BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

The reason is DCC really wanted to build this bridge, but it wouldn't make sense without the Luas. TII supposedly wanted the obvious route of down OCS and Westmoreland St but in the end they agreed to compromise and route it down this new bridge, even though the whole thing makes no sense.

Here is the issue, if you think about lots of the decisions around Luas, you realise they built it in such a way to avoid impacting cars. The routing of the Red Line down Abbey Street, rather then putting it on the quays. Also the only reason to build this bridge is if there isn't enough space on OCB because there are cars in the way.

DCC were basically obsessed with maintaining car access to the city.

Fortunately it seems opens have changed in the last 20 years and they are now onboard with reducing cars, like we see on the quays and OCB.

If these Luas lines were being built today, it would definitely be routed down OCS and Westmorland Street, the Red line down the quays and they wouldn't bother with this bridge.

With the Vision 2050 plan, I expect we will see some of these decisions corrected.

No, it is deeply moronic.

That is the point, there is no need for buses not to use OCB, now that so much traffic has now been removed from the quays.

As for Luas, a turn back could easily be avoided by just routing it around Parnell Square.

I can't express how deeply deeply stupid it is to split one of our most important forms of public transport and send one arm down off a very dodgy and unattractive side street, rather straight down our central boulevard, a street that has almost every major bus route running down it!

And it will become even more stupid once Metrolink station opens on O'Connell Street.

Just because it was a long held goal of DCC, doesn't make it any less stupid!

Sending empty trams on a long unnecessary loop around Parnell Square sounds more of a waste of time to me.

Who says they need to be empty! Put stops on Parnell Square East and West and you have a fantastic easy interchange between Luas and all the various bus routes with stops on Parnell Square.

Routing the Luas around Parnell Square and down OCS and across Westmoreland Street would be so much better then the current ridiculous routing.

This discussion is rather pointless given that the bridge is built and is used by hundreds of buses and trams every day. It's not going anywhere.

Sure, the bridge isn't and of course I'm not suggesting we don't use it now that it is in place. I'm pointing to it as a monument to DCC planners incredibly poor planing in our city, that resulted in a worse Luas service.

With the Luas 2050 Vision we are likely to need changes to the Luas lines anyway and with a Metro station on OCS, hopefully this stupidity will be corrected.

The interaction between Luas and Busconnects routes is a major part of BusConnects! If the Luas green line was routed down Parenll-OCS-Westmoreland St, it would make interchange between the green line and the North - South BusConnects routes far better.

Just one comment that I don’t agree with. Malborough St. is not some dodgy side street. It contains the Catholic Cathedral for Dublin, the Dept. of Education, a nice new hotel in Moxy and The Abbey Theatre. All very important places.

Sure, but having spent a lot of time on the street, it is very dodgy and not a great advertisement for tourists in Dublin.

The Malborough stop also gives a very handy connection to the Red line stop at Abbey St and all the buses terminating in the area. I actually like where that stop is.

That Red line stop should really be on the other side of Abbey Street, outside Easons. That will put it on the same side of the street as the Metrolink stop and means you can transfer too and from Metro without any major pedestrian crossings.

Ideally the luas should should dive under the city after Broadstone and pop up again by Charlemont, similar to many German cities.

Yep, that is basically what Metrolink is.

And yes, we've veered far off BusConnects now!