BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

A proposed schedule for the N4 has been posted for staff perusal in Harristown garage. The Mon-Fri schedule would see 24 buses in service.

Perhaps the most important bit is the nine night duties every day - yes, in case this hasn't been announced before, the N4 will be a 24-hour route. The handover times would suggest a 30-minute nighttime frequency similar to the other routes already offering this service.

I knew that Anne Graham along with Hugh Creegan would be the main people to listen to when they have the official leeway in how to proceed with these matters regarding public transport infrastructure and the like. They are not always perfect tbf albeit with the staff on their ranks. But they are making great attempts to improve the situation bit by bit even though some of it can be frustrating to deal with at times.

I would say that the Dublin Commuter Coalition will give them a very big roasting on how the NTA are deal with all of the pressure of getting these projects out especially when looking at all of the elements of BusConnects during the Covid pandemic. The NTA had to overcome huge challenges within the current period to actually try and get these projects out as fast as they could to members of the public.

When we look at the Spine-C rollout to date; the various news items about the low passenger numbers are using the routes are not a good start to people who live in Lucan, Leixlip, Maynooth & Adamstown. It's not particularly good to hear that the W4/W6 are now not due to go out until April 2023. The rollout of the N4/N6 being delayed until late May of this year is still not good news either even though they were meant to be out at the start of this year.

The constant changing around of the phases that was undertaken for the new bus routes to launch in Dublin that was also done in-between that time has been done in a very haphazard fashion as well. When you talk about the actual phases for these new routes to be rolled out even though they get switched around to new dates all the time makes it a head-wreck for the passenger who actually has to use these routes which makes the perception of it so far to be very poor.

Members of the public who may rely on these new routes later on could be very frustrated with the lack of movement on the ground to actually get them out in their areas on time. That could also open the NTA up to a lot of criticism of the members of the transport committee which will take place just after lunchtime. The leap card 90 minute fare is a step in the right direction to allow passengers pay for cheaper journeys for their public transport in GDA.

The committee hearing is live on Oireachtas TV today at 1:30pm if anyone wants to have a look at it.

Positive indication that the O bus will be 24hr . Very welcome.

Wow, the taxi drivers will be really on the back foot in the next year or two. 24hr orbitals is impressive and something that is actually frustratingly absent I'm other European capitals, even in London!

iirc, FreeNow's General Manager even mentioned in a recent interview how Dublin needs better night-time public transport

How would it be any more a waste of resources than making the 27 24hr. I'd agree the 27 should be 24hr too but I don't see the advantage of making it 24hr before the 46a/155. My only argument is I'd think it would make more sense to make the 7/a 24hr than the 46a as the 7/a would cover more areas such as Ballsbridge, Blackrock and Sallynoggin whereas the 46a would cover much the same areas as the 155.

Trivial matter in the middle of the bigger picture, but what entity would a person contact regarding the siting of bus stops on a route does anyone know?

This is relation to an elderly relative who uses the no 26 from Chapelizod to Liffey Valley regularly. There is no bus stop from Whitethorn stop 4796 until the entrance to Liffey Valley, a distance of around 1.5 k. He cannot browse around Halfords or anything in the Retail Park, nor can he stroll to the mega Tesco in LV without a rather long walk and he is unable to do it.

Just want to check for him with the right people that either it will stay the same or not going forward.

Halfords to stop 2686 is 300 metres and from Tesco to the same stop is 400 metres. LV bus terminus will be closer to the pedestrian bridge. Road works are currently in place. Hopefully, a current LV will stay and a new one on the opposite side of the road will be installed.

Just double checked and you're very right! I through a bus use a bus stop on the opposite side of the road towards LV but that's not the case because the stop is too close to the junction and the 26 has to take the inner lane to make a right turn. There definitely should be a bus stop just after the turn, somewhere between Curries and McDonald's.

Just jumping in to add my well done if the N4 does go over to 24 operation.

If it works out that they have the N4 crossing the Swords Road say 10 minutes before a 41 is due outbound, it could open up some very good €2.00 trips to the airport for people right across the Northside. Quick change there and off to the airport. It also brings in various new connections like never before.

If they are leaving Spencer Dock at xx:30, it would be fair to assume that you would easily make the :00 departure on the 41 at Sword's Road stop 1620 for the airport. I would have the off peak driving time on a bus for that of around 25-27 minutes. Leaving around 14-12 minutes to hop off, and walk to stop 1620 for a Swords bound bus.

Coming the other direction, the walk from stop 212 to 1620 is very short and handy to changeover. It would be great to have these night time opportunities for workers and passengers to get to the airport. Naturally there are a lot of other journeys that can be made, but the airport is a huge employment and travelling hub.

There isn't enough room for the N6 to stop at the same stops as the Swords Road routes tho, do you mean that they will be positioned closer to each other?

Yes - I have no doubt the Spencer Dock to Airport/Swords connection will be possible - the Blanch/Finglas to Airport/Swords one appears to be tight, however! ;)

EDIT. Big fat correction - nighttime Blanch departures are proposed at x.25/x.55, with DCU handovers proposed 32-33 minutes later. Nah, it'll make it quite well in time for the 41s, and provided the A spine retains decent timings once it kicks in, it really provides no reason for a 24-hour N8.