BusConnects Dublin - Big changes to Bus Network

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

We have fools like this to contend with, who will probably be listened to, opposing... well, everything, according to his leaflet. All because he's worried it might affect him and his car.

https://twitter.com/build_up_dublin/status/1333392231173066758

Meant to post about this last week. It's extraordinary how strongly opposed he is to any attempt to improve public transport. Says everything is a terrible idea but offers no alternatives. My favourite bit was where he said Bus Connects hasn't had enough consultancy when consultancy is literally all we've had for years now!

john boye wrote: »

My favourite bit was where he said Bus Connects hasn't had enough consultancy

That's an astounding statement really. I've worked on large projects in other countries in Europe. None of them offer 2-3 years of consultation for a project like this, that level of consultation is reserved for mega projects that require massive amounts of home and business disruption and demolition. You'd get that level of public involvement on something like Crossrail (London), Metro Zud (amsterdam) or the second tunnel on Munich U-Bahn. There is no way in hell any other European City or Country would have three rounds of public consultation over 3 years for building a few bus / cycle lanes (I know they claim 200+km but most of the bus element already exists).

trellheim wrote: »

Chuckle. I agree 100% with the OP in this regard. Consultancy has been crap. I'm only responding here because its the usual rubbish rolled out. The only place any discussion of this happens is on this website.

You must be the only 'community' in the city not consulted on this. The level of awareness in my area is enormous.

We are now embroiled in a third public consultation. To describe the consultation as "crap" is just that, a load of crap. I imagine your reasoning is along the lines of 'the NTA won't change their plans to suit me, therefore the consultation is sub-standard'.

I tried registering our residents association for our corridor webinar ; not a peep heard back and now its over ;

Other RAs have had no difficulty shoehorning themselves into the NTA's activity. I'd suggest that the issue is with your RA.

There's an unrelated traffic change nearby going on right now which consulted everyone ( not great at start, but now has involved everyone ) and there's little issue with feeling involved, consulted or having a stake.

If "feeling involved" is your standard then you are never going to be satisfied by any city wide consultation.

Busconnects such as it is I think will founder . That's my opinion. I've no dog in this fight beyond being an involved resident.

Don't disagree with you there, Bus Connects will fall victim to the [competent] RAs and local/national politicians who are quite content with the status quo. Just like every other major investment in public transport (but for Luas and DART) proposed since the inception of the State.

Pitty it wasn't phases in from March to September this year, low usage and low disruption.

punisher5112 wrote: »

and just dangerous.

I cannot think of a single Covid road change in the city that has made things more dangerous.

nothing to do with Bus Connects also.

punisher5112 wrote: »

This could have been started on trial during covid instead they used Covid to narrow roads, make them one way and just dangerous.

Did they narrow roads or widen footpaths? Seems safety has improved significantly.

GT89 wrote: »

A lot of the designs are dangerous for buses

Dangerous = we might lose a fleck or two of paint on the front near side.

XPS_Zero wrote: »

I
-They need to reduce the number of bus stops some of them are way too close together

Nobody wants to walk in the rain for more than 50 meters, it seems.

+1 too all your points

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

more fool him, why would he waste his time? His Dublin plan was so watered down and messed with it won't achieve any of the aims and he'll invariable cop the flak depite none of it being his 'fault'. Why come back for it to happen again?

Why would he care? He gets a contact, does the job, gets the money and leaves. If the government doesn't follow the study and his recommendations, it doesn't affect him. And he's smart enough to understand and not his or his recommendations are bad, but the objections are. He spoke about this previously, and compared Ireland to other countries, mentioning that in Ireland there was a lot political resistance. So that's Irish government's slowness, lack of motivation, Irish residents ignorance and selfishness, and lobbyists domination, and some local politicians stupidity (no respect, lying, incompetence and some arrogance) problem.

Apart all that, his initial plan and recommendations were good.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

more fool him, why would he waste his time? His Dublin plan was so watered down and messed with it won't achieve any of the aims and he'll invariable cop the flak depite none of it being his 'fault'. Why come back for it to happen again?

His original draft was very light on actual services provided and would have caused severe overcrowding. Not actually his fault per say because he had to use modelling assumptions from the NTA based on the 2011 census, by 2018 it was clear that growth of demand in Dublin was accelerating way beyond any 2011 base year forecast.

Also the original assumption was that there'd be integrated ticketing implemented in 2019. It is now 2021 and the network implementation is set to begin without any integrated ticketing available.