Liffey quays cycle route: Detailed drawings online

Indeed this could be a good thing. A car ban all the way from Church Street to O'Connell Bridge would really breath life into the area.

However, he said there was a possibility buses could be allowed drive along the Luas line.

Sure why not.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/cycle-path-plan-diverts-buses-through-apartment-block-1.2328484

hmmm wrote: »

However, he said there was a possibility buses could be allowed drive along the Luas line.

Sure why not.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/cycle-path-plan-diverts-buses-through-apartment-block-1.2328484

Not a snowball's hope of that happening.

The volume of buses and coaches at that location is just too great to share with the LUAS trams, as they would have to cross both lines.

It beggars belief that this could not have been foreseen at the outset.

Back to the drawing board thankfully and hopefully a different plan can be arrived at that isn't as disruptive to the bus routes along the Quays.

cgcsb wrote: »

With the car ban on Bachelors walk coming in, I don't see why the same can't be done between Blackhall Place and Church Street. Cars can divert to Blackhall Place, Hendrick Street, Haymarket, New Street, Phoenix Stret, Hammond Lane, Church Street.

We have to be careful here. You are putting the cart before the horse.


The Bachelor's Walk and Burgh Quay plans aren't decided upon yet -
DCC would have to come up with alternative routes that are realistic alternatives that are not going to lead to total gridlock elsewhere. There was no mention of what these routes might be. These two ideas are in my view the more contentious of all of the proposals that the DCC/NTA came up with.


I view those proposals as ancillary to the other proposals (closing College Green to general traffic, right and left turn bans around O'Connell Bridge and redesigning both Westmoreland Street and D'Olier Street), which are necessary to cope with the LUAS Green Line extension.


Whether they will happen or not is still definitely up for discussion.

cgcsb wrote: »

It was my understanding that the public consultation showed great support for the proposals and that Dublin City Council and the NTA were supportive, so surely that means only time is standing in the way now.

Time and a construction site:)

I heard Cllr Cuffe on Newstalk earlier about the apt. development and the way it is impeding the preferred option.

Amongst other things, he thinks that Traffic Lights could be introduced to allow a succession of modes to go through that pinch point. Yes, that's right, so who goes first? And has been mentioned already, shared use of the Luas tracks.

You couldn't make it up.

Sounds to me like they are trying everything in their power to shoehorn buses into this option, no matter what.

To be fair to Cuffe, he also admitted under Hook's insistent prodding, that they may have to think it all out again!

So there we are. For now. What a disaster.

I get weary thinking of how flipping long it takes to get ANY infrastructure sorted in this city.

But I'll hold fire until the Transport group on DCC meets after the holliers!

hmmm wrote: »

If we could spend less time on farcical solutions involving traffic lights for Luas & bus priority, two 90 degree turns across busy roads for buses on a packed commuter route, and trying to run bus routes through the foyer of an apartment building, things would be faster.

Everything you say is true.

And made me laugh too, in a good way. Can't be frowning at the muppets in charge of this ALL the time now can I LOL!

So I'll stand back for a bit and see what happens.

Great thread.

cgcsb wrote: »

Anyone heard anything about this? Is it officially back to the drawing board with another public consultation to take place?

The apartment block is flying up btw.

Haven't heard anything myself, but that's not to say that nothing is happening either.

I understand that the issue is to be discussed at the Transport Group of Dublin City Council at their next meeting. I haven't a clue if this has taken place yet or not.

If I get time I'll check the website.

cgcsb wrote: »

I dunno, you might think it's a godsend but there's already whispers of buses 'sharing space' with the luas :eek:

obviously another solution must be found and obviously another solution is going to have to penalise car users, but does DCC have the gall to do it? I very much doubt it, the car is king afterall.

That was a suggestion from a Green Party councillor rather than from a council planner - I would not waste a lot of time worrying about that as it frankly is completely impractical, given it would require blocking both LUAS lines frequently.

It is just not going to happen.

cgcsb wrote: »

Nothing would surprise me at this point, we live in an age where magical mystery tour of cabra luas lines become the 'favoured option' despite being rubbished by the RPA years ago as insufficient. We live in an age where the public just accepts 2 non connecting luas lines, the Phoenix Park tunnel is a 'cheaper alternative to DART underground' :rolleyes: the list goes on and people accept it.

Well from an operational perspective the sharing of LUAS lanes between buses and trams at this location is just not an acceptable solution. It was peddled by one councillor, not a planner, who frankly wouldn't understand the implications of what he was suggesting.

It would mean extended bus journey times and extended LUAS journey times due to the exceptionally high volume of bus traffic along that corridor.

It just won't happen.

cgcsb wrote: »

With all due respect lxflyer when have informed decisions on transport policy been the norm in Ireland. All these decisions are made by unqualified persons who plainly don't understand what they're doing. Not connecting the luas lines for example was not done on the advice of transport planners.

Actually by and large the councillors do actually listen to what the council planners suggest in terms of transport planning.

The problems tend to be more acute at national level.

I genuinely would not see the option of buses and trams sharing space at Smithfield ever happening. I will repeat myself - that suggestion was an off-the-cuff comment from one councillor - and even he admitted under pressure that it wasn't a realistic option.

lxflyer wrote: »

Actually by and large the councillors do actually listen to what the council planners suggest in terms of transport planning.

The problems tend to be more acute at national level.

I genuinely would not see the option of buses and trams sharing space at Smithfield ever happening. I will repeat myself - that suggestion was an off-the-cuff comment from one councillor - and even he admitted under pressure that it wasn't a realistic option.

Very clever play on Councillor Cuffe head of the Transport Committee on DCC, who actually proposed traffic lights for each mode of transport in order to keep the preferred option open.

I agree with you it's a daft proposal. When the Transport Committee meets I am sure Cllr. Cuffe will be brought to his senses!

hmmm wrote: »

If we could spend less time on farcical solutions involving traffic lights for Luas & bus priority, two 90 degree turns across busy roads for buses on a packed commuter route, and trying to run bus routes through the foyer of an apartment building, things would be faster.

Hey, this is the city that proposed putting the LUAS on stilts to get through the Red Cow roundabout before it was rebuilt as an interchange. And the same one that DISCONNECTED the planned, joined-up LUAS system due to business concerns resulting in delays to rollout, £100m lost EU funding and increased costs. "Hey, we're rich after the Eircom flotation, we can afford this... FF"

Dublin City Council roads Dept both planned this bus route AND signed off on that Smithfield apartment building (it has no car parking spaces, so they had to assess it, look at the planning docs).

I'd just love it if they stopped trying to keep everyone happy (and failing everyone) and made the tough decisions based on best use of resources:-
Busses - dedicated lane all down the quays
Bicycles - improved cross-city route adjacent/along the LUAS line (cars less inclined to fup with bikes if getting tram rammed is a risk)
LUAS - no cars/busses/motor vehicles allowed along the way
Private Cars - tough scheiße, the city centre can't afford you all, go around.
Croppy Acre - take down the wall nearest the museum and open its gates - the foot traffic (Heuston/LUAS/meseum) and public usage will cure most of the anti-social problems (and allow Gardaí access for the rest).

/rant (from a person who drives/cycles/LUASs/busses around the city centre the past 25 years...)