Cities around the world that are reducing car access

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123987958#Comment_123987958

The CSO press release from May 2025 says 3.1 million licensed vehicles in 2024, up from 3.0 million in 2023.

Whether its 14% or 20%, it is still a significant increase in car ownership but it is to be expected with rapid population growth.

You missed the obvious reason for reduced KM travelled since 2020 which is increased working from home.

WFH decreases car usage but not because people have switched to public transport, its because they arent travelling in the first place.

With the WFH trend reversing, there will be increases in all modes of transport usage in the future, including car travel.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123992441#Comment_123992441

Public transport has to function effectively for people to choose to use it.

We know that cars sharing road space with buses is a problem for reliable bus services but not having enough drivers to deliver BusConnects is a PT resourcing problem and nought to do with car drivers.

Until PT can resource its services and deliver a sustained reliable service, its understandable that people will choose to drive instead.

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995238#Comment_123995238

WFH would be a fair argument were it not for the fact that public transport usage is at an all time high, above pre-pandemic levels.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995366#Comment_123995366

So is car usage around Dublin.

M50 traffic in 2024 is up a huge 11% since 2019.

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995425#Comment_123995425

That's the M50. Literally around Dublin. The canal cordon count for 2024 shows a continuing fall in the number of cars in central Dublin.

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/percentage-of-people-in-dublin-using-sustainable-transport-modes-hits-a-new-high/

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995465#Comment_123995465

Yes and this is good news.

Yet most people dont live or work in the city centre.

Car volumes have decreased into the city centre, influenced by parking costs and travel restrictions.

Broadly speaking, Car use in Dublin outside of the city centre has increased, as shown with the M50 stats.

McGrath5

Pure anecdotal but the levels of traffic around Rathfarnham and Terenure at the weekends is crazy lately. I take the bus where possible but it does be desperately slow getting caught up in car traffic.

pleasant Co.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995519#Comment_123995519

It's always crazy around there though, I'm surprised it could get worse than absolute srandstill

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995519#Comment_123995519

That area definitely needs some serious attention. I don't see any road based solution around Terenure. Definitely my preferred option for Metro extension is via Harolds Cross, Terenure and beyond.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123988864#Comment_123988864

Find it and post in it if you wish, this is an Irish forum thread about cities reducing car access. Our primary and capital city and it's transport will be discussed.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995543#Comment_123995543

Well the Kimmage and Templeogue/Rathfarnham CBC bus gates are going to cause big shifts in traffic flows when they eventually are implemented.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995603#Comment_123995603

But wouldn't any outer orbital be - by definition - for national traffic rather than city traffic? I assume the idea would be to abandon the M50 to city distributor duties with no further modifications

Ben D Bus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995678#Comment_123995678

I haven't actually looked at what's planned there (not my part of town) so maybe there is a workable road based solution or at least some meaningful mitigation.

MJohnston

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995603#Comment_123995603

Thanks for the smartarse reply, but I don't need to know what this thread is about, as I started it - it sure as hell isn't about the M50

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995678#Comment_123995678

Does this result in cars not being able to drive on some roads at all or is it adding/ allocating bus lanes while still allowing at least a single lane for cars?

CatInABox

Absolutely amazing news, Mountjoy Square is getting a revamp.

https://www.dublininquirer.com/council-puts-out-new-plans-for-revamp-of-mountjoy-square/

Mountjoy Square was one of the areas that the cycling ambassadors during the Velocity were absolutely horrified by, with no way for a pedestrian to cross. Slightly better now, but it's still years later. Good to see that they're finally getting the finger out.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995274#Comment_123995274

Unless it's harder to drive than use public transport.

For my commute the car is now rarely the better option. Public transport hasn't improved. Driving got a lot worse.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995786#Comment_123995786

It wasn't a smartarse reply, sorry you were offended. I just think the M50 and Dublin will be discussed when talking about cities reducing access to cars. Suggesting people to go elsewhere to discuss them is odd considering the M50 is one of the main reasons cars have been taken out of the Ireland's capital city! I appreciate you started the thread but I don't think you can control what's discussed on it, it's very on topic after all.

