Cities around the world that are reducing car access

AlmightyCushion

MJohnston wrote: »

Indeed, seems deeply unscientific to run a measurement once and call it an accurate and useful piece of data. Particularly when you get results that defy common sense!

Yeah, it doesn't mean that the outcome is wrong. It's possible it is right even though common sense says otherwise. It mean we need to run more test and analyse more data. Unfortunately, that probably isn't going to happen as there are no more car free days planned.

MJohnston

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Yeah, it doesn't mean that the outcome is wrong. It's possible it is right even though common sense says otherwise. It mean we need to run more test and analyse more data. Unfortunately, that probably isn't going to happen as there are no more car free days planned.

The outcome might be right, but then we'd need to investigate what is actually leading to that. The article doesn't indicate where in Trinity the EPA metre was located. If it was away from College Green and near Nassau Street for example, I could see the measurements being higher as Nassau was probably even more of a bus Park than usual.

ncounties

A third testing site installed in the centre of College Green malfunctioned on the day.

You know, the place, that was actually car free...

Thelonious Monk

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/driving-tests-licence-and-insurance-should-be-required-for-e-scooters-says-council-1.4093439

Well driving test, licences, etc etc for eScooters will certainly help reduce cars in the city...

keane2097

If someone told me the Dublin City Council was objectively proven to be the worst in the world I don't think I'd query it.

cgcsb

Are they not embarrassed by the collapse of the odeaveny gardens project or the college green plaza project or the liffey cycle route project or the...............
And now, more crapola.

wakka12

cgcsb wrote: »

Are they not embarrassed by the collapse of the odeaveny gardens project or the college green plaza project or the liffey cycle route project or the...............
And now, more crapola.

??? Has that fallen through too already?? Plans were published so recently, after 5 years of consultation

Yeh I just looked it up and I havnt seen anything new released about it since the plans were released in April?

cgcsb

The NTA took it over but no budget for it. There was supposed to be a press release about by November. But no luck. It might be revived next year in a slightly different format if there's money. Perhaps running on the quayside for the whole route. However it'll remain in paper form for the foreseeable. I think it's been 8 years now, and still only on paper.

MJohnston

DCC just assigned €2.5m of the road maintenance budget to cycle lanes last night, so hopefully that's going to boost some of these projects.

cgcsb

MJohnston wrote: »

DCC just assigned €2.5m of the road maintenance budget to cycle lanes last night, so hopefully that's going to boost some of these projects.

That'll get us about one tenth of the Fairview to Amien st route done.

MJohnston

Well I don't think that comprises ALL of DCC's cycling spend, it's just additional - and it's good that it's coming from a road budget.

CatInABox

Don't think I've seen this here, but Fingal CoCo has started some car free school zones out in Malahide.

See here.

It's actually refreshing to see councils take on the work that has been done abroad and apply it here.

Peregrine

CatInABox wrote: »

Don't think I've seen this here, but Fingal CoCo has started some car free school zones out in Malahide.

See here.

It's actually refreshing to see councils take on the work that has been done abroad and apply it here.

Fingal needs to be commended on this. The council staff really set this in motion and brought it through the local area committee despite objections. That was less than three weeks ago.

And they did it for all the right reasons.

Conchir

Unfortunately Fingal seem to take one step forward, two steps back, with free parking in Balbriggan, Rush, Skerries and Swords on three Saturdays in December.


To "support local businesses".

https://twitter.com/Fingalcoco/status/1199650019294556161?s=20

downtheroad

Posted by myself and a couple of other in the farmers protest thread but the area around Baggot Street, Merrion Row and Stephens Green was a joy to walk around today with so many roads blocked by the tractors.

Granted it was a pain for many commuters (didn't affect me on my bike but that's nothing new) but it was great to see so many pedestrians walking so freely not having to stop or look for vehicles. And the Grafton St shops seemed to be doing a huge trade, which flies in the face of the no parking equals no customers theory.

