Dublin Metrolink (just Metrolink posts here -see post #1 )

Carawaystick

paschal d wrote:

‘As the economy continues to grow, there is a greater transport demand generally. Ensuring that public transport is an attractive option is central to encouraging people to leave the car at home.

The minister who cancelled Metro North and Dart underground Bigging up Public transport... :rolleyes:

Idbatterim

The minister who cancelled Metro North and Dart underground Bigging up Public transport...

what I wouldnt give to be able to throw everything t him fac e to face in front of a big audience like prime time etc. Just highlighting the fact that he is lying about the figures and people know it. Throw in a few of the figures, like M50 and airport busier than ever, boom numbers dont justify current metro north scheme as it stands, despite the fact that population growth is higher than forecasted during the boom despite the recession. Whats the genius plan? where is all of dublins housing meant to go? should they all drive to work? Id fin it hard not to call him up on being an absolute liar...

Grandeeod

Idbatterim wrote: »

what I wouldnt give to be able to throw everything t him fac e to face in front of a big audience like prime time etc. Just highlighting the fact that he is lying about the figures and people know it. Throw in a few of the figures, like M50 and airport busier than ever, boom numbers dont justify current metro north scheme as it stands, despite the fact that population growth is higher than forecasted during the boom despite the recession. Whats the genius plan? where is all of dublins housing meant to go? should they all drive to work? Id fin it hard not to call him up on being an absolute liar...

You'd be wasting your time. Most Irish people don't give a toss about PT. (particularly rail based PT.) The majority drive to work IMO. The same drivers are the people that moan about traffic congestion and make the most noise in the media. Successive transport ministers have got away with providing as little as possible. The current Governments abandonment of MN and DU won't hurt them one iota. Projects like MN and DU shouldn't be election issues anyway. They should be policy. A policy that's implimented, based on need rather that political footballs kicked about the place until they are deflated and they decide they need a new ball.

monument

brownbeard wrote: »

LAX (70m)
Charlotte (44m)
Denver (53m)

Although, As I understand it, Denver and LAX are at the same "Sure we will build it, but not yet" stage as we are.

Having said that, I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find this sort of carry on outside the US.

dowlingm wrote: »

Denver rail link is under construction.
Toronto (hit 40 million passengers in 2015) has a rail link now but because of pricing operates at very low loads.

Just to add to that: LA is planning a rail link. They have a better history of funding and building lines.

The LAX link requires a people mover to link into the terminal but from the station the airport will be served byto two routes on LA's expanding Metro rail network.

Irish Steve

You'd be wasting your time trying to do anything on Prime time that's longer than a superficial 5 minute sound bite, for whatever reasons, RTE are not tackling the serious issues any more, they're more interested in short and often superficial reports that don't really go into the depth of the issues, or reveal the underlying issues that have been responsible for the mess that they are now highlighting.

It's actually very interesting to have been in the audience for some of these types of programme, and actually see how the programme is structured and put together, it's only then that you discover just how tightly scripted and choreographed these programs are, and there's no wriggle room at all to allow discussion or confrontation to develop to any significant degree, so the potential to "put one over" on someone that's not been doing what was expected of them is going to be very hard to do, the program planners just won't have that flexibility built into the running order.

Some very serious and in depth investigations into what's been happening in infrastructure in relation to planning, public transport and flooding issues would probably turn up a rats nest of corruption, and maladministration, but it probably wouldn't make for good viewing figures, so it's not going to happen any time soon, and that's what the people responsible ( but unaccountable) for the mess are relying on, there's no calling to account other than possibly a Dail Public Accounts investigation, but you have to have really screwed up to be under that sort of investigation, and there's very little real sanction comes out of PAC's, so no worries for those who failed.

The sickening aspect is that this system won't change, regardless of who we vote for in the next election.

brownbeard

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/latest-news/16-01-18/Dublin_Airport_Sets_New_Record_With_25M_Passengers_In_2015.aspx

25m passengers through Dublin Airport this year.

Sam Russell

brownbeard wrote: »

http://www.dublinairport.com/gns/at-the-airport/latest-news/16-01-18/Dublin_Airport_Sets_New_Record_With_25M_Passengers_In_2015.aspx

25m passengers through Dublin Airport this year.

