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?
Fully agree with you.
But i wouldnt go removing car parks from the city centre during that transition period. Thats all I am saying.
One poster had a good idea to allow access for cars to Princes St, so they can get to the car park but without blocking OConnell St.
Those kind of compromises seem sensible, whilst we wait for the Underground network.
The planning process for public transport moves at a snails pace as we all know, one day we might even put a plan for the Metro down on paper. Interesting the way the two port tunnels and motorways can be done with a very German like efficiency. I presume the vast profits to be made from tolls might have something to do with it.
its now very difficult to get from the Port to Heuston and beyond. This gives weight to my blue-sky idea that all traffic to/from Dublin port - be it lorries (already covered), private cars, caravans etc…. basically ANY port traffic should be able to take the Port Tunnel free of charge.
For a tourist arriving into Holyhead, ploughing through Dublin was hard before, now its much harder.
That said - I'm a big fan of all of these changes.
Why is everyone all going to Heuston all of a sudden? Why would a tourist be driving from the port to Heuston?
If there's anything we don't need it's clueless tourists driving through the city centre.
I travel from West Dublin to the port once a year for a trip to Wales. Will mean that travelling down the quays as I'd normally do is far less practical now but for the sake of once a year I can suck it up and pay the Port Tunnel toll. It would be a really bad idea to get rid of it imo, don't need the Port Tunnel blocked up like the rest of the M50 every day.
Has anyone used the bus along the quays this morning? Is there any appreciable difference yet?
I've seen videos on social media, it looks to be running very efficiently. One tweet about a headcase driver turning right from the car lane onfront of a bus and across OCB. A couple of cars just driving straight through the bus lane. No sign of gardaí yet as far as I've seen.
https://x.com/Feljin_J/status/1827987078879043808
some footage
Was at the junction of Constitution Hill and King Street North yesterday evening, and lo and behold, a Guinness truck passed me heading in the Smithfield direction! So it seems they're not going via the M50 -> Port Tunnell afterall
A pp mentioned that the Westmoreland/Temple bar access could be used as a rat run to get back on to Aston Quay. Maybe if no right turns were allowed onto Aston from Fleet Street, would that be feasible?
I suppose we'll have to wait and see, it's early days.
The Indo has a piece already on how it’s going…
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/little-congestion-on-first-morning-of-dublin-traffic-changes-but-many-motorists-flouting-new-rules-with-no-gardai-present/a1729319335.html
Looks like it is going very well. 8:40am and the road looks so quiet! Much ado about nothing! More of this across the city please.
The fact that the Indo is reporting no Gardai present will be embarrassing for them, so expect the Gardai to be out on it over the next few days.
That's not possible. Road space is a finite resource.
Came in through bachelors walk around 8am on a bus. There were only a few cars and buses got through quickly. Struck me that perhaps cars are avoiding the area expecting chaos? Hopefully they keep avoiding the area!!
The only thing I thought was strange was that the bus lanes go to one lane. (See Feljin_J's video above)
Caused a little backlog of buses. Nothing major but seems unnessessary to me.
Is that permanent?
Also bigger test is this evening. I get the bus at tara street and go out to Celbridge on the quays. Usually really slow getting past O'Connell bridge. Praying the changes make this smoother.
There is always a balance. I heard a report today that car drivers spend on average 60% more than non car drivers.
Cutting off car drivers from visiting the city centre would have a real impact on business there. We shouldnt ignore that is all i am saying; work towards a compromise
The whole point of this is to restrict through traffic, not cars going to the city centre and parking there. So this should be a win for those motorists too
Agreed, but some here were calling for repurposing the car parks in the future. I think what we have at the moment is a compromise.
Thanks. Good to get first hand experience.
I wonder what the impact to Oconnell St/Parnell St is, as the diverted traffic from Oconnell bridge would head that way.
I heard a report today that car drivers spend on average 60% more than non car drivers.
(Sigh, another unsubstantiated claim from you today)
Where did you hear this? I don't think there has been any research into this in Dublin so I'd say whoever said it was making massive assumptions!
As for working towards a compromise, what compromise is there for the many people forced into delays each day around O'Connell Br because people in cars are bloicking the road? In your opinion, how can you accommodate both (yet still prioritising the numbers)?
Who was?
But the amount of people who drive to the city to shop is tiny. Just 16% of shoppers get their by car and just 12% of shoppers on Grafton Street get there by car.
They are massively dwarfed by everyone else, 75% of all money spent on shopping in the city is spent by those who got there by walking/cycling/bus/dart/luas.
Anyway it is irrelevant, this scheme isn't closing car parks. The whole purpose is to actually stop people just bypassing the city, which should actually make it easier for those getting to the car parks!
Even the car park owners are thinking of repurposing their car parks at some stage.
Yep. The current proposal seems a reasonable compromise.
Surely at this stage car parks would be more valuable as apartments?
One person, on this thread, and I read it as an exasperated, tongue-in-cheek reaction to all the car park whataboutery as opposed to an actual suggestion.
Walked by OCS/Batchelers Walk about 30 min ago. High % of cars still driving straight onto Eden Quay. No enforcement.
Apparently there are still issues with Sat Navs not updating the changes, so that problem should diminsh when the updates are completed.
Without enforcement, some drivers will continue to drive along the quays, but i think we all knew that would happen.
That's not an excuse - there are massive feckin signs and if people cannot see them then they really shouldn't be driving!
But, yeah, this will be as enforced as with other traffic laws i.e. it won't!
people banging on about doing this the week the schools go back - how many schools are there in the city centre? Who drives through the city centre to drop their kids to school? It's a nonsense argument.