Hopefully Dublin City Council took notice but it will be back to the usual tomorrow.

is_that_so

Conchir wrote: »

Unfortunately Fingal seem to take one step forward, two steps back, with free parking in Balbriggan, Rush, Skerries and Swords on three Saturdays in December.


To "support local businesses".

https://twitter.com/Fingalcoco/status/1199650019294556161?s=20

Hmm, 3 Saturdays in December! End of civilisation as we know it. Christmas is a busy time for them or had you not noticed? If it's too much hassle people will go elsewhere.

donvito99

is_that_so wrote: »

Hmm, 3 Saturdays in December! End of civilisation as we know it. Christmas is a busy time for them or had you not noticed? If it's too much hassle people will go elsewhere.

More subsidies for the Irish motorist. Nothing for people getting around without causing massive levels of traffic congestion.

is_that_so

donvito99 wrote: »

More subsidies for the Irish motorist. Nothing for people getting around without causing massive levels of traffic congestion.

Of course, throw all your Crimbo shopping on the back of a bike! BTW none of them are big enough to have massive congestion!

donvito99

is_that_so wrote: »

Of course, throw all your Crimbo shopping on the back of a bike! BTW none of them are big enough to have massive congestion!

Well, in the City Centre, bus passengers spend more per head than motorists. Where Fingal CoCo's subsidised bus fares?

is_that_so

donvito99 wrote: »

Well, in the City Centre, bus passengers spend more per head than motorists. Where Fingal CoCo's subsidised bus fares?

The measures are aimed at encouraging locals to shop local rather than hit Millfield, Swords or Drogheda. It's DCC in the city centre so Fingal wouldn't subsidise that ever!

MJohnston

Who the feck goes Christmas shopping Balbriggan anyway?

Let them have their free parking, I hope there are some mad queues of traffic in return!

Peregrine

They shouldn't be giving out 'free' on-street parking. It's just another subsidy that will encourage driving.

DLR and DCC often do this on bank holiday weekends. Although, there was a decision at DLR a couple of weeks ago to stop this. I must look into that.

Peregrine

Peregrine wrote: »

They shouldn't be giving out 'free' on-street parking. It's just another subsidy that will encourage driving.

I suspect that 99% of those motorists would drive anyway, all this does is make the destination more attractive.

Conchir

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I suspect that 99% of those motorists would drive anyway, all this does is make the destination more attractive.

Not having to worry about charges could also remove an incentive to vacate the spot, and ultimately lead to less availability per car visitors over the day.

celtcia

What is College Green Plaza and Why It Matters


The development of the College Green Plaza is a debate that has been going on for quite a few years. The proposal was officially announced by the Dublin City Council in 2013 and it aims to pedestrianise the College Green area which lies between Trinity College Dublin and Church Lane. This idea is not a new one, but the design solutions required to solve certain complex issues require new innovation and relationships.

Why come up with the plaza at all?

With so many places in the city to choose from, one can’t help but wonder why College Green was picked as the spot for building a plaza.

One of the most important reasons is the historical significance of College Green. It was famous for being the ceremonial heart of the city, with a number of gatherings, protests and processions taking place there. Even today, the St Patrick’s Day Parade goes through that area. In 2011, the then-President of the United States, Barack Obama, addressed the crowd at College Green.

College Green was formerly called ‘Hoggen Green’ and the area was all grass. Today, however, the area is full of traffic; be it cars, buses, taxis, cyclists, or even pedestrians. This congested space right in the city centre has been degrading in air quality, one that does not meet the EU standards. Simply put, it can kill. The space is dangerous for pedestrians as there is not enough footpath space.

In the council's Public Realm Strategy 2012, called ‘Your City, Your Space’, College Green was identified as "potentially the most important civic space" in Dublin.

So, what options do we have for the College Green Plaza?

Right now, there are two design leaders: Dublin City Council’s refused design application, and the Celtcia group of flexible design options.

The Dublin City Council’s design is a plan to pedestrianise a smaller part of College Green with a 1700m2 primary plaza solution. Celtcia, on the other hand, offers 2350m2+ of flexible space while allowing cars and public transport in a variety of options, and faster pedestrian crossings.

