What would you do with €300 Million?

superelliptic

So It looks like Minister Varadkar is not too pushed about the proposed Dart extension to the airport, because it would mean disrupting existing services to malahide, and would increase congestion at Connolly station, and with the Metro/DU projects probably going to be shelved for the next few years, that means that the funds available for the Dart Extension are potentially available for other uses.

My Question is,

What Infrastructure projects /upgrades/ refurbishments would you like to see that €300 Million be used for instead?

(Remember, Minister Varadkar is also Minister for Tourism, so if anyone has ideas in that direction ( eg, bike trails, tourist uses for our waterways, etc) then add them in!



Personally, Id like to see them repair sherriff street bridge, increasing its air draft, and continue the Linear Park from Spencer Dock. Also, clean up the tow paths on the royal around Broombridge to make it harder for vandals to have access to passing boats - and to promote live aboards on the cleaner/safer streches of the waterways (ie in towns that have canal access) Also, since the Dublin Bike scheme has been such a success, why not extend it to the other major cities? Finally, the Integrated ticketing system, if successful should be rolled out to all transport services nationwide (excluding taxis) so that one card can cover all intercity/bus travel as well as travel on public transport within every city in Ireland.

robd

To be honest with you I think it's important that money ear market for public transport is spent on public transport projects. You're idea will interesting is of little benefit to the majority of Dubliners who quite simply would not be traveling along the canal on a boat and don't live close enough to use it for walking.

I'd spend the money on the Luas to Broombridge. I don't agree with the part about running it up O'Connell street. I think it would be better to take over Malborough Street entirely for two way. That's something that can be looked at though.

It's a poor substitute for Metro North (which hasn't a snowballs chance of being built now) but in general the Luas has been extremely successful although some money needs to be diverted to sorting out the anti social problems that plague the red line. The more lines built, the more traction the Luas will have as a mode of transport. If we can build a decent network around the city centre we can extend it outwards year by year.

The free travel scheme needs to be looked at as I believe it costs way way too much. A form of discounted travel as per most other countries would probably work better in these tight times. Something needs to be done about the free disability travel passes awarded to drug users as really they push fare paying passengers off public transport and it's very questionable as to whether addiction is a disability.

galwayrush

If i could spend it in Galway, it would be enough build the portion of the city by pass that passed the planning process, and a Claregalway by pass.

Chris_5339762

Would it be possible to do Newlands, GCOB (in full), Cork SRRs and the Claregalway bypass as an all-in deal for €300mil? Might need some haggling but it'll do more for transport (public and private) than any vanity public transport project will.

corktina

Id spend half on fast cars, fast horses and women slow enough for me to keep up with (and just waste the other half)

antoobrien

Use it to entice PPPs to come in and build the GCOB with BART style rail in the between carriage ways, a real transport solution for Galway.

celticbest

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Would it be possible to do Newlands, GCOB (in full),

100% agree that Newlands upgrade should be done, it's crazy to think that if your travelling from the Border on the N1/M1 that it the only set of lights you'll hit if travelling all the way to Cork, Limerick or Waterford.

This junction could easily be change to a freeflow junction for taffic travelling on the N7 Mainline.

Jayuu

celticbest wrote: »

100% agree that Newlands upgrade should be done, it's crazy to think that if your travelling from the Border on the N1/M1 that it the only set of lights you'll hit if travelling all the way to Cork, Limerick or Waterford.

This junction could easily be change to a freeflow junction for taffic travelling on the N7 Mainline.

Along with NX, I think that there should be some remedial work done on the N7 approach to the M50 which is a complete mess. I still can't believe that in a three lane road only one lane was dedicated to getting traffic onto the M50 and two lanes were allocated to through traffic. It causes major delays at peak times and a huge amount of last minute lane crossing.

There should be one lane for M50 northbound, one lane for M50 southbound and one lane for the continuning N7.

pajunior

Jayuu wrote: »

Along with NX, I think that there should be some remedial work done on the N7 approach to the M50 which is a complete mess. I still can't believe that in a three lane road only one lane was dedicated to getting traffic onto the M50 and two lanes were allocated to through traffic. It causes major delays at peak times and a huge amount of last minute lane crossing.

There should be one lane for M50 northbound, one lane for M50 southbound and one lane for the continuning N7.

I completely agree that something needs to be done here.

The traffic lights at newlands cross are a joke. Not sure what can be done without major, major roadworks but it's a busy road at rush hours and needs to be looked at.

Del2005

superelliptic wrote: »

Personally, Id like to see them repair sherriff street bridge, increasing its air draft, and continue the Linear Park from Spencer Dock. Also, clean up the tow paths on the royal around Broombridge to make it harder for vandals to have access to passing boats - and to promote live aboards on the cleaner/safer streches of the waterways (ie in towns that have canal access) Also, since the Dublin Bike scheme has been such a success, why not extend it to the other major cities? Finally, the Integrated ticketing system, if successful should be rolled out to all transport services nationwide (excluding taxis) so that one card can cover all intercity/bus travel as well as travel on public transport within every city in Ireland.

Has Waterways Ireland, or who ever controls the canals, allowed people live on the canals full time? I thought it was illegal.

The Dublin Bike scheme while a success was a bad deal for Dublin. Done properly would be OK but that won't happen.

Integrated ticketing, more buses and orbital routes would be cover a bit then blow the rest on coke and hookers at least we'd have good(ish) memories of the €300m.

CerebralCortex

Newlands Cross and the M20 not sure if that would be enough money though. Perhaps if you had said 1 billion, then I would say Newlands Cross M20 and GCOB.

dubhthach

€300 million is about the cost of 100 brand new schools. I think I'd build those and get rid of the prefabs which cost €20m a year in rent.

Nolanger

Build a wall around the border to keep the dole fraudsters out.

jack presley

Nolanger wrote: »

Build a wall around the border to keep the dole fraudsters out.

What about all the home grown dole fraudsters?

FoxT

eu 300 million would surely get broadband into every home (at least, every occupied home) in the country plus fund a Junior cert & Leaving cert syllabus on computing...

If there was any change I'd spend it in the new casino in two-mile Borris...

Stroke Politics

I'd spend it on upgrading the Phoenix Park rail tunnel so that some southbound trains due to stop at Connolly capacity go at a new station between Connolly and Croke Park, and then go on to Heuston and Maynooth.....

squod

Isn't CIE pissing that much away every couple years? Rant over.

For my €300m? Aircruise! We should really get on board with the idea that tourists are gonna want added value to their enormous costs of holidaying here. Some kind of standardised and regulated 'views from the air tourism' IMO. Such a beautiful country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEL3OEWboLs

bryaner

Coke and hookers..

D.L.R.

What would I do with 300 million?
Thats easy - I'd emigrate to the developed world.