BusConnects Dublin - Big changes to Bus Network

Looks like two-stage turns for leaving the side roads turning right, one of which coming from Millmount Avenue appears to be superfluous... 🙄

From Chapter 4, Section 8 - Traffic Signs and Road Markings

https://swordsscheme.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/05/08.-Traffic-Signs-and-Road-Markings.pdf

and Page 82 and 83 of the Junction Design Report

Cycle Infrastructure CBC:

• The southbound cycle track have been improved and taken through the junction with protected approaches;
• Northbound cyclists will utilise the proposed cycle track over the Tolka River. A dedicated right-turn cycle lane is provided for cyclists turning right from the CBC south arm to Richmond Road;
• Internal cycle lanes to guide cycle movements through the junction; and
• Dedicated early cycle and bus phase to enable cyclists to advance before general traffic.

Side Roads:

• Advanced Stop Line (ASL) is proposed on the Richmond Road approach.
• Cyclists travelling south from Millmount Avenue will require to cross the mainline to a southbound cycle waiting area on the north side of Richmond Road.

Swords Corridor plans are out and it looks like tha is what they are doing for D4 terminus

Wholeheartedly agree. The D4 is replacing the 27b which many people use from Northwood and Turnapin along the Swords Rd.

That are will lose their bus service towards Beamont etc.

Where the D4 is proposed to terminate at the Centra beside Coolock Lane / Swords Road misses out a simple, easy additional route to the airport which would cover Fairview, Malahide Road, Artane, Beaumont Hospital, Kilmore having a direct route to the airport for very little addition.

Presumably the route will still be worked by Harristown, so you will have a situation of a bus getting to the new terminus, going out of service, and then running empty along its old (current) route to the side of the airport. Northwood, Turnapin and the business parks all losing their service.

Furthermore, the Beaumont folks who use the 16 to get to the airport, lose their direct route, but an extended D4 would allow them a short walk along Skellys Lane to pick up a service to the airport. Finally a lot of people travel in the section from Santry to the Airport (particularly the populated Northwood with no bus) as they live close to the airport for work. The D4 would provide capacity on this busy section.

I definitely agree and support your and others' expressed opinion to extend D4 to the airport. I think, some other routes could also be amended to have slightly better scheme from what we have now. I didn't like the idea of G1 going via Ballyfermot for instance. They could have also made a route similar to existing 51d to have more connections. However, it kind of duplicates the orbitals then... I think, BC planners should have brainstormed with the PT enthusiasts more rather than being so focused to numerous of public consultations. We could have looked into better opportunities to have more different routes and be a little more creative. A lot of BC radials will be based on the pre BC routes. In most cases it's understandable due to the routes just following the roads. But I hate the idea of G2 still doing circle at Neilstown. It could have been quicker to town similar to 79a and then be extended to either Grange Castle Business Park or Adamstown. Plenty of other opportunities with other routes too. Inner M50 should have more L routes.

39As were all over the shop with the rugby and Taylor boxing last night . No buses stopped at Blackhall/manor street between 12 and 1.20 last night. 7 buses in all passed full between 12 and 1.20, The eight bus that did stop the driver said first 2 and everyone piled on. Also there were no VTs out last night.

At one stage , there were 50 people waiting at the Manor street stop

It all depends on the current load factors of the C spine during nighttime. If the NTA were to find them unsatisfactory, they would’ve reduced the frequency by now, but they clearly haven’t

In fairness , the driver of the bus I was on was telling me 39A runs to a 15 minute frequency outbound on a Friday/Saturday from the city outbound but it's not in the public timetable . Even then , he said that Dublin bus didn't forsee the loadings on the route last night .

The 10pm 39 from Burlington Road was skipping stops in Stoneybatter .

That's interesting about the extra nighttime 39As. A couple of times I've just missed one or a bus has passed by full and I'd be raging having to wait another 30 mins but lo and behold another would follow in 5 or 10 mins that wasnt on the RTPI. I just assumed it was due to buses backing up and getting bunched together. Didn't realise they were additional services.

Nighttime taxi requests to Dublin 15 must have plummeted since the introduction of this mostly fantastic service. I'd say I got a taxi about 40 times a year after nights out pre 24 hour service and only about once or twice a year since. That's a saving of almost a grand a year on what was an average €30 taxi fare! I never really did the Nitelinks in the last 10 + years as the times were less flexible and i hated traipsing all the way back to Westmoreland St which was a fair distance from where I usually socialised.

Yes. I take L54 and L59 several times a day each. The L54 is consistently packed. They have to send two buses at once a few times during the day. The L59 is always busy - and a vital link for connecting to schools between Leixlip and Celbridge.