Latest news with #DublinCityCentreTransportPlan
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Local residents complain of ‘absolute mayhem' following new Pearse Street traffic restrictions
The changes, the latest phase in the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, came into effect last Sunday and introduced new restrictions on cars turning left onto Pearse Street from Westland Row. Buses, taxis and cyclists aren't affected, but general traffic must now turn right at the junction. Reaction to the changes had initially been muted, but correspondence received by councillors indicates that many local residents are now seeing traffic issues worsen on local roads such as Sandwith Street and Macken Street. One resident said: 'We could list off dozens of reasons why these new measures are not effective. 'All anyone has to do is stand on Sandwith Street at any time of the day to see the gridlock and dangers that are happening. 'The traffic issues are not merely an inconvenience; they are a significant barrier to everyday life, impacting our ability to reach work, school, appointments, and even leisure activities,' they added. 'It's clear to see that the new traffic measures on Westland Row/Sandwith Street are causing absolute mayhem for the surrounding area.' Local Sinn Féin councillor Kourtney Kenny said she's heard many similar stories over the last few days. 'I've had women onto me who have children with dyspraxia and they need to go to [occupational therapy] appointments,' she said. 'They're down €100 missing the appointment because they actually can't get out of their home. They're prisoners.' Dublin City Council is seeking to make the city centre less attractive for traffic cutting through the city, but Cllr Kenny said the answer wasn't to 'penalise people living in the inner city'. 'Some people are carers, some people are healthcare assistants, some people have disabilities and rely heavily on their cars,' she said. 'Dublin City Council said, after the fact, they're willing to meet residents, but you know yourself, you could be long waiting on that.' Danny Byrne, a Fine Gael councillor for the area, said that while the reaction from residents has been negative, he felt it was just 'teething problems'. 'I know there's always a willingness [from the Council] to listen and to observe how it progresses. You can't really assess it over a few days until maybe people get used to it.' Similarly, Green Party councillor Janet Horner said it was 'inevitable' that traffic changes would cause some disruption for the city. 'Everything obviously does require a bedding down period, there's no point being too knee jerk about any of this stuff where there's a few days when a new measure throws up a little bit of chaos or extra confusion,' she said. 'Let's look at the data. Let's see how this is bedding down and achieving what we wanted to achieve. 'We are investing, we are making changes. The idea of that is to make it easier, better, cheaper, more comfortable, safer to take sustainable means of transport into town.' The next phase of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan will make Parliament Street a car-free zone after 11am daily. It will come into effect at the end of June. Dublin City Council was contacted for comment.
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Businesses react to major new traffic changes banning left turn from Westland Row to Pearse Street
As part of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, a new traffic arrangement at the junction of Westland Row and Pearse Street has been introduced. Only public transport, taxis, and cyclists will now be permitted to turn left from Westland Row onto Pearse Street. Instead, general traffic, such as cars and delivery vans, will now have to turn right at the junction. To facilitate this, the section of Pearse Street between Westland Row and Sandwith Street has been converted into a two-way street. Traffic arrangements on Lombard Street East and Sandwith Street Upper will remain unchanged. The new traffic restrictions will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While Westland Row will no longer function as a direct through-route to Pearse Street, there will be no changes to existing disabled parking bays, loading bays, or taxi ranks in the area. New signage has been erected and traffic management stewards were on hand this morning to ensure these measures are adhered to. While some private cars attempted to use the left hand turn at the junction between Westland Row and Pearse Street, general traffic appeared quieter than usual. Sam Downes, a barista at Cloudpicker on Pearse Street, said 'it does seem kind of quiet on the road', but is relieved to see the end of roadworks and the noise pollution it brought with it. Jerome Ingel-Smith, owner of menswear store Olann Glas, is happy to see the new traffic management measures coming into effect. 'The concern about the amount of traffic on [Pearse] Street is the air quality. I keep the door open all the time and it can choke me. I'd be happy to see the street pedestrianised,' he said. Nate Seligman, barista at Mimi's on Pearse Street, fears the plan could 'impact our footfall on weekends'. 'I had a customer who came in this morning who said it was more of a hassle getting to her job,' he said. 'She was saying she had to come in to work earlier to navigate that.' Dublin City Council anticipates a reduction in general traffic along Pearse Street from Westland Row towards Tara Street as a result of the new restrictions. This is expected to create opportunities to improve the public realm with enhanced walking and cycling infrastructure, while continuing to prioritise public transport. The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan is a long-term strategy to reduce through-traffic in the city centre and encourage more people to walk, cycle, and use public transport. The first phase of the plan was introduced last August, banning private cars and commercial vehicles from travelling directly east or west along the Liffey at either side of O'Connell Bridge between 7am and 7pm daily. The next phase of the plan will address traffic on Parliament Street. The southside street, which faces pedestrianised Capel Street across the river, is set to become another car-free zone after 11am daily. This change is due to be implemented at the end of June.
