Luas Cross City (Line BX/D) [now open]

Keyzer

Got train to Tara St and jumped on at Trinity at 8:50AM. Sailed through College green and up to Harcourt in 6 mins. Traffic around College green seemed less chaotic this morning.

Get Real

nilescraneo wrote: »

Response I got from DCC about using cameras with regards to traffic blocking bus only priority measures on the North Quays earlier in the year:

"As you have correctly identified, traffic enforcement is a Garda matter. DCC is not empowered by legislation to take enforcement action for traffic offences (beyond parking). If cameras were installed for the purposes of enforcing the Road Traffic Act, this too would be a Garda concern."

That reply from DCC kind of reads like this- we introduced this traffic system and decided to implement it. Now that it's not working, rather than fix it, we'll leave it to another body to sort it out.

Ush1

Just doesn't make sense to me, you would nearly always be quicker walking.

cgcsb

Stephen Strange wrote: »

Why should they pay for parking to go to work when there is no alternative option? Also, just add, there is no real need for 3 lanes through there as it is public transport only. The real issue with pearse street is actually tara street and cars trying to turn left onto the quays. Due to people trying to merge into the left hand lane, traffic in all lanes gets blocked up.

If they are working an out of public transport hours shift they can park somewhere and expense it, or they can have a gardaí tag that allows the organization to be billed directly, that's how we do it in the private sector.

ArmaniJeanss

Ush1 wrote: »

Just doesn't make sense to me, you would nearly always be quicker walking.

Thats true of any small journeys in central areas on most commuter systems though, like you'd be mental to get the tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden (extreme example admittedly, but theres lot of small Tube journeys which would be quicker above ground). The time savings become better the longer the journey is.

Though even a short 4/5 stop journey on the Luas will be more attractive than walking in extreme weather or when carrying lots of shopping.

fxotoole

Pixel Eater wrote: »

How was the Luas this morning? Presuming there was no signal faults, was there any extra congestion this morning with normal operations?

No congestion at College Green this morning.

I had a perfect run from the junction of Hawkins' Street/College Green all the way to St Stephen's Green, which only took 5 mins.

monument

Get Real wrote: »

That reply from DCC kind of reads like this- we introduced this traffic system and decided to implement it. Now that it's not working, rather than fix it, we'll leave it to another body to sort it out.

I’m not sure what you want the council to to? Maybe declare that they are a free independent city state that can overpower the national lawmakers???

Keyzer

I think we need to give the new Luas lines a chance to bed in. Yes, yesterday morning was a disaster. This morning was much better. I think its going to take a while to see if the issues we're seeing are teething issues or a sign of things to come.

I've journeyed through town on it three times so far and I'm sure my fellow passengers are wondering if the crazy guy with the smile on his face is going to kill them. I'm like a five year old kid in awe. I think its a great thing for Dublin and I really hope things settle down and these issues become a thing of the past.

LXFlyer

There remain serious problems south of Sandyford as they have removed departures from the timetable to facilitate the extension (3 less between 07:30 and 08:30) which is causing mayhem, with significant numbers being left behind.

That to me is crazy stuff, just so that they can say it opened on time.

The lack of accountability on this is a disgrace.

wakka12

Keyzer wrote: »

I think we need to give the new Luas lines a chance to bed in. Yes, yesterday morning was a disaster. This morning was much better. I think its going to take a while to see if the issues we're seeing are teething issues or a sign of things to come.

I've journeyed through town on it three times so far and I'm sure my fellow passengers are wondering if the crazy guy with the smile on his face is going to kill them. I'm like a five year old kid in awe. I think its a great thing for Dublin and I really hope things settle down and these issues become a thing of the past.