I heard the Minister saying how important it would be to start MN and the Clongriffin spur as soon as possible. build more car parks, and a second runway.

No questions from the interviewer about MN etc. Some things never change.

Reuben1210

Sam Russell wrote: »

I heard the Minister saying how important it would be to start MN and the Clongriffin spur as soon as possible. build more car parks, and a second runway.

No questions from the interviewer about MN etc. Some things never change.

Incredibly frustrating....Health and transport infrastructure funding should be mandatory as a certain amount of GDP and ringfenced from the politics, like in France. They are too important for a country to be juggled around with to win votes on empty promises!

marmurr1916

Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council are to refund almost €20 million in development levies charged on the basis that Metro North was to go ahead as originally planned:

Two Dublin local authorities are to begin the process of refunding almost €20 million received in development levies for the scrapped Metro North rail line from St Stephen’s Green to Swords.

Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council between them collected €19.9 million in development contributions since 2007 and until the Government last year announced plans to build a new light rail system between Dublin Airport and the city.

Although the new line follows a similar route to Metro North, the National Transport Authority had told the councils there were “significant differences” between the two schemes, such as fewer stations, different lengths of tunnelling and a “substantially different” timescale.

Metro North was due for completion in 2012 the new line isn’t expected until in 2026 or 2027.

In light of these significant differences the authority said the “existing development contribution scheme for Metro North should be revoked and that the levies that have been collected to date under the Scheme should be refunded”.

Levies were paid by residential and commercial developers who were granted permission to build about 1km on either side of the proposed line, a catchment area covering 1,409 hectares of land.

Rates charged
The rates charged from 2007 were €2,940 per residential unit, €25.87 per sq metre of commercial developments and €37.28 per sq m of retail.

But these were reduced in 2013 to €2,000 per residential unit, €20 per sq m commercial, and €30 per sq m retail.

Most of the money was collected from developers in Fingal, where €14.2 million was taken in in levies from about 60 developers.

The city council collected €5.7 million, but from far more developers – some 412 in total.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/almost-20m-in-metro-north-levies-to-be-refunded-1.2562424

Schadenfreudia

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council are to refund almost €20 million in development levies charged on the basis that Metro North was to go ahead as originally planned:



http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/almost-20m-in-metro-north-levies-to-be-refunded-1.2562424

Read that today - another triumph for Irish infrastructure :mad:

Sam Russell

Will these refunds be made to the developers that went bust?

Carawaystick

brownbeard wrote: »

25m passengers through Dublin Airport this year.

The busiest irish public transport infrastrusture going, I bet the 25e6 passengers excludes bus and coach passengers....

Schadenfreudia

Sam Russell wrote: »

Will these refunds be made to the developers that went bust?

Y'know Sam...I'm too depressed at the performance of the politicians (all of them) regarding public transport to even comment of this issue any more.

I'll just go everywhere in my car and say screw rational efficient urban transport 'cos nobody else gives a **** other than whining all the time

mickmmc

In this week's Swords Gazette a spokesperson from Fingal County Council said:".....arrangements will be made to reimburse those that made payments when the status of the scheme has been resolved".

The next government will have to make a decision on Metro North from my reading of the above statement.

Currently, Fingal County Council are drafting their County Development Plan 2017-2023. Councillors in Swords have been very critical of the removal of the Lissenhall stop in the revised Metro North; that stop would be suitable for Lusk commuters and other commuters in North County Dublin.

Paschal O' Donoghue is Enda Kenny's right hand man and in my opinion did what he was told by Enda Kenny in the last Transport Plan.

A new heavy weight Dublin based Minister for Transport could revive the original Metro North.

Sam Russell

I think Enda the line will be replaced by either Simon Coveney (Cork) or Varadkar (Dublin West). Little chance of either being in favour of DN to be honest. Varadkar had the opportunity when he was Minister for doing nothing about Transport. Coveney could surprise us.

Markcheese

Just remind me about when leo was minister for transport .. awash with funds was he ?
Theres loads of large scale public transport projects I'd love to see, mainly around dublin ( I dont live in , or travel to dublin much )but I dont think they should be built if they cant be afforded..

Zubeneschamali

Markcheese wrote: »

Theres loads of large scale public transport projects I'd love to see, mainly around dublin ( I dont live in , or travel to dublin much )but I dont think they should be built if they cant be afforded..

