and it's not nice. It's a frequent junkie hangout and shooting up spot, and I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to walk past someone pissing in one of the sealed up doorways. I used to live up near Blessington Street, so I'd walk Dominick St multiple times daily, it's a shocking street at those flats, considering how central to the city it is.

To bring it back to BXD, I can only hope the presence of the Luas will increase redevelopment in these areas. I actually think that Dominick station could potentially be one of the dodgiest of all at present.

Peregrine

jamo2oo9 wrote: »

For the empty lot, I believe planning permission has been granted for new apartments. The flats across the road are however not abandoned. Just the ground floor are. It's only accessed from the rear.

Pretty sure DCC own the empty land. It used to be social housing too not long ago. I think the plan is to build more social housing on the eastern site and vacate and refurbish the flats on the west side.

Dawson Street looks way better with new footpaths too. I think that's where the transformation is most evident. Westmoreland Street would look great if they re-do the west side too but they won't.

SPDUB

spuddy wrote: »

The lads were busy today at the corner of Dawson St & Stephen's Green

Went by there on Saturday afternoon and it was a right mess .

Glad to see they are powering along

wakka12

All those projects currently ongoing on Molesworth Street, I think theres about 4 going on, will probably be finishing up around autumn as well, nicely compliment the new streets and luas line!

spacetweek

wakka12 wrote: »

All those projects currently ongoing on Molesworth Street, I think theres about 4 going on, will probably be finishing up around autumn as well, nicely compliment the new streets and luas line!

I walked down Molesworth the other day and had to check it was the right street on google maps, it was unrecognisable.

Dardania

jamo2oo9 wrote: »

MJohnston wrote: »

There's only so much you can do on Lower Dominick Street with those abandoned flats still around. The empty lot really needs to be developed too.

For the empty lot, I believe planning permission has been granted for new apartments. The flats across the road are however not abandoned. Just the ground floor are. It's only accessed from the rear.

Peregrine wrote: »

jamo2oo9 wrote: »

For the empty lot, I believe planning permission has been granted for new apartments. The flats across the road are however not abandoned. Just the ground floor are. It's only accessed from the rear.

Pretty sure DCC own the empty land. It used to be social housing too not long ago. I think the plan is to build more social housing on the eastern site and vacate and refurbish the flats on the west side.

Dawson Street looks way better with new footpaths too. I think that's where the transformation is most evident. Westmoreland Street would look great if they re-do the west side too but they won't.

It appears there has been funding announced for the social housing on the east side:
http://www.thejournal.ie/dominick-street-flats-getting-facelift-2852330-Jun2016/

I worked on the 2010 masterplan: http://www.digisearch.ie/dublincity/PDF/L0009DB2.pdf & also: http://www.dublincityarchitects.ie/?p=185 and at the time, we were cognisant of the BXD line, and took what steps we could to minimise interactions between construction of it & the re-development (e.g. minimising utility crossings, any new routes for utilities were shown avoiding the luas tracks, access routes were considered with the fact a platform would be in the way - simple pragmatic things like that which we could know at the time)

Not sure if it's the 2010 masterplan being built or not...although from reading the article about funding don't see why not...
As I recall, plan was for retail at ground level (large lidl/tesco express sized retailer), with residential above, and an internal basketball type court. Would be nice development all told.

MJohnston

Dardania wrote: »

As I recall, plan was for retail at ground level (large lidl/tesco express sized retailer), with residential above, and an internal basketball type court. Would be nice development all told.

Hmm, interesting, not sure what retailer would be left to go in here though - Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, and Centra with big stores essentially right next door. Spar or SuperValu I suppose?

Dardania

MJohnston wrote: »

Dardania wrote: »

As I recall, plan was for retail at ground level (large lidl/tesco express sized retailer), with residential above, and an internal basketball type court. Would be nice development all told.

Hmm, interesting, not sure what retailer would be left to go in here though - Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, and Centra with big stores essentially right next door. Spar or SuperValu I suppose?

My comment at the time too  But to be fair, often times the tenancies are only agreed during construction or possibly even after - so the masterplan was quite flexible

MJohnston

I just fear we'd end up with a Dealz or a niche supermarket or something. Too many of those on west Parnell St already, I'd like to see some decent cafes or restaurants expanding down from Capel Street instead.

LuckyLloyd

When is the current build due to conclude? I assume it will complete in advance of testing?

Peregrine

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

When is the current build due to conclude? I assume it will complete in advance of testing?

We should see trams on the line in September. By then, all the construction should be finished. Passenger journeys will begin in December.

