I read the following article this morning. "From August, bus gates will be in operation on Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay in order to restrict drivers from travelling through the city centre."
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/major-changes-to-dublin-city-traffic-to-come-into-effect-in-august-1610937.html
The quays have always been a pain in the a$$ to use, no matter the time of day… So, how will this effect people?
Basically the plan stays as is, but some more specific consultation. The motion was to scrap it completely and start from scratch.
Disturbing it was that close.
Dunno what Donna means here. She seems a bit away with the fairies this one, not in a bad way. I see her cycling around Fairview regularly.
Those car parks have been goldmines for years and years, not a single one built in the last 20 years, hardly ever upgraded.
Close the car parks and build apartments.
The cycle/walk everywhere lobby will need to accept that not everyone agrees with them, and that a plan will need to find a balance between all sides
You mean like the plan the consultation found overwhelming support for?
The facts are that businesses have invested in those car parks
To be fair, they all received generous tax breaks! It would also be rather naive to think that they have not been receiving a good return on their investment and this would help explain why they are determined not to see it disrupted in any way!
and equally motorists are paying for a car that they need to get around reliably.
Nobody will be stopping us from using our cars. However, there will be some curtailments put in place within city centres to favour those utilising mass transit and other forms of sustainable transport. Also you should remember that this wasn't done by "a small group of ideologues" given that they don't control Dublin City Council (Greens = only 9 of 63 councillors)!
Well, the same could be said for the "Drive Everywhere lobby", I'm sure that the reversal of pedestrianisation in Henry St. and Grafton St. is on the agenda?
Not to mention opening up of the Bus lanes when the "traffic's busy" eh? The removal of parking charges and disbandment of Clampers may also be on the wish-list too?
Maybe a Multi-Billion Euro metro system would placate the objectors, just rip open the heart of Dublin for 5 - 10 years while it's being built "won't be that bad.."
You may not like it, or agree with it, but that doesn't make it nonsense.
The facts are that businesses have invested in those car parks and equally motorists are paying for a car that they need to get around reliably. Plus, many people don't actually LIKE "active travel" or public transport or find it convenient or attractive - seeing it as the worst of the available options which in many cases, it is.
The cycle/walk everywhere lobby will need to accept that not everyone agrees with them, and that a plan will need to find a balance between all sides - not just what's trendy or advocated for by a small group of ideologues in Government (the Greens).
Presumably only a certain number of signatories are needed to bring a motion.
That does not equate to it being passed.
so why is this being entertained?
The independents are not even close to holding a majority on the council.
As I’ve pointed out several times now, with the forthcoming re-routing of a large number of buses away from Dame Street (principally the D-Spine) to facilitate the new plaza there, the status quo just isn’t possible on the Quays.
Yea what a surprise, the motoring/carpark lobby's will always win when it comes to active travel upgrades in the core city centre..
And just look at the utter garbage in the comment sections: "ministers like Mr Ryan hence why bicycle lanes are everywhere even nonsensical ones." "Anti Car nonsense, this will just decimate the city further. Without billions invested in rail all this will do is hurt businesses."
https://www.thejournal.ie/dublin-city-council-to-debate-consulting-public-again-on-plan-to-divert-traffic-from-city-centre-6367049-Apr2024/
i can see this being scrapped, or heavily modified
Upper Mount Street is the key there but don’t let anyone in on the secret. Since Covid, huge numbers of onstreet parking spots have disappeared from the Georgian core but it’s easier than ever to find a spot.
he didn’t think them up properly; e.g. suggesting that a family driving a child in an emergency from Ringsend to the new Children’s Hospital at 3am would go via the quays - only if they were morons even now.
The Gallery is already multi-storey!!!
Actually, I bet nobody has thought of making the Gallery drive-thru - surely that would be a winner?
they should build a multistorey to make it easier - you could level the gallery itself to build it! Put the art on the walls of the multistorey, you don't even have to get out of your car.
That sounds about right. Because kids in buggies love fine art.
Also, it's renownedly easy to get parking around the National Gallery, isn't it…
Pretty sure it was zoo followed by National Gallery, (possibly National Museum, but the car journey would be similar so they might as well do both - considering they've loads of energy left after the zoo).
Again, Google Maps already recommends going via Fr Mathew Bridge + Patrick St + Kevin St for that journey rather than Bachelors Walk.
Worth noting, of course, that among many other advertisers on Newstalk and other Communicorp stations, Pat Kenny's show is directly sponsored by Aviva Insurance, and…well you can decide for yourself:
He's 76 years old now, perspectives change for sure…
And yet he now covers it, and indeed any public transport issues, from a "I want to drive wherever I want whenever I want" perspective.
In fairness to old Pat he's no George Hook and has been reporting on traffic congestion for a very long time:
I'm on Ormond Quay and have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain…
That's only a stage off one of Pat Kenny's ones; in so far as its more plausible than them!
Someone wanting to go visit Kilmainham Gaol after a show in the Abbey.
Presumably the time machine required to get them to Kilmainham in time for last admission after even a matinee in the Abbey can't do relocation.
Family of four with two kids in buggies want to visit the Zoo and also somewhere else, can't remember where. Apparently can't do any distance with the kids in buggies yet can actually push them around the Zoo.
If someone has a fridge and a couch and mudt get them quickly from St. Vincent's to the Four Courts during rush hour but dropping the kids off at Belvedere after driving in from Cavan...
Keep the insanely niche scenarios coming folks, I'm sure we can solve them all!
Well if it isn't an emergency then it can take the same route as any other car!
Here is what Google Maps recommends as of 1 minute ago:
Slightly longer, but actually faster!
Obviously that could change throughout the day, depending on traffic.
Of course from the ESB Inchicore depot is 10 minutes faster!
Google maps has that route straight down the quays as of right now. What would your sensible route be ?
In that case, they would be perfectly OK going around the restriction. Indeed, the sensible route right now almost certainly goes nowhere near it.
who said it was an emergency ? It may need fixing, sure, but I never said it was an emergency. Normal yellow van going on a job. No blue lights.
