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?
So they've likely made an assessment themselves that they only need around half their spaces so as a society we seem to be saying that we want to give hundreds of square metres of public space to accommodate the storage of less than 200 private vehicles for the benefit of the multi national selfridges corporation for no reason other than corporate philanthropy.
Christ on a bike. The temporary road layout between Georges Quay - Burgh Quay is dangerous on a bike. In order to make a cycle lane, it appears they have to make it more dangerous before the new cycle lane is opened!
Cycling on Burgh Quay towards Aston Quay at around 5.20 pm, I counted somewhere between 15 to 17 buses queuing to get past the traffic lights at O Connell Bridge (heading westbound). The bus lane was completely jammed with buses and the traffic lane was empty. Only about half the queuing buses made it past the traffic light sequence.
I don't know if it's still the case, but in 2023 Arnotts were proposing to put in a hotel on their site and removing 145 car park spaces themselves.
Regarding the 350 spaces in arnotts. The sign for arnotts is literally always green, indicating availability. Last I seen it full, I think was pre recession. I've been in there Saturday and it's a ghost town. Arnotts recently reduced the number of spaces. They're probably waiting to be bought out, it's a waste of space for them.
I've just looked at the articles on the RTE news website and don't see what you claim. maybe you could point us towards this statistic.
As for your buying online claim - it could well depend on what you are buying and from where!
Look at how much nicer this area is now! Not just the car park where Stephens Green shopping center is, but look at the utter madness but look at all those cars driving up Steepens Green West and heading up Grafton Street and past the Gaiety!
They actually wouldn't.
Retailers have been shown time and again to be terrible judges of what's good for business in these matters.
They fight against and get proved wrong on every pedestrianisation plan.
The stats were on RTE yesterday.
Buying items online does nothing positive for global emissions and it certainly doesnt support irish jobs and our local economy.
All fair points and the reviews are essential, before we just block off the car parks. Agreed.
And public transport, walking, cycling, etc. are responsible for 75% of the spend!
To be clear, I don't think we need to get rid of all the car parks, but I do believe there should be a high level government review of all the car parks.
How many car parks and spaces do we actually need? How full are they? Is there an opportunity for consolidation? Close the more annoying ones and consolidate to the others. Or perhaps even open new ones in more convenient locations.
From what I've seen and heard, the car parks have seen steady declines in usage year on year and non of them are full any more. There is likely room for consolidation.
Do you know that Stephen Green Shopping Center was once a car park? Do you know that there use to be on street parking up the middle of O'Connell Street?!
All cities change over time. The needs of a city changes. Nothing is set in stone and that goes as much for car parks.
Indeed. But according to an analyst this week they are responsible for 25% of the spend on average in the city centre and in some stores up to 40%.
You posted some anecdotal stats on spending yesterday which turned out to be nonsense. Where are you getting today's stats from - who was the analyst?
People can't bring large, high value items home with them on a bus.I have avoided large purchases myself when out shopping, simply because i didnt have the car to get the purchase home safely.
People can't bring large, high value items home with them on a bus.
I have avoided large purchases myself when out shopping, simply because i didnt have the car to get the purchase home safely.
There are very few shopping trips happening where someone is bringing home a large, high value item. However, there are still plenty of car parks that they can leave their car. I'm also surprised that if someone were to buy a large high value item, they wouldn't spend the extra few bob and get the retailer to deliver it for them rather than the hassle of lugging it to a car park and trying to get it into their car.
In addition, most people are either buying large high value items online or in the various suburban retail outlets which would offer deliver options.
These shops selling big items should move away to shopping centres and retails parks away from city centre or offer a home delivery service.
We aren't going to agree on these points so I will leave it at that, the thread is about the Bus Gates so we should get back on topic.
Just 11% of shoppers on Henry Street got their by car. That is a tiny number.
BTW 350 cars is equivalent to 6 to 7 double decker buses worth of people. That is a truly pathetic number.
350
350 car park spaces has a big impact on retail and the jobs it supports, but dont let that get in the way of your thinking.
That's a solid idea! Not sure who will pay for it though.
Its not just Arnotts, its the central retail core on the northside.
I wouldn't be in favour of removing spaces for car users, who have a higher spend on average than all other shoppers, just to facilitiate a bus getting up OCS a little quicker.
Lets be real about it, there are plenty of moneyed folks who wouldnt get a bus to town if it stopped outside their front door. Stop them driving in and you lose their business. End of.
Some will favour cars here, some will favour buses, but neither group will convince the other and in reality, both arguments have their merits.
350 Arnotts car park spaces must be doing a awful lot of heavy lifting to support the DCC economy.
Prioritise car parking with a giant under ground car park that combined Arnotts, Parnell, Jervis and the car park beside Jervis then. Multiple routes in an out.
Why is the onus on public transport to adapt here?
i think the economy will manage without 2 car parks, and some things are more important than arnott's profits ffs.
Prioritise public transport with an Underground, not with buses. Its not 1960 any more.
2 car parks = greater capacity than 1 car park.
If the demand is there for 2 car parks and those 2 car parks are needed to supoort the economy and jobs, then 2 car parks are needed to support the economy and jobs.
Whatever about the retailers wanting to keep that lucrative car park money, the reason why you'd prefer private cars to go through Jervis St and not OCS is to prioritise public transport.
And the demand for car parks doesn't change the fact that Arnotts and Jervis are right beside each other either
It makes sense for work to be done at quiet times, rather then business hours.
Was staying in a youth hostel on Batchelors Walk last weekend and wondering why I was hearing jackhammers at 10:00pm? As if the noise from the bars was not enough
Ah I am glad now I didn't complain to DCC and it was them who were working. I also saw them out and about fixing traffic lights at 07:40
I've no idea if this plan will work but DCC staff were out working hard and racking up the overtime, ca-ching! 🤑Good for them
I think the retailers would be best placed to explain if both car parks are required to support the demand.
Its hardly held to ransom. Its used succesfully by everyone currently.
Would you not at least have a go at answering my question?
Should what most consider to be the most important street in our country effectively be held to ransom by one car park?
Because OCS is a main public transport road for the Luas and buses and Jervis St is not.
Jervis car park is only a few mins walk away Arnotts too.
easy ways around this nonsense. If on south quays turn left onto dolier street , follow round onto westmoreland st , turn left into Fleet Street and then back out onto the south quays
Would we not just stick with the left turn up OCS and see how that works out?
Diverting everyone up Jervis St would only block that road instead of OCS.