ArmaniJeanss

Peregrine wrote: »

We should see trams on the line in September. By then, all the construction should be finished. Passenger journeys will begin in December.

It doesn't look to me like it'll be finished in the next 15 weeks, it still seems to be a building site along large parts of the line. And opening the city to an entirely new traffic system in the run-up to Christmas sounds like a bit of a potential disaster.
I'd guesstimate February for passengers.

Peregrine

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

It doesn't look to me like it'll be finished in the next 15 weeks, it still seems to be a building site along large parts of the line. And opening the city to an entirely new traffic system in the run-up to Christmas sounds like a bit of a potential disaster.
I'd guesstimate February for passengers.

It's on schedule to open in December.

September is 17 weeks away. 4 months. There's nothing there that can't be finished in 4 months.

The traffic systems have to be in place in September before testing begins — not in December.

LXFlyer

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

It doesn't look to me like it'll be finished in the next 15 weeks, it still seems to be a building site along large parts of the line. And opening the city to an entirely new traffic system in the run-up to Christmas sounds like a bit of a potential disaster.
I'd guesstimate February for passengers.

The main civils are almost finished in many areas at this stage - you'd be surprised how quickly they can be completed once the tracks are in place (which they are). The speed with which the civil works were completed on the existing LUAS lines once the utilities were divereted and tracks were laid was very fast.

Wiring is now appearing across the city centre along with the stop infrastructure. I certainly would not share your pessimism.
While the in-service operation is due to start in December, the full test operations will have to start will ahead of that.

The first set revised traffic arrangements in the city centre along the Quays are due to be implemented in August, and the second set (arising from College Green etc.) will have to happen before full testing begins.

Van.Bosch

They said at some point they hoped to run a team along the full line in June didn't they? That would seem optimistic to me

LeinsterDub

Quick question is the new refuge line at St Stephens Green the only one on the network?

BonkeyDonker

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Quick question is the new refuge line at St Stephens Green the only one on the network?

Does the center track at Heuston count?

Jamie2k9

Quick question is the new refuge line at St Stephens Green the only one on the network?

Yes

BonkeyDonker wrote: »

Does the center track at Heuston count?

No, it's just a platform.

spacetweek

Some off topic posts deleted.
Back to construction updates.

quadrifoglio verde

I'm really happy to see the original granite slabs back in the footpaths.
They seem to have done a very good job in merging the old cut granite with new paving. Gone appears to be the 101 different types of paving that you'd find amongst the original paving and the new is laid in a way that mimics the old.
I was quite fearful that it would disappear in the hope that many wouldn't notice once all the paths were laid.

Thrashssacre

Two photos of the construction of one of the new trams to be introduced with Luas cross city, at over 54 meters long they must be one of the longest trams running in a city.

marno21

Thrashssacre wrote: »

Two photos of the construction of one of the new trams to be introduced with Luas cross city, at over 54 meters long they must be one of the longest trams running in a city.

Which shows the stupidity of having them run at grade through the city centre if that kind of capacity is required. Bring on the Metro.

Stephen15

Thrashssacre wrote: »

Two photos of the construction of one of the new trams to be introduced with Luas cross city, at over 54 meters long they must be one of the longest trams running in a city.

Budapest has 56m trams

LeinsterDub

Stephen15 wrote: »

Budapest has 56m trams

Feck beaten by 2 metres

Peregrine

There are some cities with longer trams but this is definitely up there. Could be the longest tram built by Alstom.

AngryLips

marno21 wrote: »

Which shows the stupidity of having them run at grade through the city centre if that kind of capacity is required. Bring on the Metro.

If its good enough for Budapest...

Consonata

AngryLips wrote: »

If its good enough for Budapest...

Budapest have built a new Metro in their city with half the GDP. Yes an underground

marno21

AngryLips wrote: »

If its good enough for Budapest...

BKK operates 4 metro lines (including the historic Line 1, the oldest underground railway in continental Europe), 5 suburban railway lines, 33 tram lines, 15 trolleybus lines, 264 bus lines (including 40 night routes), 4 boat services, and BuBi, a smart bicycle sharing network.

That's slightly more impressive than Dublin.

Jamie2k9

Consonata wrote: »

Budapest have built a new Metro in their city with half the GDP. Yes an underground

Half the GDP, think you need to check that fact, Ireland is just slightly larger than Budapest in terms of GDP.

KCAccidental

marno21 wrote: »

That's slightly more impressive than Dublin.

majority of that infrastructure built in Socialist times. Say what you want, but they valued public transport