M50. Dublin Airport at busiest ever levels. Planning from here

Idbatterim

We have all heard with dismay, about he plans to allegedly not proceed with DU and MN. This is at the same time, when the M50 is busier than ever and likewise with Dublin airport, that is busier than even during the boom, just as we are coming out of recession! what in gods name will things be like in another 4-5 years?

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dublins-m50-traffic-at-highest-ever-level-694945.html

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/latest-news/15-09-07/Record_August_Traffic_At_Dublin_Airport.aspx

23.5 million used the airport in 2008 and this year, going on the current growth will be 25,000,000 or thereabouts...

We can already see the exact same mistakes being made now. I am waiting for the highly paid ministers and planners to come out with the usual gems in a few years, "but how were we to know"... I didnt think lessons learned only a few years ago, not decades ago, could be forgotten so quickly...

cgcsb

The planners have been saying almost exactly the same thing for 40 years to be fair, they just aren't paid a blind bit of notice.

pclive

In 4-5 years we will still be waiting on a decision re. the second runway and MN or DU will still not have started

Streetwalker

Politicians don't think long term it's not in their make up. We had a golden opportunity the last few years to massively upgrade our road and transport network with materials and labour at very reasonable levels but decided to pay off bankers debts instead. Like usual we react instead of being pro active.

cgcsb

The 8,500 people taking domestic flights from Dublin Airport is an indication of how horrific ground transportation is in Ireland. It's a small, completely flat island ffs.

Jamie2k9

The vast majority of passengers who use Dublin Airport over 60% departing and over 60% arriving use the airport outside of peak M50 traffic so I not sure you can draw comparisons for building a new road and airport traffic. Public transport from the airport would only cater for a certain level of passengers also.

Carawaystick

pclive wrote: »

In 4-5 years we will still be waiting on a decision re. the second runway and MN or DU will still not have started

DAA have planning permission for a second runway 10/28
I think its the wrong kind of second runway and will be applying for permission for a different runway...

pclive

Carawaystick wrote: »

DAA have planning permission for a second runway 10/28
I think its the wrong kind of second runway and will be applying for permission for a different runway...

I think they are looking for modifications to be made to the existing plans

L1011

pclive wrote: »

I think they are looking for modifications to be made to the existing plans

Its a bit more than modifications - want to move it further north and make it longer.

Idbatterim

Politicians don't think long term it's not in their make up. We had a golden opportunity the last few years to massively upgrade our road and transport network with materials and labour at very reasonable levels but decided to pay off bankers debts instead. Like usual we react instead of being pro active.

I totally agree, but I think politically, during the downturn when welfare, PS wages were being cut, other taxes increased or introduced, announcing multi billion euro plans was never going to fly... NOW however, is a totally different matter... No one is asking for the world, just start enabling work on DU, which is 100-200,000,000 i.e. pocket change in the scheme of things and dont screw North Dublin, Dublin and indeed the entire country with the sham of a luas to the airport... Kick it to touch and do nothing is the best option, if they wont do it properly now...

Nichard Dixon

Streetwalker wrote: »

Politicians don't think long term it's not in their make up. We had a golden opportunity the last few years to massively upgrade our road and transport network with materials and labour at very reasonable levels but decided to pay off bankers debts instead. Like usual we react instead of being pro active.

This isn't really true. If a deal was not done re bond holders then the government could not have borrowed any money, in which case they would have not enough money and certainly none to build roads or airports with.

Which is no excuse for now when money can be easily borrowed. Planning didn't cost much and plans should have been made which could now proceed quickly. But, as you say, politicians couldn't give a damn about the long term future of the country.

Orchard Rebel

It's notable that the reported traffic levels on the M50 (c.120,000 cars per day) are virtually identical to those on the M42 around Birmingham when the active traffic management system was launched there as a pilot in 2006. It's now being rolled out to key parts of the UK motorway network.

Given that the requisite gantries have been in place over the M50 for years, surely it's now time to consider introducing the system to the M50, as a means of alleviating the chaos at rush hour, until long-term development plans can be finalised?

testicle

cgcsb wrote: »

The 8,500 people taking domestic flights from Dublin Airport is an indication of how horrific ground transportation is in Ireland. It's a small, completely flat island ffs.

You have never been outside the M50 have you?

newacc2015

Its easier to blame the Metro etc. The biggest issue is that lack of high rise in Dublin. Planners have given builders no choice but to develop land outside the city and people have no choice but commute to Dublin City. Dublin is probably closer to a generic US city with large Metro Area with a small city population, than most European Cities where most people live in the City with excellent public transport.

No amount of Metros, Luas etc will solve the lack of high in Dublin. People would happily live in a 40 storey apartment block in the middle of the city with a Gym, Cinema in the apartment block. Rather than commute for a hour each way

Nichard Dixon

The title of this thread says it all. We've had a lull for 7 years, when planning should have taken place for the inevitable uplift. Planning which would allow measures be now implemented quickly. Of course, this did not take place and even projects like the Dart Underground that have been planned are not being proceeded with.

In the case of the M50, they need variable speed limits, a higher toll at rush hours, probably tolling throughout (and a toll reduction at off peak times). When you introduce this toll provide some express buses to places like Sandyford so that people have a choice. Stop trying to force traffic on to the M50 that does not want to be there, so build a couple more bridges over the Liffey and conduct other improvements on parallel routes. All of this will knock some traffic off the M50 and move it back to 2011 levels.