BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

LXFlyer

The work to rule has been suspended.

https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2025/0306/1500475-dublin-bus-siptu-pay-dispute/

john boye

I wonder who's getting screwed over this time

Taisteal Éireann

I see at Clondalkin Fonthill Station, they've built new bus shelters on both sides of the road about 100 metres south of the current bus stops outside the station.

Seems ridiculous to be honest. Either there's going to be two bus stops within 100 metres of each other, or they're going to move the bus stops for the train station away from the train station.

Pale Red

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123239417#Comment_123239417

If you want to see stops close to each other have a look at Littlepace Road (route 70 and 270). There are two stops with around 150 yards and the bus comes back up from cul de sac for another two stops across the road from the first 2. You could walk between four stops on the same route (going to the same destination) in about two minutes.

Taisteal Éireann

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123239518#Comment_123239518

I'm familiar with the stops you mention, they are very close to each other. Hopefully when the bus gate at the end of Littlepace Road finally goes ahead, they can look at removing some of the stops.

It's an issue all over the city though. Off the top of my head, Rathmines Road, the N11 and the roads route 40 follows around South and West Finglas are saturated with bus stops.

p_haugh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123239417#Comment_123239417

By the looks of it, those new stops are there for the new housing development at those crossroads. I assume the existing stops at the station will be removed when the L54 is updated to serve the new stops. While not ideal, as you said the locations are too close to have more than one stop serving both.

Taisteal Éireann

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123239623#Comment_123239623

I know it's done now but surely it would have been a better idea to put the new bus stops on the opposite side of the crossroads? I feel a train station should take priority over any housing development. Or maybe I'm the idiot?

Also, while it might just be a planning condition of new housing developments, it looks like they've also built new bus stops in the actual housing development (Seven Mills). I don't know of any plans right now to run buses through there.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123239599#Comment_123239599

bus stops hardly ever get removed - people get very upset even if the next one is only 100 metres away.

LXFlyer

There will be a rationalisation of stops on the Spines as the BusConnects CBC infrastructure programme rolls out.

TranslatorPS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123239943#Comment_123239943

More so than that, when DB ran the network by themselves, they were reluctant to completely remove stop locations off the map due to the consultation/agreement process with An Garda Síochána taking about two eternities – and I hardly doubt anything has changed here, so even in the NTA age I'd imagine it's easier to just either deface a stop enough to take it out of service or keep two stops in service very close to each other.

As for close stops, may I remind of the 17A/N6 stop distances around Kilbarron Road and Northside S.C. The distances there are equivalent to more or less a six-car DART train and yet people would easily complain about walking that when they'd easily walk down the platform if necessary.

A2000

There Are 3 stops in quick succession on kylemore road for s4/60.

StreetLight

There are four stops within the space of half a kilometre along Sundrive Road on the S2 route.

LXFlyer

I’m not sure that the thread needs multiple posts listing stops that are close together - we all know that there are multiple locations across the network where there too many stops.

As BusConnects continues to be rolled out there will be changes.

loco_scolo

The solution at North Strand should be considered more broadly across the network. Rather than completely removing a stop, reduce the number of buses that serve certain stops. That way the service is sped up for people traveling longer distances on the bus, but a service remains in place for people who can't (or won't) walk a little bit further.

GRUF

I was at a talk yesterday where Billy Hann (CEO of Dublin Bus) was speaking, along with other transportation reps from TII, the DOT, and Irish Rail. He was fantastic, gave great insight into Dublin Bus. He was saying he was obviously fully supportive of BusConnects and was looking forward to progressing it. Amazingly, he was saying that an extra 1000 drivers have been hired in the last 2 years (from 3200 to around 4200), which is huge growth, but he figures there could be another 1000 required over the next two years to fully satisfy the requirements for BusConnects (and to add some resilience). Add in the other staff required and you can see that its a fairly big task. nevertheless, he was very confident in the progression.

Some other points worth noting:

• He would like to see the Dublin City Transport Plan rolled out as quickly as possible, and said the effects of restricting the quays to private vehicles was hugely positive for bus movements around the city (to no ones surprise!
• He says that he would rather BusConnects network changes be rolled out quicker and then have the intricacies fixed rather than trying to solve every problem before anything is operational. Similar to any new bus route, with timetables adjusted following consultation and surveying.
• There is hopefully going to be more collaboration between TFI, the NTA, TII, and Irish Rail with regards to certain timetables (i.e when an hourly train terminates where an hourly bus terminates, the bus or train might wait some minutes for the other if it is delayed, so passengers have a quicker onward journey.)

