Luas to Citywest

bibi-phoque

dublinhead wrote: »

Why is citywest shopping centre marking out car park spaces for the luas in the underground car park and advertising them for free? Why would anyone park at the Park and ride at cheeverstown and pay 6 euro for the day?

It's marketing, like the Square did before. It will be free for a while and will switch to paid parking (probably the first 2 hours free).

trellheim

or spend €40 in Dunnes and get free parking

Lapin

Rabbitt wrote: »

Anyone know an exact date for the Citywest line to start or the timetable?

Hi there namesake.

Today's the day. Official opening at Midday.

CIE

Article in the Irish Times about formal opening of this extension. Where they expect to get an additional two million passengers per annum is a mystery. Stops on average every half-mile? then expect average speeds to not be competitive with road traffic.

Aard

While the Docklands extention added about 2,011,410 passengers, it is indeed in a busy mixed use area. B1 added about 88,590 over two and a half months, so that'd mean almost 500,000 per year. It's quite unlikely that the Citiwest extention would add 2,000,000 alone, so I guess they're expecting increases across the network at large.

Victor

CIE wrote: »

Where they expect to get an additional two million passengers per annum is a mystery.

Some will be former bus passengers.

CIE

Victor wrote: »

Some will be former bus passengers.

They'd have to woo them specifically, I think, and a slow average speed isn't the way to do it; having five stops in 2.6 miles has to put a dent in the already-slow 14 mph average speed (per the timetable).

And isn't it a bit of a problem when you have no net gain (e.g. bus to tram) for public transport in that instance, but spent all that money?

Aard

The reason there are so many stops is because of the road/path system. There just isn't enough access to the residential areas, especially in the way of footpaths. The norm in all recent housing estates in Ireland was for car-only access, with little pedestrian permeability. That means that there are cases like the Cheeverstown stop where the people living closest have a longer walk to the station ~12.5 minutes than people who live three times as far away (~10 mins). So in order to facilitate roundabout movements, the distance between stops must be reduced. OTOH, the existing Red line in Tallaght achieves pretty good permeability.

http://www.luas.ie/assets/files/RPA%20Marketing%20Campaign/v8_Luas%20Citywest_A4%20flyer_WEB%20reduced_160611.pdf

LXFlyer

To be fair the journey time for the LUAS from Citywest to Abbey Street will be about 45 minutes - that is faster than either the 50 or 65b buses off-peak.

Victor

http://railusers.ie/news/news.php?year=2011&no=7.html

Luas lines for some, walls for others
July 2nd 2011

Rail Users Ireland today welcomed the opening of the Citywest Luas line and the massive improvement in public transport it will bring to the area, but not all living and working next to this new Luas line will have access to its benefits. Rail Users Ireland today condemned fact that the Citywest Luas will open with poor access for residents. This comes eight months after the Luas to Cherrywood opened with similar problems, where proposals for park and ride facilities are still incomplete.

RUI spokesman Colm Moore said "Despite spending more than three years raising the issue of access from adjacent housing estates to the Luas stops at Cheeverstown and Citywest Campus the line will open with no access provided for Ard Mor and Brookview, despite the estates backing directly onto the line." The residents of other estates can bypass Ard Mor and Brookview.

Despite promises made in the Environmental Impact Statement and at the oral hearing held by An Bord Pleanála in February 2008 that access would be improved and regular correspondence since then, no improvement has occurred. Indeed the Railway Procurement Agency is now washing their it's hands of the matter and there is unlikely to be any progress on the matter until South Dublin County Council publish their local area plan for Fortunestown. This plan hasn't gone to statutory public consultation yet and therefore is many months away from being adopted by the council. Even then any improvements proposed will be dependent on the council or land owners finding agreement with residents, receiving planning permission and then funding and providing the accesses.

Mr. Moore continued "While we can understand residents concerns about opening up estates to commuter parking or anti-social behaviour from adjacent unused sites, this need not happen. It is perfectly possible to maximise access while minimising the risk of unwanted activity. There are a number of solutions available including providing footpaths across existing unused lands for non-residents and gated access to residents which could be operated by Luas Smart Cards."

Luas Saggart opens on Saturday 2 July 2011 with free travel on the day. The line stretches from the existing Belgard stop near Tallaght to Garter Lane in Saggart, with additional stops at Fettercairn, Cheeverstown (with Park and Ride), Citywest Campus, Fortunestown and Saggart. There are no changes to fares and these stops are all within the existing "Red 4" zone. While some services will operate directly to Connolly Station, the line will predominantly be served by a Saggart-Belgard shuttle to connect to Tallaght-The Point services.

Zebra3

Is it possible to cycle on or beside this new part of the Luas network?

Losty Dublin

Zebra3 wrote: »

Is it possible to cycle on or beside this new part of the Luas network?

Nope as it's trespassing to be walking or cycling on Luas tracks. There isn't a path by it for it's length though there will be a road running along some of it's route.

Victor

Zebra3 wrote: »

Is it possible to cycle on or beside this new part of the Luas network?

There are foot/cyle paths on sections, but they are incomplete, as is the Embankment Road Extension. http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=4144

Zebra3

So €300M for 4.2km of tram line and they can't even put a cycle lane all the way along it. :mad:

Or would it be a case of vested interests ensuring there wasn't one? :rolleyes:

mgmt

Zebra3 wrote: »

So €300M for 4.2km of tram line and they can't even put a cycle lane all the way along it. :mad:

Or would it be a case of vested interests ensuring there wasn't one? :rolleyes:

It was the RPA that designed it. Cycling is not in their remit. Pity we can't have some joined up thinking in this country.

Rabbitt

There is no designated cycle track but you could deffo cycle alongside it most of the way