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995745#Comment_123995745

As it stands the following restrictions will be put in place when the two CBCs that I mentioned are eventually built (both schemes are currently subject to judicial review). These two schemes are not likely to be built until the early 2030s:

Kimmage Road will have a peak hour bus gate north of Ravensdale Park meaning no through general traffic permitted in either direction from 06:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00 seven days a week.

Kimmage Road Lower will have a 24 hour bus gate directly south of Harold’s Cross Green meaning no through general traffic allowed in either direction.

Templeogue Road will have a 24 hour bus gate inbound at Terenure Library meaning no through general traffic inbound allowed.

Rathgar Road will become one way northbound for general traffic 24 hours a day. Buses will be permitted to travel in either direction.

Rathmines Road will have a bus gate north of Richmond Hill operational between 06:00 and 20:00 seven days a week meaning no through general traffic in either direction during those hours.

South Richmond Street, Camden Street and Wexford Street will be one way southbound for general traffic 24 hours a day. Buses will be permitted to travel in either direction.

So yes, a lot of traffic restrictions!

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995931#Comment_123995931

The M50 was intended as orbital motorway. But has become suburban , meaning it carries a large volume of local traffic in addition to through-traffic. It might have taken trucks out the city but it really hasn't had much of an impact on cars in the city center. First phrase was completed in 2005. Car taffic didn't noticeably reduce in the city. Because cars aren't using it directly to access the city.

As such it's not really part of reducing car traffic in the city centre. Tbh it's so congested with so many breakdowns going through the city is often quicker.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123996015#Comment_123996015

7 or 8 years away?

Because of the JRs?

It feels very pie in the sky to think we will have a metro line built in 10 years from now when it will take 7 or 8 years just to repurpose some road space for bus lanes.

Jizique

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123996015#Comment_123996015

Why will it take so long? The early 30s is well over a decade after these were first suggested

LXFlyer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123996539#Comment_123996539

No - it's because they are only going to build four at any one time - otherwise there would be absolute traffic chaos all over the city. This disruption has to be managed.

Each CBC is going to take 2-3 years to complete.

There is also a finite amount of resources available at any one time.

5 of the schemes are approved in full, but 7 are subject to judicial reviews and as such nothing can happen on them until they are cleared. One scheme is now preparing for construction to start in December (Ballyfermot/Liffey Valley), and another should start in early 2026. Depending on the value of work involved, each scheme may require approval by DPER in addition to the Department of Transport.

What can and cannot be done will also be dependent on the availability of funding under the National Development Plan. We as yet don't know what is being funded over the next 5 years of the NDP - that will be announced later this month.

I think it's a bit more than simply "repurposing some road space for bus lanes". A look at any of the drawings and work details on the scheme websites would tell you that much.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123996591#Comment_123996591

Thanks for the info.

I dont disagree that there is complexity involved but the complexity involved in the metro construction will be on another level and the JRs will roll in for that project also.

2035 just looks so unrealistic for the metro, sadly.

PlatformNine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123995238#Comment_123995238

As I mentioned in my previous comment trips were already down from 36.6B km in 2016 to 25.5B km in 2019, which shows that there was some trend, whether that be pre-covid WFH or greater shift to PT.

Eitherway whether its from WFH or PT shifts, its the total km figure I care about most as that is what I believe would be felt more in terms of congestion, not to mention emissions, smog, etc. If I had to take a guess there is a mix of both WFH and PT shift, from the sheer growth in PT journies over recent years I don't think it can be denied that PT shift has some effect on it. But I also won't disagree that WFH in a post-COVID era has made a difference too.

That all said, I think that there is a big difference in the 14% and 20% figures, with the former being much closer to the population growth rate (8.1% from 2016 to 2022, so likely 9-9.5% to 2023). While I would prefer for for population growth to outpace the growth in private vehicle ownership, I am still happier knowing the rate isn't over double it.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123996877#Comment_123996877

At a national level, The NTA reports increased car usage in 2024 vs 2023 and a slight decrease in the use of buses over the same period.

Over 70% of all journeys are by car.