Why do we need options? What does Celtcia offer that the Dublin City Council’s design does not?



If Dublin had a metro system, the solution would have been more simple. The design for Celtcia has been under works for more than 12 years; starting in 20086, this thoughtful masterpiece is based on a real love story. It is no doubt that in 112 years, this design has been able to consider, analyse, research, rework and incorporate features critical for the future of the College Green Plaza. Not only does Celtcia provide significant flexible design options, but it is also considerate of sustainable and essential features of the plaza. In 2012 it was submitted by the Green party to Dublin City Council as part of the Strategic Public Realm Strategy. This was also voted on by Dublin City Council in 2013 under motion 1261.

Celtcia is also focused on multiple aspects of life and appeals to people of all ages.

Transport

Being in the heart of the city, College Green demands convenient access to transportation. Be it for students studying in nearby universities (Trinity and the Dublin Business School), children playing in the new green patches of the plaza and playgrounds, party-goers looking to return home after a night out looking for a taxi, or the elderly enjoying a calm evening walk with disabled kerbs for the visually impaired. Transport is a matter of not only travel but also safety.

For cyclists, Celtcia would contain high quality, protected cycling lanes with up to 190 bicycle spaces (compared to the City Council’s design of 32 bicycle spaces)

There will be a Taxi rank in College Green, with a West-East Taxi access option

There will be a West-East bus access option

The design will be efficiently integrated with the Luas crossing.

Recreation:

Again, the city-centre is undoubtedly very, very happening. Celtcia offers a usable area of 2165m2+, with 185m2 being spaced out for fountains… that’s at least 758m2 more usable area than what the Dublin City Council’s design has to offer. Imagine this with a grass area of 200m2, a playground for children and chess boards; it is the perfect space for recreation for people of all ages.

Along with this, the presence of many sculptures and public art in the plaza and statues in the windows of the Bank of Ireland building will only beautify the place more. The statue of Thomas Davis would also remain in the primary area. Celtcia would successfully maintain the cultural identity while having the scope to become a unique tourist attraction. The option of Celtic tourism only makes this design more appealing.

Poetry and Public Speaking:

The freedom lookout is a carved public speaking platform where there could be spoken word competitions, bands and a photogenic vista lookout to climb. Stephen James Smith may even have a poem or two and bands and buskers could even perform on top of it on Sundays.

Celtcia’s Motivations?

Celtcia is based on a collective need rather than the individual need or limited architectural style or era. It started from a love story in Dublin Gardens in Dublin Castle. It has evolved into a desire for a more peaceful and quieter sanctuary. It imagined playgrounds instead of open air car parks while maintaining public transport options. Softer grass to balance hard surfaces. Celtcia wanted a world class place that locals and tourists alike would be attracted to. We wanted new experiences, moments and activities that are inclusive to different groups of people. We believed it was possible to maintain a deep respect for historical Dublin while introducing a new subtle future with more ambition which gives young people hope of a better future.

celtcia

https://irishcycle.com/2019/11/30/dublin-primed-to-adapt-healthy-streets-approach-to-shake-motor-traffic-dominance/

downtheroad

https://www.vox.com/2016/10/9/13017282/bogota-ciclovia-open-streets

I happened to witness this in Bogota, Colombia a few years ago and it is an absolutely fantastic initiative. The amount of people out walking, running, cycling, roller blading and just sitting in the city was wonderful to see. Would love to see something like this in Dublin, even if only a couple of times a year.

We might need the farmers to bring their tractors up for a weekend to see it happen though

SeanW

Conchir wrote: »

Not having to worry about charges could also remove an incentive to vacate the spot, and ultimately lead to less availability per car visitors over the day.

Funny enough, there used to be a solution to this, back before 2006 most towns had free parking with a 2 hour limit. Plenty of time to do some shopping and then go.

derekbro

https://www.rte.ie/news/dublin/2019/1204/1097072-transport-plans/

cgcsb

Bit of a daft reaction. Removing car spaces entirely in the city core is what's needed. Upping the price just increases the average net worth of the car occupying the spaces.