I think its great too. Even if it is not hugely beneficial to the PT of the city it is good for social cohesion and will bring a lot more footfall to northern areas and streets like marlborough street which will probably become a much nicer street soon. Grangegormana and nice areas like that will start to feel a lot more like part of the city too. I think its a good way of bridging the divide between the north and south city
And imo its an interesting and quite pretty route through the city..sitting in a train going over the bridge on the quays and stuff

cgcsb

The contract was to deliver the luas line which was executed perfectly. Traffic management afterwards was not part of the contract scope, that was given to DCC to manage. A couple of weeks before the opening date the published a number of separate proposals and then changed those proposals and implemented none of them. A bit like the liffey cycle route fiasco, this is just more dithering. Get rid of DCC and subsume it's transport remit into the NTA.

markpb

LXFlyer wrote: »

There remain serious problems south of Sandyford as they have removed departures from the timetable to facilitate the extension (3 less between 07:30 and 08:30) which is causing mayhem, with significant numbers being left behind.

Glencairn luas stop was mobbed this morning. People were queuing four deep along the entire length of the platform at 8:20.

Is there a reason why the new trams are due to enter service 2-3 months after the extension opened?

wakka12 wrote: »

will bring a lot more footfall to northern areas and streets like marlborough street which will probably become a much nicer street soon

Like the way the red line transformed the city between Jervis and Smithfield? :P

Ush1

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Thats true of any small journeys in central areas on most commuter systems though, like you'd be mental to get the tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden (extreme example admittedly, but theres lot of small Tube journeys which would be quicker above ground). The time savings become better the longer the journey is.

Though even a short 4/5 stop journey on the Luas will be more attractive than walking in extreme weather or when carrying lots of shopping.

I'm not familiar with your example but at least you'd be underground waiting on the tube and so not exposed to the elements.

Like if you're going Abbey street to Stephens Green say and you just got off the red line, I think you'd be mad to wait ten minutes to get another tram when it's probably 15 minutes odd walking.

Jamie2k9

markpb wrote: »

Glencairn luas stop was mobbed this morning. People were queuing four deep along the entire length of the platform at 8:20.

Is there a reason why the new trams are due to enter service 2-3 months after the extension opened?

The first one takes a little longer to commission however I suspect they may have deliberately delayed the entry into service until things settle down on the extension. A few months ago they planned to start longer ones soon after it opened.
_________

Again at 12.30 in the day two trains 30 seconds apart, both had good loads. Scheduling needs to be addressed asap.

LeinsterDub

Ush1 wrote: »

I'm not familiar with your example but at least you'd be underground waiting on the tube and so not exposed to the elements.

Like if you're going Abbey street to Stephens Green say and you just got off the red line, I think you'd be mad to wait ten minutes to get another tram when it's probably 15 minutes odd walking.

If it's lashing rain and the next tram is only 10 minutes away I'd wait. If its a fine summers day I'll take a wonder up Grafton St.

wakka12

markpb wrote: »

Glencairn luas stop was mobbed this morning. People were queuing four deep along the entire length of the platform at 8:20.

Is there a reason why the new trams are due to enter service 2-3 months after the extension opened?



Like the way the red line transformed the city between Jervis and Smithfield? :P

Nahh..red line connects up a number of bad suburbs with some pretty **** city centre areas and then onto the docklands which hasn't really blossomed as imagined..Green line will link up a lot of well established social areas and affluent suburbs and highly trafficked areas to northern areas

Dyr

markpb wrote: »

Like the way the red line transformed the city between Jervis and Smithfield? :P

There's only one stop in between them and that's the courts...


The odd thing about Dublin is that so much of the city centre is not really utilized especially on the Northside, The Luas stops can only help.

LXFlyer

markpb wrote: »

Glencairn luas stop was mobbed this morning. People were queuing four deep along the entire length of the platform at 8:20.

Is there a reason why the new trams are due to enter service 2-3 months after the extension opened?

That’s hardly surprising if the revised schedule has three less departures during the key morning peak period from 07:30 to 08:30.

They’re not arriving until the New Year - clearly they were delayed for some reason. They wont be in service until February.

The first of them has been delivered but has to undergo an extensive period of testing (it’s done at nignt) before it can be commissioned into service.

But cutting the existing service and causing serious delays for people getting into work just to provide the new one (and keep the politicians happy) is nothing short of disgraceful.