The Irish Sun
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Dubliners are fed up with long commutes – Luas extension is practical solution to traffic, so stop delays & build it
WHILE the long-delayed MetroLink project connecting Dublin Airport to the city centre is now estimated to cost over €23billion, not all transport solutions have to break the bank. The 3 A Luas extension in rapidly developed Poolbeg will greatly reduce the car traffic Credit: Alamy 3 The new extension will provide a link with the red line at the Aviva Stadium Credit: Getty Images - Getty The The planning application is currently before An Bord Pleanala. The rapid development of Poolbeg, with 500 READ MORE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT Writing in DUBLINERS are fed up with endless delays, long commutes, and half-baked plans that go nowhere. We don't need more glossy reports or vague promises. We need action, and we need it now. One obvious place to start? Extend the Luas to Poolbeg. Most read in The Irish Sun Phase 2 of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan kicks in today. It will change how Moment TD in near-miss with Luas When I was Lord Mayor of Dublin, Phase 1 launched. People were sceptical at first, and that's fair. Big changes always make people nervous. But it worked. Journey times for public transport fell by 20 per cent. Public transport use went up by 11 per cent. Footfall in city centre businesses increased. Car traffic dropped by 60 per cent in just a month. That's proof. A less car-heavy city can work — and actually work better. But plans like this are only part of the picture. If we want to build a city that works for people, we have to make sure they have real alternatives to the LUAS LINE EXTENDED PROPOSAL That's why I've been pushing hard for the Luas line to be extended from the Point to Poolbeg, through Ringsend and Irishtown. This isn't just another big idea for a press release. It's something we can actually do quickly and affordably. Here's what's happening. As part of the Dublin Port expansion, a new bridge is being built across the Liffey. The Dublin Port Company is paying for it. Crucially, they've confirmed the bridge can take a Luas line. This is what people mean when they talk about joined-up thinking. The bridge is being built anyway. The Luas line is going to be extended eventually. Why not do both at the same time? If we delay this, we'll end up tearing up the same ground twice. We'll waste money, waste time, and make the job more difficult. It's like renovating a kitchen but deciding to leave out the sink, only to come back years later to install it. 'HUGE MERIT' Minister of State at the The National Transport Authority has already asked Transport Infrastructure Ireland to get going on early-stage planning. And the Port Company's application is currently with An Bord Pleanála. If we move quickly, construction could begin within two to three years. The timing couldn't be more critical. The glass bottle site in Ringsend will soon be home to nearly 10,000 new residents. That's on top of the people already living in the area. The local population is set to double. So why wait until they're stuck in traffic and on overcrowded buses to start thinking about transport? We already know we can build Luas extensions quickly and relatively cheaply. The Luas Cross City project, longer and far more complicated than this one, was built in under four years at a cost of about €61million per kilometre. It now carries around 10million passengers a year. People said it would be too expensive. But once it opened, it proved its value. Compare that to the Don't get me wrong, the Metro is vital. But not every project has to be a megaproject. Sometimes the smaller wins are just as important. BENEFITS FOR DUBLINERS Extending the Luas to Poolbeg will have an immediate impact. It will link the red line to the It will bring more people into the city centre to work, shop, and enjoy what Dublin has to offer. It will connect families and young people to the new Children's Hospital, Heuston Station and the This is the kind of practical, common-sense investment that makes a city better to live in for everyone. It also sends the right message to the people of Dublin and to the companies building this infrastructure. It shows that the government is serious about delivering. And when the government provides a steady pipeline of projects, it drives competition and reduces costs. Builders know what's coming and can plan ahead. That saves the taxpayer money. As a Government TD and This is not a time for indecision. The Luas to Poolbeg makes sense on every level. Let's get on with building it. 3 Poolbeg's population is set to double as housing units are rapidly being built Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Extra.ie
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Extra.ie
Changes to how traffic moves through Dublin city centre come into effect
New traffic management measures have come into force today at Westland Row and Pearse Street as part of the next phase of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan. The latest changes, in effect 24/7, are designed to prioritise public transport, cycling, and pedestrian access — while discouraging through traffic by private vehicles. Only buses, taxis, and cyclists are now allowed to turn left from Westland Row onto Pearse Street. A new right-turn option for general traffic, including cars and delivery vans, has been introduced at the same junction. Pearse Street, between Westland Row and Sandwith Street, has become two-way to accommodate the new flow. Access from Lombard Street East and Sandwith Street Upper remains unchanged, and high-sided vehicles can still use Westland Row, due to clearance issues with other railway bridges in the area. An illustration of Parliament Street under the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan. Pic: Dublin City Council While Westland Row will no longer serve as a through-route to Pearse Street, there are no changes to disabled bays, loading bays, or taxi ranks in the area. Dublin City Council says the goal is to reduce unnecessary through-traffic, noting that 60% of vehicles in the city centre aren't stopping to shop, work, or visit – they're just passing through. 'The anticipated reduction in general traffic will allow for these streets to be reimagined with better walking and cycling facilities,' a council spokesperson said. As part of a broader effort to reshape Dublin's urban core, the public is now being invited to share their views on a proposal to transform Parliament Street into a car-free corridor for pedestrians and cyclists — similar to the successful revamp of Capel Street. One week left on the Parliament Street public consultation!Make sure to have your say on the proposed traffic changes on Parliament Street. 📍 View plans & take part: 🔗 Online: 📄 Hard copies: Civic Offices, Wood Quay📝 Submit your feedback: ✅ Fill in…