Investors will pay us to take their money at the moment, negative interest rates. We should let them, and build infrastructure.

plodder

Sam Russell wrote: »

I think Enda the line will be replaced by either Simon Coveney (Cork) or Varadkar (Dublin West). Little chance of either being in favour of DN to be honest. Varadkar had the opportunity when he was Minister for doing nothing about Transport. Coveney could surprise us.

Varadkar at least had the foresight to approve the station box under the Mater. That cost a fair whack in itself, and he wouldn't have approved it unless he saw the project having some chance of being revived.

Sam Russell

Markcheese wrote: »

Just remind me about when leo was minister for transport .. awash with funds was he ?
Theres loads of large scale public transport projects I'd love to see, mainly around dublin ( I dont live in , or travel to dublin much )but I dont think they should be built if they cant be afforded..

From Leo's Statemant of Strategy 2011-2014 on his appointment as Minister.

During my term in office, my priorities will be to
Implement the new Capital Investment and Infrastructure Plan 2012-16 to maintain and upgrade our roads, public transport, maritime, tourist and sporting infrastructure
Drive efficiencies and rationalisation in State agencies and the public transport companies in the context of falling budgets and subsidies;
Encourage more people out of their cars by improving their experience of public transport through initiatives like integrated ticketing, better stations, better bus lanes and stops and real-time passenger information, safe cycling and attractive walking;
Build on the success of the last government by keeping road fatalities and injuries down;
Re-organise and restore our State-owned airports and ports to financial health and profitability;
Increase the number of tourists coming to Ireland and improving their experience of Ireland and its regions;
Improve local and national sports facilities, increase participation in sport and support Ireland’s top-level athletes to compete on the world stage.

Not a word about MN or DU or Clongriffin/Airport, and not a word about railways.

Reuben1210

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

Investors will pay us to take their money at the moment, negative interest rates. We should let them, and build infrastructure.

yes!!

monument

plodder wrote: »

Varadkar at least had the foresight to approve the station box under the Mater. That cost a fair whack in itself, and he wouldn't have approved it unless he saw the project having some chance of being revived.

It might have approved the funding but I'm nearly sure the station box was a planning condition of the Mater building work.

FreudianSlippers

monument wrote: »

It might have approved the funding but I'm nearly sure the station box was a planning condition of the Mater building work.

If my memory serves me, you're absolutely right on this.

cgcsb

The mater station box is there as is the airport station box, built along with T2 afaik.

Bajingo

There's an alternative proposal going apparently

https://www.businesspost.ie/new-metro-system-promoters-to-seek-support-of-dublin-city-councillors/

LXFlyer

Another Cormac Rabbitt venture - one has to admire the man - he doesn't give up!

cgcsb

Amazed the business post is giving that thing air. A lot of eyes rolling in Dublin City Council tonight I'd say.

yermanoffthetv

For the people not aware of Mr Rabbitte's proposal: http://www.metrodublin.ie/index.htm
You certainly cant say the man lacks ambition. His plans get bigger every time I check that website! I must admit prefer the idea of using heavier dart rolling stock for a metro rather than slightly longer luas's and also having services feeding a city loopline. Back in the real world, even with the best will this country couldnt get 1/4 of this built by 2121 never mind 6 years. Fair play to him though, at least hes trying.

xper

cgcsb wrote: »

The mater station box is there as is the airport station box, built along with T2 afaik.

A section of the Mater station box was built, a wall located under the recently constructed hospital building. The majority of the structure remains unbuilt.

The airport stop was not constructed. The multi story car park that is physically linked by an enclosed bridge to T2 included provision for pedestrian access to lead down to the stop but the underground station itself was not built. It would be a cut and cover job located under what is currently the surface parking area immediately northwest of the T2 multi-storey car park building.

xper

cgcsb wrote: »

Amazed the business post is giving that thing air. A lot of eyes rolling in Dublin City Council tonight I'd say.

Even more amazed this time-wasting fantasist is apparently being given the opportunity of another presentation to DCC. Why is he let in the door?

plodder

monument wrote: »

It might have approved the funding but I'm nearly sure the station box was a planning condition of the Mater building work.

I had a quick look and I can't find any such condition in the original plan. It'd be surprising (to me anyway) to tack something like this on as a condition without it being anticipated in an application.