BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

Just to point out - this article has nothing to do with Dublin. It's in relation to the Bus Connects rollout in Cork and the construction of a new (temporary) depot in Tivoli Docks to allow for the existing depot (Capwell - which is struggling for space currently) to get the necessary infrastructure installed for the eventual electrification of the fleet in Cork.

Well, the Luas is still rammed in city centre despite the 2-3 minute frequencies at peak hours. While the frequency can't really be increased any further, it does show that demand is clearly there.

However, I didn't mean increasing the Luas frequencies - I meant converting some of the spine routes into new tram lines. The N11 corridor already has a bus every 3-4 minutes during rush hour, so you might as well make it into another Luas line if demand keeps increasing. Eventually, even the very high frequencies on the E1 and E2 might no longer be enough as new developments are built and more people start to use public transport.

Yes, we have 1100+ buses and thousands of drivers, but they're all being used, and a lot of routes still struggle with capacity at rush hour. So yes, we need even more buses and drivers to expand frequencies, and that is part of why BusConnects is taking so long to roll out - it is very hard to find more and more bus drivers.

If some of these routes were instead tram lines, then much fewer vehicles would be required to transport the same number of people (due to higher pax capacity per tram), and therefore all these buses could instead be used to expand services elsewhere, while the old buses could be withdrawn/sold/whatever.

The luas is actually rammed by design. Even in off-peak times when there is no reason for the luas to be as packed as it is, the service still gets jammed. That's not because it is at capacity, it is because the luas operators choose to operate the luas at frequencies with gaps of up to 15 minutes (I've even observed such gaps during peak time) when the system is designed to run at 2/3 minute frequencies. Not only that, they don't really bother with short-running luas services in the city centre, despite the system being designed to facilitate that from Heuston onwards also. Meanwhile with BC we continue to try and cram frequency for a level of demand that a city bus service is incapable of meeting, we've failed to plan and build transit appropriate to the size of city Dublin has become and we somehow think that throwing more bus services at the problem will solve it. In the time it has taken to plan and roll out BC, we could have done the same for a more city-wide Luas network and it would be ready to build by now.

From my experience the Green line is perfectly fine off-peak and can manage the evening peak (although "for how much longer" is a good question), but the morning peak is frequently packed, especially on the last stretch between SSG and Dundrum. The Red line is similar, how I find it tends to struggle during both peaks, and also inbound most of saturday with a lot of people travelling to Jervis. This actually why they DO frequently hav peak time Heuston-Connolly services, and if I am ever only travelling inbetween the two I typically wait a few extra minutes (maybe 5 max).

Most of the time when you see large gaps during peak time, its not due to poor scheduling, but more likely the service was delayed, typically from someone trying to hold the door, poor priority measures (particularly for the red line), a taxi or HGV blocking the tram to unload passengers/goods, or a number of thing adding up. However these are all frequently things that effect bus services as well and a large reason why the CBCs are needed to make the bus network much more functional.

I also think you are underestimating how long any rail allignment is going to take compared to a scheme like the CBCs. Yes the CBCs have been massively delayed, but so would any Luas proposals. And in addition to this, the CBCs are necessary for the delivery of the future Luas allignments, without them, any Luas line would make the red line between Hueston and Connolly look like an express service.

BC is a big success?
How can you possibly say that when a core part of BC is to build the infrastructure that forms large critical parts of BC?
No CBCs built, no integrated ticketing, half the CBCs in JRs- big success it is not!

What further integratation of ticketing are you expecting than what we have from Monday 28th?

Integrated ticketing using an app so that you can log on and off the bus rail and LUAS system is what we should be aiming for.

Great- more busses stuck in traffic!

LX I’ll be honest I very rarely use PT as my job means I’ve to travel out of Dublin to various remote site throughout Leinster and wider Ireland.
However what I have noted is that when I’m stuck in traffic leaving Dublin, it’s usually within site of or directly behind a jam packed bus that is also stuck in traffic.
It will generally be on a road with a wide grass verge and trees either side that would make an ideal bus lane but hasn’t even been considered or would take decades to get built.

On the occasions I do use PT to head into the CC the bus I use, 15 or 15B, are usually snarled up in traffic in a few different spots where bus gates and bus only roads would be the answer- all of these measures are proposed by BC since back in 2017, but measures that are now stuck in a JR for the next 2 years plus- maybe they’ll be implemented by 2035 but I’m not confident.

If I’m walking around the locality at peak times in the morning, I see jam packed busses with just enough room to let people on in the Ballyboden area so I can imagine what’s it’s like further on towards the CC.

I see an app (TFI app) that has actually made the bus experience worse when compared to the Dublin bus app which was so much better.

The 15 going to a 24 hr bus route is great but hardly ground breaking.

Maybe there has been massive improvements to the bus service elsewhere in the city to bring all other bus routes on a par to the bus service that operates on the N11 (46A?) but certainly not in DSW or clondalkin (an area I have friends in who are of a similar opinion as me).

That's not really what integrated ticketing means, that would be more under the umbrella of "next-generation ticketing" and that is in the works and the tender was awarded last year. Additionally, having some level of mobile app functionality is their goal, as well is being able to tag-on/off with a bank card. Integrated ticketing is just the ability to easily move between modes of transport, and various trips, and that is exactly what the 90 minute fare and the incoming fare structure is.

However implementing forms of ticketing simply takes a lot of time, as there is a very large amount of work to do. The mobile app may need to be completely overhauled, the servers running the system will need a large amount of work, the majority if not all readers on all busses, train stations, Luas stops, etc, will likely need to get replaced. It is a very large task that is going to take place over the next few years, and accord to the minister of transport (here) we should be getting a finalised timeline soon.