BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

TheChrisD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122145014#Comment_122145014

Every time there was a request for comment, I always specifically said that one of the E or F spines needed to take that routing; or even the A-spine running down the full length of Dorset St, onto North King St to also cross at Father Matthew Bridge.

The city centre interchange area really needs to be more than just OCS.

tubbs26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122144478#Comment_122144478

What route number will that be?

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146065#Comment_122146065

N2

It will be a game changer, I can't wait.

DaBluBoi

Is there an assigned route number for that Dun Laoghaire shuttle as well, like the 99?

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146140#Comment_122146140

Not that I've seen. Will be interesting to see who operates it too

trellheim

"Every time there was a request for comment, I always specifically said that one of the E or F spines needed to take that routing; or even the A-spine running down the full length of Dorset St, onto North King St to also cross at Father Matthew Bridge.

The city centre interchange area really needs to be more than just OCS."

Very true.

Capel St and Parliament St should have been a southbound route with the northbounds going up Jervis . Some of the other routes should have been diverted to Gardiner St (and Marlborough St) and around Beresford Place but at the moment everyone seems to think its OK to jam all the modes in front of Daniel O Connell . This utter lack of foresight - which wont' get any better with Busconnects - was on show yesterday when that whole axis ground to a halt because of two stuck trams.

Stand at the Ambassador theatre and look south Mon Fri at 1730 its an utter logjam of buses every single day, a previously much more freeflowing traffic is now completely snarled and its nothing at all to do with private cars.

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122144478#Comment_122144478

I noticed that too. They've been working on the new bus stops on Griffith Avenue outside Tolka Rovers this week. I think that must be nearly all the bus stops for the N2 done now. Although I haven't been around the section of Griffith Avenue past Whitehall or some parts of Cabra on the route recently.

loco_scolo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122146239#Comment_122146239

its nothing at all to do with private cars.

Private cars are still allowed to cross OCS via Parnell, cross the quays at both directions at OC Bridge and travel from Pearse Street to Westmoreland St. You also have private cars clogging up Tara Street and a whole host of other streets in or near the city centre, which massively increases the amount of conflicts for buses to flow freely.

Daith

I forgot about the N2. It will be great when the frequency of the 40e/replacement service is improved, and Broombridge become a real hub.

cgcsb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122148467#Comment_122148467

This issue needs attention and I think it's something that's slipped by the NTA. When DART arrives at Broombridge it'll be manic, a luas extension to Finglas and it'll be completely wedged and there isn't room to swing a cat there. Plus there'll be the new bus connects routes, the Royal Canal greenway and the cycle routes that are complimentary to the Finglas luas project. It'll be one of the most accessible places in Ireland and we'll still be arsing around with 1m wide platforms.

Daith

Fully in agreement. It's not treated as a hub really.

Have also given up the idea in Irish Rail and Dublin Bus talking to each other and adjusting some schedules slightly.

cgcsb

Is there anything more tangible on the E Spine and N2 phase? I got some election material today which again just says Q2 2024 which is now.

dublinman1990

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150098#Comment_122150098

Can you show/tell us what was written on that election material about the E-Spine and N2?

If the date for their rollout is still Q2 2024; I would assume that things are going along nicely this time around barring shortages of drivers hampering it's progress.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150098#Comment_122150098

Now planned for Q3 (and later rather than sooner in that quarter) as far as I know.

As I’ve said before, until you hear about driver route training starting, then I’d take any dates with a grain of salt.

VG31

It's disappointing that the Bus Connects rollout seems to be getting even slower. Since the rollout started in 2021 there's been two phases each year, in May/June and October/November. It seems this year we'll probably only get one. If it continues at this rate Bus Connects won't be done until around 2030! Apparently the F spine requires even more drivers and yet the smaller E spine keeps getting delayed.

And yes I know, there aren't enough drivers

Daith

Yeah, it's a pain. It's a pity other transport options can't be ramped up like Luas to Finglas and Dart extensions.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150778#Comment_122150778

Remember that in addition to the E Spine, there should be the “O” in Q4 as well, which will itself require a lot of additional drivers.

That will still mean two phases in 2024.

That will leave five phases remaining.

The E Spine phase isn't smaller than the F Spine. It involves the N2 which is a completely new frequent bus route, and new local routes in southeast Dublin & northeast Wicklow.

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151094#Comment_122151094

I read somewhere (I can't remember where) that the E spine phase requires less drivers than the F spine phase and that's why they swapped them in the rollout. Of course I don't know if that's accurate but there must have been some reason for changing the order.

cgcsb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150264#Comment_122150264

Literally just that 'launching Q2 2204'

dublinman1990

I was seeing the news today that were a lot of vehicles stuck in heavy traffic between Lucan & Blanchardstown & along the quays in Dublin City Centre. The fatal collision on the M50 this morning must have had a very heavy negative impact on punctuality for bus routes going through those parts of Dublin throughout today. This would have had huge knock-on delays for the C-Spine/52, G-Spine/60, Bus Eireann, GAI Commuter routes, Citylink etc.

The H-Spine buses along with the other routes that go from Abbey St also had to go through diversions when they went back to Dublin City Centre as the remembrance ceremony for the 50th anniversary of The Dublin & Monaghan bombings took place in Talbot St earlier today. What diversions did these bus routes take today?

Were any you guys affected by this heavy level of distruption around Dublin today?

Pale Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151863#Comment_122151863

It tooke me 4 hours (not a typo) to go from the Longmile Road to Kilmainham Jail. I started at 3 o'clock. At least I did get to go home. RIP the person on the M50.

john boye

Most of the southside was chaos. Judging by the long queues of buses stuck in stationery traffic I'd say the evening rush hour schedules were decimated.

dublinman1990

Who is going to operate the N2? Are most of the bus stops needed for the route installed yet?

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153565#Comment_122153565

Go Ahead apparently and yes most seem to be.

BusGuy

Quite a rocky road for Ranelagh today due to the protests in the city. Both the 44 and the 11 faced delays, with the 44 appearing twice on the RTPI board in the main Ranelagh area.

The Sandford Road is very prone to traffic, the TFI and the NTA could do something about this as it loosens up at around the Larch Grove Traffic Lights, just in front of the Sandford Road Set Down stop. Is the green light too short there?

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153612#Comment_122153612

There is one more to be done East of Tolka, which has the blue paint, but I won't say until I see them working on it. There is also another stop that might need a bit of refurbishment

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151094#Comment_122151094

I'm not sure I'd call the N2 a frequent service, unless the schedule has been changed from the original BusConnects docs. It is 30 minute frequency all weekend and after 7 week days which is very poor. And it differs between 15 and 20 minutes week days.

Personally I think they might get caught out on how popular this route is and it might require better frequency, particularly at the weekend.

cgcsb

Disappointed with the decision to give go ahead the N2. Say what you will about Dublin bus, at least the drivers can actually drive a bus and know their route.

ITV2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122150285#Comment_122150285

I'm hearing Q4 now.

scrabtom

It says on Neasa Hourigan's constituency letter that E spine and 19 route are planned to go live on September 26th.

She also says that the O orbital and N2 orbital are planned for November.

jd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122164771#Comment_122164771

That actually aligns with what I heard a short while ago. E Spin late September :(