AngryLips

Frankly the suggestion of delaying opening this line because of insufficient rolling stock seems ridiculous. Of course, totally agree the rolling stock should have been in place from the launch date, but not way should they have delayed it.

511

How long does it take for the Luas to travel from St. Stephen's Green to O'Connell Street at 15:30? It used to take me 20 minutes to power-walk from the Institute of Education on Leeson Street to my bus on Lower Abbey Street, so I'm curious how much the Luas would have saved me if they built it back then.

LeinsterDub

markpb wrote: »

Like the way the red line transformed the city between Jervis and Smithfield? :P

Capel St has experienced a massive gentrification in recent years.

LXFlyer

AngryLips wrote: »

Frankly the suggestion of delaying opening this line because of insufficient rolling stock seems ridiculous. Of course, totally agree the rolling stock should have been in place from the launch date, but not way should they have delayed it.

So you think it is ok to reduce the number of trams from Brides Glen in the morning peak by 33% to facilitate the extension?

I seriously doubt anyone affected by that reduction would agree with you.

wakka12

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Capel St has experienced a massive gentrification in recent years.

smithfield is a cool area too now, with the most booked hostel in europe in the mains square ! So Id say they did a good job of regenerating smithfield too.

ArmaniJeanss

Ush1 wrote: »

I'm not familiar with your example but at least you'd be underground waiting on the tube and so not exposed to the elements.

CoventG to Leicester Sq is a little bit infamous as one that tourists do because they don't know the geography, takes about 3 minutes walking but best case 5 minutes by Tube from station door to station door.

Ush1 wrote: »

Like if you're going Abbey street to Stephens Green say and you just got off the red line, I think you'd be mad to wait ten minutes to get another tram when it's probably 15 minutes odd walking.

You have that on every part of the system though, if I get off an intercity train at Heuston planning on going to Smithfield and the next tram is in 10 minutes time then I'd be better off walking. But that doesn't mean that having trams that go from Heuston to Smithfield is wrong.

hmmm

LXFlyer wrote: »

So you think it is ok to reduce the number of trams from Brides Glen in the morning peak by 33% to facilitate the extension?

I seriously doubt anyone affected by that reduction would agree with you.

Agreed, existing commuters who have made work & living choices based on current service levels should be a priority - not future commuters on a new route.

Idbatterim

511 wrote: »

How long does it take for the Luas to travel from St. Stephen's Green to O'Connell Street at 15:30? It used to take me 20 minutes to power-walk from the Institute of Education on Leeson Street to my bus on Lower Abbey Street, so I'm curious how much the Luas would have saved me if they built it back then.

this is the problem, it varies massively depending on the time of day, if something happens to be blocking the line etc!

Ush1

LeinsterDub wrote: »

If it's lashing rain and the next tram is only 10 minutes away I'd wait. If its a fine summers day I'll take a wonder up Grafton St.

I guess but you'd be lashed on either way. Just seems a lot of disruption to me and not solving much of a problem.

Ush1

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

CoventG to Leicester Sq is a little bit infamous as one that tourists do because they don't know the geography, takes about 3 minutes walking but best case 5 minutes by Tube from station door to station door.



You have that on every part of the system though, if I get off an intercity train at Heuston planning on going to Smithfield and the next tram is in 10 minutes time then I'd be better off walking. But that doesn't mean that having trams that go from Heuston to Smithfield is wrong.

But is it not supposed to be getting you quickly "across the city"? Like, between the Red and old Green line stops. It probably makes sense for certain journeys but I can't see the sense in it myself.

donvito99

Similar shenanigans tonight at Pearse Street. Southbound tram stuck for two sequences that I witnessed.

LeinsterDub

Ush1 wrote: »

I guess but you'd be lashed on either way. Just seems a lot of disruption to me and not solving much of a problem.

You're being a bit rediculous now. The stops have covers and I'd rather a 60 second walk to transfer/30 sprint than 15 minutes getting soaked to the bone.