Dun Laoghaire Main Street Becoming A Through Road

rollie

Yea so the council voted (under pressure from local business) to open dun laoghaire to all traffic....is anyone else annoyed about this?? did anyone know about this??? or is it just me?

it just doesnt seem to make any sense what so ever

sweet-rasmus

that's mad! hadn't heard til you said it. I find it's quite nice to have it very pedestrian friendly.

estebancambias

It makes sense...hopefully now it will get a bit more life back into it.

Fratton Fred

good news as far as I can see. It was never pedestrian anyway as there was a bus going along every 5 minutes, so you could never end up with market stalls or outside cafes.

anythng to put a bit of ife back into Dun Laoghaire would be good, now all they need to do is reduce the rents by 50% and people will beable to afford open shops once again. I lookd at renting a shop in Dun Laoghaire and there is no way it would have worked, the rent was way oo expensive.

Tabnabs

Good news as far as I'm concerned. As previous poster said it was never a proper pedestrianised street anyway and the roads they diverted you up on were little better than back streets. They'll have to widen the junction on Marine Road as it's currently a joke for traffic turning left.

helimachoptor

I dont live there anymore but I would have been in favour of keeping the status quo.. I liked the mostly pedestrianised street...

rollie

i suppose anything that gets life into the place is good but im a bit dubious about this working...reducing rents (allowing poeple to make the shops better) would be defintely a good idea

jenizzle

was this not changed just a few years ago, or am I imagining that?

santry_goonshow

jenizzle wrote: »

was this not changed just a few years ago, or am I imagining that?

Sad to see muppet traders shooting themselves and your town centre squarely in the foot. The pedestrian feeling was good, but unconnected were the "out of town" mass retailers that always squash the smaller businesses. And in spite of knowing that connection doesn't exist some genius allows cars back into the equation. Sad sad sad. Like watching the last individual of an animal species die by its own hand.

Theres a related discussion going on about Blanch if anyone cares to join in here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055220210

ian_m

As far as I'm concerned it was not a good idea to pedestrianise the main street in the first instance.

Anyone coming from the North of Dun Laoghaire had to drive longer to get to the town via the lower road. Then when they wanted to return home they couldn't go via the main street which is the direction they would need to be travelling. Immediately these people were put off going to Dun Laoghaire and it encouraged them to stay away. These shoppers then got into the habbit of going to the likes of Blackrock and Cornelscourt where there is ample parking etc.

Dun Laoghaire used to be a thriving town. I would hope it could return to its former glory as a result of traffic being allowed to return through it.

karmaan

born and bred in dun laoghaire,it was allways a dead town ,the planners did not help. too many councillors with their own agenda.

Chinasea

rollie wrote: »

Yea so the council voted (under pressure from local business) to open dun laoghaire to all traffic....is anyone else annoyed about this?? did anyone know about this??? or is it just me?

it just doesnt seem to make any sense what so ever

Coming to this dead late, but whatever chance Dun Laoghaire had of making it through, the pedestrianisation was certainly a glimmer of hope. Car free shopping zones are a renowned success. The Dun L business association were adamant that they wanted the road through the place reinstated and the CoCo never implemented the whole pedestrianisation properly. It was a half hearted token gesture unfortunately. There was blatant disregard for the pedestrianisation with no barrier or deterrent to prevent cars continuing to hurtle down the street and no enforcement. Apathy and lack of forethought whipped away any chance of progression for Dun Laoghiare.

Dun Laoghaire and Sligo would benefit so much if it was pedestrianised (PROPERLY). Both towns had the pedestrianisation reversed which is imo a shocking short-sighted step backwards. Most European cities have car free zones where local people can go about their business in a care free unruffled environment.

ScouseMouse

I lived in Dun Laoghaire about 20 years ago. When they pedestrianised it they diverted all of the traffic and trade out of it. I still go out to Dun Laoghaire when I can and am shocked at the decline. Even a lot of the pubs are closed.

The place needs to be opened up. Otherwise it is finished - if not already!

I remember the uproar when Stena stood at the exit road, directing traffic right, which sent them out towards the Cumberland Inn/Purty Kitchen. They were telling all the cars to bypass Dun Laoghaire!

People had it stopped, but then the council went and did the same thing !

You could not make it up.

Chinasea

superscouse wrote: »

. When they pedestrianised it they diverted all of the traffic and trade out of it. I still go out to Dun Laoghaire when I can and am shocked at the decline. Even a lot of the pubs are closed.

Diverting traffic in a town like Dun Laoghiare in no way whatsoever diverted business. Perhaps you are thinking of towns on motorways that have been bypassed - there is no comparision here.

As said, constructing one of Europe's largest shopping centres 20 mins drive from Dun Laoghaire certainly advanced the 'downturn' as did the global recession, online shopping and many other factors, but not pedestrianisation.

ted1

superscouse wrote: »

I lived in Dun Laoghaire about 20 years ago. When they pedestrianised it they diverted all of the traffic and trade out of it. I still go out to Dun Laoghaire when I can and am shocked at the decline. Even a lot of the pubs are closed.

The place needs to be opened up. Otherwise it is finished - if not already!

I remember the uproar when Stena stood at the exit road, directing traffic right, which sent them out towards the Cumberland Inn/Purty Kitchen. They were telling all the cars to bypass Dun Laoghaire!

People had it stopped, but then the council went and did the same thing !

You could not make it up.

Big difference in traffic compared to 20 years ago, same goes for sea traffic. Bug change in dun laoighre too. In particular with the pavilion and bloomsfield being built

dRNk SAnTA

Yeah come on, the truth is Dundrum and other shopping centres killed the place. And the rents must be stupid because there are so many buildings that have barely had a single tenant in the last 8 years, I don't know what's going on.

However, I was out of the country for most of the last 18 months and when I got home recently I was pleasantly surprised that there are some much nicer cafés and restaurants opened up. Ethnic shops. The Sunday Market is very good. The way they've covered over the DART track is excellent. Gilbert & Wrights is now one of my favourite spots.

The Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre could do with a redevelopment.

On the flip side, Jam Cafe recently closed down and that was one of the better businesses in DL. Do the locals support these places enough?