Overall very positive and it was great to attend.

Daith

Good stuff. I think if he just spend an hour in Broombridge for the last part. Trains arriving a minute after the 40e leaves. Or a Luas departing a minute after the 40e or train arrives but not giving anyone a chance to board.

Or watching people get off the train, tag off at the Dart validator, tag on at the Luas validator and hope the Luas doesn't go either.

Just lots of small improvements could work wonders.

GRUF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123241302#Comment_123241302

He was saying that at present they can't wait and go behind schedule because the NTA fines them and counts it as a delayed bus, even if it is for the greater good of the passengers wanting to use the bus.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123241243#Comment_123241243

He says that he would rather BusConnects network changes be rolled out quicker and then have the intricacies fixed rather than trying to solve every problem before anything is operational. Similar to any new bus route, with timetables adjusted following consultation and surveying.

Very much agree with this, frankly there has been far too much pissing around with public consultations. We will be approaching a decade to do just the route changes!

I believe the original plan for BusConnects was to do the route changes in just a few months, instead it is taking 10 years, madness!

In retrospect, I'd have focused on rolling out the orbital routes and 24/7 routes first, as that is where there is the most benefit and then did the lettered radial routes after that.

I think the overall vision of BusConnects is a good one, it is just taking far too long!

Though now it is becoming obvious that the buses can't keep up with demand and we need to start thinking about replacing some of the key routes with Luas lines instead!

Daith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123241521#Comment_123241521

Yeah which is fair enough, but as he points out, isn't the best for the customer.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123241723#Comment_123241723

Per stop timetables and maintaining punctuality are in general very good for the customer. However some flexibility at major train/Luas interchanges would of course be beneficial.

Though ideally the real solution is improving the reliability and punctuality of the trains/Luas, so they arrive on time and the bus can leave on schedule. On the other hand, high levels of frequency make it less important.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123232981#Comment_123232981

I think rerouting the L14 to Brides Glen makes a LOT more sense because it gives many people coming from Dublin a public transport route to Bray beach.

TranslatorPS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123241970#Comment_123241970

Without a doubt – I laugh at suggestions of removing by-stop timetables where they've been the norm since the 1990s. The problem is that every stop being a timing point for penalty assessment needs to be done with. One of the continental experts in city transport planning suggested that timing points should be chosen so that there is one every 5 to 8 minutes running time and I think that would change a lot if implemented in Dublin.

bikeman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123247164#Comment_123247164

This would be a huge help. I’ve been on numerous buses, holding at a point for say 90 seconds only to be snarled up a bit further along and then run late. Completely stupid stuff.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123247164#Comment_123247164

I know TFL run on even headway ie. the size of the gap between buses for high frequency routes (every 14 minutes or better) and timing points for low frequency routes (every 15 mins or worse). Would this not be the best system?

Midnight_EG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123248968#Comment_123248968

That is how we operate... Supposedly, but they're now restructuring to 'every route is to be treated as low frequency' which is dumb in reality. My zone has one of each, the 15 (high frequency), the 11 (low frequency) and the 4 (treated as both and also neither due to the 3 month bedding in period).

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123249293#Comment_123249293

Or just back to the good oul days when the bus had a departure time but no arrival time

LXFlyer

The NTA have agreed to move the L14 terminus to Brides Glen within the next three months.

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wicklow/bray-news/nta-promises-to-move-bus-terminus-that-caused-chaos-for-bray-residents/a306481798.html

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123249600#Comment_123249600

The NTA need to stop pandering to these people. Okay move the terminus fine but get the buses out of Palermo altogether and say to the residents well you didn't want the buses parking in the estate so now you're not getting a service at all the buses are staying on the main road.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123250032#Comment_123250032

To be fair, it really isn’t a suitable location for the terminus, especially when, given the poor schedule design, there are buses sitting there for up to almost 40 mins at a time, which meant two buses there together for a period of 5-10 minutes each hour.

I think that the residents had a point in that regard.

The timetable is constructed appallingly poorly with the result that buses are sitting for ages at either end.

Moving departure times by 15 mins at one terminus would improve fleet and driver utilisation and mean far less waiting around - they’re spending more time laying over than driving right now.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123250079#Comment_123250079

It's not really a suitable location for a bus service full stop. Too many parked cars and it's not lime the estate is miles away from the main road. Having the 185 serve the estate was a complete mess buses were regularly getting stuck in there because of illegal parking especially in the evenings.