Luas/Bus/Rail Orbital Connectivity

With the Advent of Network Direct and Luas Extensions, something which has always surprised me is the lack of foresight in connecting Luas/Dart stops with meaningful bus services that incentivise the local populas who may be within commuting distance of a Luas/Dart stop (10 mins by vehicle, but 20-40 mins to walk) to use a combi ticket. Not only would it increase public transport connectivity, but more people would make use of the connections available and be more willing to buy a combi ticket, and use bus service connectivity from Luas to Dart/''Super'' buses themselves.

EG. My own area: Dundrum - 14 extended to Dundrum but timetable not substantial enough to encourage connectivity from surrounding subareas. Having to allow 30 mins to get down to the stop by bus from Balinteer by a reduced bus service is counterproductive when one can walk the distance in that time! Also surrounding routes, 16/16a. Both stop within 10 mins of the Dundrum terminus. 16 could provide a high loading connection from B'nteer/Grange Road/Rathfarnham and the residents of Terenure (Not to mention all buses that connect there), Also the fact that the 16 will soon be going to the airport with the disbanding of the 16a, it makes sense to run it an extra 10 mins from Kingston to the Luas making this a super connector route.

Looking at the lower end of the Luas Line:
Stillorgan/Kilmacud- Though the luas stop is officaly labelled 'Stillorgan', its still a good 35-40 min walk to stillorgan village itself, The 47 is the only feeder service, now down in running times. Stillorgan/Kilmacud has such a big catchment area and in practicualr, the connection to the N11 with the 46A/145. Why not have a decent service connecting the stillorgan part of the dual carrigeway, with the two busiest routes on the whole of the DB network, link up with the Luas, a relitavly short distance away on a bus? The 11 (Soon to be chopped, could also have been used as a feeder bus to the Kilmacud or Stillorgan stops)

Cherrywood:
Not all the 7's run to Cherrywood. Only alternative is the 84 running once an hour

Sandyford:
Accordging to the Luas website, only the 5 and 47 connect with this large industrial estate? Again, underresourced bus connections.

In practicular though, I am schocked that is has taken so long to properly review the Orbital routes connecting the middle part of south Dublin with the Luas and Dart services on the eastern edge. In 2011 its almost quicker to get a bus into town if you live in the 15's/16's/14's territory and then a 46a/7/4 to get to the Mount Merrion/Dun Laoighre/Booterstown coast areas then rely on the current orbital offerings.

The 17: How can a bus that runs every half hour (and is virtualy non-existant at weekends?) be purported in the Stillorgan Corridor map as a viable feeder route/connector bewtween the Dart/Luas? I feel sorry for those who have to rely on it as their only means of transport. Its too long, inefficant and unreliable (speaking from childhood experience! )

The 75: Marginally better timetable, but without any RTI screens and such a long routing, the amount of time one has to allow means its quicker to take a luas and the dart or two buses to get from one demographic end to the other. Having said that, this route is given far better priority then the 17.

The 18. Possibly the route given the best running times out of the 3. Anyone know why there is such a discrepancy in priority bewtween the 3 orbital routes (given they all have such long running distances and cover so many areas, surly every 20 mins isn't too much to ask, even amidst cutbacks? )

I can't speak for users of the Dart stops, but am sure there are lots of gaps in the system on that end too. Why can't DB and Veolia/CIE grasp the potential of viable feeder routes to join the dots up? Its a real shame. In the current economic climate, I know the ideology of well connected orbital route's with decent, consistent routing and running times won't ever be achieved in its entirety, but can we not do any better then whats on offer at the moment?


Just my own thoughts