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?
Bump
why are you bumping?
I emailed yer one Higgins and both email addresses for auld Shakey anyway and made pretty much the same points. I'd encourage everyone here to do the same, politely. Makes a complete mockery of any more DCC public consultations if big businesses are allowed to completely disregard them and commission their own a month out from when plans are due to be implemented. A shambolic way to run anything, never mind a city!
So far I've just emailed Emer Higgins. Amongst other things I asked her when was the last time she took her car into town to fill it up with purchases like a washing machine/fridge freezer/etc. from Arnotts. Most people go to town to browse and buy clothes and small goods, socialise and attend colleges galleries and other cultural events etc. God I was mad as hell but to be fair to me I kept my cool. I was firm but polite and mentioned some of the things outlined in the Commuter letter above.
Next up is defo the Mayor, and Shakespeare. Talk about trampling on the democratic will of the people. Thin end of a dangerous wedge there.
I emailed her and my local TDs almost a week ago. Got a positive reply from my Green TD, a mostly positive one from one of my FG TDs and nothing at all from good old Emer.
I would encourage you to email Richard Shakespeare also. He's ultimately the one who decides. His email is: chiefexecutive@dublincity.ie
I'd say Emer's inbox isn't exactly a nice place to be right now.
Look up "Dublin City Centre Traders Alliance".
Its one person behind it … Noel Smyth.
Guess who his next door neighbours are?
Keoghan family.
They own Brown Thomas and Thomas Street car parks.
As I expected, a close knit group of very entitled individuals.
You'd be surprised. Most people don't bother.
I think quite a lot of people do bother. Even if they don’t do anything about a reply, sending official complaints and comments to them does work.
TDs are always mouthing off about, phone calls to their office or emails or talking to constituents. They say that because as our representatives we have to hold them to account. All in a polite and formal manner, but still needed.
so is this going ahead from august 1st? i'm sure it's not great for some people, but have to say when i get the bus into or out of the towns, the quays does take too bloody long to get past.
I emailed my local green TD as well, Neasa Hourigan, got a good reply indicating how she is pushing back against this along with her Green colleagues.
Also emailed Richard Shakespeare, all I got was a notification of receipt. Though I was never expecting any reply really so I guess it's something.
I'm not sure if the date was ever given as 1st of August. I think the press release just said 'early August'. Which could be intended to mean August 31st in Irish terms.
But Richard Shakespear has said that he will consider some bullsh*t report be the car park owners, and that report has not been written yet so it plainly will not be delivered in August, if at all.
It's not the democratic will of the people. It was not a Part VIII, it was a non-statutory consultation, and such measures are an executive function of the Council Chief Exec, not the elected Councillors. So nobody is bound by anything at all that came from the submissions that were made, or any vote of Councillors.
I've known Dick Shakespeare for 25 years, man and boy. He makes things happen, he's an innovator and a collaborator,but....he's also a realist and a pragmatist.
If a large representation of his City Centre rates payers are pissed off, and are likely to interrupt their payments or other forms of protest, then Shakespeare is absolutely going to pay attention.
He knows, more than anyone, that it is he who pays the piper, calls the tune.
If a large representation of his City Centre rates payers are pissed off, and are likely to interrupt their payments or other forms of protest,
They're not, the largest business lobbies broadly support it, and there is zero indication they would engage in any such illegal protest.
That the Councillors are not legally responsible for the traffic planning does not erase the fact that a majority of those elected were in favour of it. No one is suggesting something illegal or nefarious is at play, just something pretty odious and pathetic.
Hi Richard!
Seriously though, why bother running public consultations at all if a very narrow section of vested interests (car parks in this case) get to completely disregard them 4 weeks out from implementation? just a waste of time and money if the council that created said public consultations completely ignore the overwhelmingly positive response to it from citizens in favour of Noel Smyth & Co.
You say.
Its still gonna win. This scheme will be delayed, and when it is eventually implemented, will be a token gesture.
The Owen Keegan days are gone boys and girls.
should be a simple camera to catch people using it and as the tickets go out, it will encourage compliance. However, I still think Guinness and any other heavy industry should be facilitated to use the quays - there is no need to remove the roads, no amount of “realm improvement” will make that a pleasing place. Better than those trucks being sent around through Phobs/Drumcondra etc to the port. There are a predictable number of them.
wouldn’t work though as a non-driving blue badge holder can use the badge on any car. There will never be a system to accommodate it. I’m really surprised that a disability rights group would go rogue like this. There’s no enforcement of disabled spaces - personally I think we should all challenge bad behaviour in disabled spaces - but I doubt that they truly want to enact these changes.
Could they not use the Liffey? It might cost a bit more in direct costs but it would be a big positive for their green credentials, which they can use in advertisements etc.
Bring back the barges…
Roll out the barrells
So as part of improving our city centre for everyone's benefit, we should let HGVs drive through it? I can see one big flaw with that suggestion!
not realistically and there seems to be issues with trying to schedule at night as Guinness, for noise reasons, is subject to limited hours plus the port has very little storage for the tankers. I’m more concerned for the other neighbourhoods than for Guinness per se. That’s a side issue however. I live in D6, happily drive through town and down the quays but I can see the sense in the traffic limitation - it’s rarely necessary. Might be convenient but rarely necessary. I’d also be happy to see taxis excluded from bus lanes too if it was of general benefit.
really? That’s your analysis of my comment. There is only one really factory in the city centre, it has provided inner city employment for centuries (yes really). The HGV will have to travel to the port, the only question is whether a limited number of them should have sanction to use the quays as opposed to being diverted through residential areas creating more pollution.
Why would they go through residential areas when they have the R148 dual carriageway beside them all the way to the M50?
Shakespeare won't be meeting groups opposed to watering down the Dublin Transport Plan...
This is just the car park lobby though, nobody else.
