Dublin Airport New Runway/Infrastructure.

Why not just build them near the airport?

Didn't matter a damn when the FF decentralisation wheeze was on the go.

And even with the best planning and execution, that bus could never be an attractive option for a driver: Driving to and parking in a multistorey at say Cherrywood, bringing (family/luggage/etc) down a lift, waiting up to 15 minutes for a bus and then sitting through 3+ rounds of exiting the motorway, driving to the car park near that exit, letting people load and then driving back to and rejoining the motorway, and ultimately being dropped at the airport bus stop. Never going to win against parking at the airport (even with tolls, parking fees and delays due to traffic or shuttle bus).

Enlarging/upgrading/incentivising the standard park+rides on the Green Line might be a better plan, even without the southside metro upgrade, but I'm not sure the owners of the P+Rs want or need to enhance scope for long term airport-related parking in their facilities.

Belfast situation is bad enough that it doesn't even have an obvious one to close. City is a much better airport for most people but the runway length is limited and non easily extendable. There are also very hard passenger and movement caps that are not likely to be extended; and they were close enough to the movement limit at Flybe 1's peak.

International is awful in every way, but has no limits.

Closing International to favour City would need the City movement limit and passenger cap doubled and require giving up on getting a NYC flight back etc.

Good to see new car park transfer buses in use, the old ones (think 2007 vintage) were certainly a bit worn out - nice leather seats (not much legroom) and mood lighting….the DAA must have a bit of spare cash considering they are raking it in from the car park fees! New buses are half the size of the ones they are replacing though so there might be capacity issues at peak times (unless they plan on increasing the frequency)?

In my opinion this is a terrible idea. We seem to grasp at any thing but the obvious: invest in peoper public transport links to the Airport, hopefully without decades of consultancy reports, reviews of these reports, planning delays, judicial reviews and all the other stuff which stans in the way of actually getting some real construction under way

Seriously, does anywhere else in the world contemplate such a Heath Robinson approach?

I know a few people who use the express bus from Red Cow to the airport. Not as P&R, but as a public transport interchange and their only complaint is the lack of frequency to the airport. However using a carrot and stick aproach, increased frequency with less attractive airport parking should be worth considering. similar from other Rail/DART stations.

If it wasn't for the lack of frequency I'd try it out as I live on the Dublin Bus G Spine with a frequent enough bus to the Red Cow. As it is I go through town and just take the 41 to the airport.

The only reason to look at that rather than *just build them at the airport itself* is Fingal are unlikely to allow more parking on site. That's it - there is no other reason to have them that far off-site.

Multi-storey long-term is generally uneconomic, everywhere. The structures are not cheap and require maintenance.

But they do make a good deal of money from the airport.

As bad as the daa carpark and buses are. It still is and will for a long time to come be a vastly better option to get to the airport than public transport for the majority of travelling public. We're a minimum 10 years away for metro and unless there is a major overlhaul of bus routes like Air Coach, then people will contuine to drive and park.

I would be more positive on metrolink going ahead but even when it does. Living in North Wicklow, it won't be hugely beneficial unless there is a reworking of current bus routes. Pre-covid the Bus Eireann 133 was a great service to the airport, but now it only goes to Busarse. Then there is Air Coach from Greystones but equally its service has slipped since pre covid and you still need to somehow meet up with aircoach. Other option is 184 to dart to airport. But as in previous post, drive and parking makes sense nearly every time unless solo travelling.

All that is away from Dublin airport though, so in the short term, its important to get the Quick park site opened up again, ideally with an independent operator but obviously its still better to have Daa than nobody.

Freudian slip or what! 😁