CILT: Transport 21 Midterm Review

monument

There's a bit of talk about the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland's Transport 21 Midterm Review, so here's the full report (PDF).

The report is by Professor Austin Smyth of the University of Westminster in association with Edward Humphreys and Stephen Wood.

The press release and report were released last week.

The key messages, as per the report, are:

1. Circumstances have changed radically since 2006 and government will not be able to spend at the rate envisaged – an average of €3 billion per annum.
   
2. In general the road schemes were constructed on time (and budget) broadly as expected. In contrast, uncertainty now arises over the remaining public transport investment under T21.
   
3. The road schemes have reduced journey times. However, these improvements have undermined rail’s competitiveness. There is a need to balance the Major Inter Urban road schemes with others to save energy, reduce emissions and promote denser spatial development.
   
4. Multi-modal strategies are recommended for the major inter urban corridors, including road pricing of key National roads or increases in fuel duty, investment in higher speed rail and express coach services, rationalisation of financial support for domestic air travel, and a clear policy on freight movement.
   
5. For the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) on the basis of value for money priority should be given to DART Underground and Luas Cross-City over Metro North.
   
6. Urban road user charging and stronger planning procedures are also recommended within the GDA.
   
7. Practical multi-modal sustainable transport plans are recommended for other cities and towns including public transport improvements, walk and cycle networks, parking management and behavioural change programmes.

DWCommuter

monument wrote: »

There's a bit of talk about the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland's Transport 21 Midterm Review, so here's the full report (PDF).

The report is by Professor Austin Smyth of the University of Westminster in association with Edward Humphreys and Stephen Wood.

The press release and report were released last week.

The key messages, as per the report, are:

1. Circumstances have changed radically since 2006 and government will not be able to spend at the rate envisaged – an average of €3 billion per annum.
   
2. In general the road schemes were constructed on time (and budget) broadly as expected. In contrast, uncertainty now arises over the remaining public transport investment under T21.
   
3. The road schemes have reduced journey times. However, these improvements have undermined rail’s competitiveness. There is a need to balance the Major Inter Urban road schemes with others to save energy, reduce emissions and promote denser spatial development.
   
4. Multi-modal strategies are recommended for the major inter urban corridors, including road pricing of key National roads or increases in fuel duty, investment in higher speed rail and express coach services, rationalisation of financial support for domestic air travel, and a clear policy on freight movement.
   
5. For the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) on the basis of value for money priority should be given to DART Underground and Luas Cross-City over Metro North.
   
6. Urban road user charging and stronger planning procedures are also recommended within the GDA.
   
7. Practical multi-modal sustainable transport plans are recommended for other cities and towns including public transport improvements, walk and cycle networks, parking management and behavioural change programmes.

Yet another endorsement of DART Underground yet IE and Government continue to plod along in la la land.

Jack Noble

monument wrote: »

There's a bit of talk about the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland's Transport 21 Midterm Review, so here's the full report (PDF).

The report is by Professor Austin Smyth of the University of Westminster in association with Edward Humphreys and Stephen Wood.

The press release and report were released last week.

The key messages, as per the report, are:

1. Circumstances have changed radically since 2006 and government will not be able to spend at the rate envisaged – an average of €3 billion per annum.
2. In general the road schemes were constructed on time (and budget) broadly as expected. In contrast, uncertainty now arises over the remaining public transport investment under T21.
3. The road schemes have reduced journey times. However, these improvements have undermined rail’s competitiveness. There is a need to balance the Major Inter Urban road schemes with others to save energy, reduce emissions and promote denser spatial development.
4. Multi-modal strategies are recommended for the major inter urban corridors, including road pricing of key National roads or increases in fuel duty, investment in higher speed rail and express coach services, rationalisation of financial support for domestic air travel, and a clear policy on freight movement.
5. For the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) on the basis of value for money priority should be given to DART Underground and Luas Cross-City over Metro North.
6. Urban road user charging and stronger planning procedures are also recommended within the GDA.
7. Practical multi-modal sustainable transport plans are recommended for other cities and towns including public transport improvements, walk and cycle networks, parking management and behavioural change programmes.

On this point there are two major flaws in this analysis.

1. Dart Underground is probably three years away from construction even being ready to start (late-2013 to early 2014) as it is still in the early stages of the railway order process with ABP. DartU is also a PPP and is at an early stage of procurement. The project is far behind Metro North on both counts.

2. The cross-city Luas (BX) has been delayed because (a) it has been decided to build it together with Metro North so O'Connell Street is not dug up twice in the space of a matter of years and (b) it has been joined with the Luas D line to (Broombridge) to build together as BXD and that line is at RO stage before ABP. The plan is to start construction in 2014 AFTER Metro North works on OCS and Parnell Sq are complete to minimise disruption in the area.

Metro North, on the other hand, will be ready to begin construction in early to mid-2012 - assuming the final PPP tender is acceptable to govt and the project is approved by Cabinet.

At this stage, if MetroN is delayed in favour of DartU and Luas BXD, then it will probably kill the PPP option for DU - meaning govt has to come up between €3billion and €4billion between 2012 and 2020 to fund DartU (and related Dart projects such as KRP2) and Luas BXD as well as MN station boxes and associated works on OCS/Parnell. Or else dig up OCS and Luas track again in 10 years to build Metro North.

This simply doesn't make sense at this stage and a deeper analysis of all three projects will show that.

But, ultimately, a new govt will make the decisions and it won't have the figures in front of them until the final PPP tenders for Metro North are submitted in May/June and the CBA updated. Only then will the costs be known and whether MetroN is affordable and worth proceeding with now.

Jack Noble

DWCommuter wrote: »

Yet another endorsement of DART Underground yet IE and Government continue to plod along in la la land.

DWC

I don't think anyone with an ounce of sense believes that DartU is not the single most important transport project in the country but the problem is the damage has now been done by this govt and IE due to inertia, dithering and delays on the part of both.

Metro North is the only project that is ready to begin construction at this stage - provided the PPP is affordable and favourable to the State. That is why it is now being prioritised. If the situation was reversed and DU was more advanced than MN then it would be prioritised.

As I have said before, DartU is now tied to MetroN - if MN is axed, then DU will probably go the same way unless the next govt commits to paying for it from exchequer funds and I simply cannot see that happening for at least five and probably 10 years or even longer.

Another problem is that DartU barely registers on the radar of politicians of all parties - MetroN does. Both will become political footballs in the general election but for different reasons. Metro because some want it built now while others want to delay it or don't want it built at all - DartU because it will be a NIMBY issue from opponents in East Wall and Inchicore and certain candidates have/will jump on the local bandwagons in their constituencies.

Chris_5339762

I've said this one before -

Metro North without Dart Underground makes sense.
Dart Underground without Metro North makes NO sense.

You HAVE to have that critical North-South link or DU doesnt cut it. That airport link too will be a massive thing, to build DU without that AND the Connolly - Stephens Green link would be madness.