BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

LXFlyer · 06-11-2023 5:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333169#Comment_121333169

No the 71 won’t be part of the next phase.

I refer you to my earlier posts on the phasing a couple of pages back.

LXFlyer · 06-11-2023 5:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121219008#Comment_121219008

Once again - links to how the phasing should likely pan out….

Citrus_8 · 06-11-2023 6:55pm

DB just announced an additional departure from Lower Abbey Street at 05.40hrs, Monday to Friday. Is it aimed to those who take 9am flights? I don't understand the choice of this odd timing.

VG31 · 06-11-2023 7:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121332760#Comment_121332760

Basically if you want to get to the airport late at night take Aircoach/DX, yes more expensive, but basically this is what they are here for.

That's fine if you're coming from the city centre but there's no alternative to the 41 at night from Whitehall/Beaumont/Santry.

bk · 06-11-2023 8:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333663#Comment_121333663

Or most of the rest of the city that doesn’t have 24/7 routes either, which is sort of this conversation.

Though I do think whatever route is serving the airport (A routes in future) should have the greatest frequency and capacity of any of the 24/7 routes. Specially when you consider that N4 feeding into it 24/7 too.

Bec123 · 06-11-2023 8:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333343#Comment_121333343

Ah so 71 should be in the one after this one? It can’t come soon enough! 😂

lateconnection · 06-11-2023 8:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333169#Comment_121333169

Nothing official yet, but there have been absolutely loads of out of service buses doing driver training on all the southside orbital routes in the last few weeks. I'm now seeing them almost daily, sometimes a few times a day. So I'd say they are definitely going to happen this time round in late November, I think Sunday 26th may have been mentioned before. There wasn't anywhere near the number of buses out training coming up to previously rumoured launch dates, so hopefully it's a good sign, fingers crossed. These routes will be game-changers when they start. When the western orbitals launched back in June, the NTA announcement wasn't made until around two weeks beforehand if I recall.

Midnight_EG · 06-11-2023 9:46pm

November 26th, routes 74 and L25 at least with DB

AX636 · 07-11-2023 1:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121334410#Comment_121334410

And S2

AX636 · 07-11-2023 1:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333591#Comment_121333591

The 5:30 does usually be full by the time it hits mountjoy square, this new departure will help for staff that work at the airport that can't get onto the 5:30 41

bk · 07-11-2023 10:36am

White knights will rush to NTA defense and blame DB, but any objective analysis will see where the real problem is.

It is DB’s responsibility to hire, train and retain staff. DB are also responsible for staff shift schedules, etc.

I do wonder if DB management are laughing at staff who think it is the NTA fault, a convenient whipping boy for their own issues.

The truth is the issues are larger than just DB, NTA, etc. and are economy wide (housing, record low unemployment, etc.).

dublinman1990 · 08-11-2023 8:31pm

There is a very disappointing update about the BusConnects CBC consultation for the Bray to City Centre corridor.

1,853 people have put down their signatures on a petition of a Wicklow TD from Sinn Fein to oppose the closure of the Herbert Road Junction to facilitate buses on the N11.

https://www.eastcoast.fm/news/wicklow-news/petition-submitted-opposing-plans-to-close-herbert-park-junction-in-bray/

Do you think that this move from John Brady is shortsighted when the NTA are trying to deliver improved bus services to Bray under the E-Spine along with other routes serving the corridor. I wouldn't say that it is a disaster for bus passengers; it impacts cars a lot more though for good reason if you're trying to address reducing the amount of the climate emissions on a major road artery which links both Dublin and North Wicklow.

devnull · 08-11-2023 8:37pm

I though Sinn Fein were supposed to be a pro public transport party?

At the end of the day the changes that are proposed are for the benefit of public transport users and the way forward is to prioritise public transport over car users. Sinn Fein themselves have said that people cannot shift from private to public transport if no viable alternatives are available and here they are blocking a viable from alternative to be made because the local politician has saw which way the wind blows and decided to follow it like the usual Parish Pump politics we have in Ireland.

Also this TD in particular has been very vocal about Go Ahead Ireland cancelling services in the past but didn't seem to be aware about the fact that Dublin Bus also have a driver shortage have been doing the same. Unfortunately many of the politicians in the likes of Sinn Fein are the kind of people who if a publicly owned operate cancelled 5 and a private 2, they'd crow like hell about the 2 private cancelled whilst ignoring the public operator cancelling more, because it's all about ideology rather than quality services for them.

Personally I will always support better public transport networks and infrastructure and I completely agree with Sinn Fein's standpoint that we must provide viable alternatives to the private car. Now all they need to do is make sure their own politicians actually back it up.

LXFlyer · 08-11-2023 9:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121343257#Comment_121343257

Given the large number of lower frequency GAI routes around Bray, the impact of cancellations would be far greater on them than on the local DB routes. Context is important!

noelfirl · 10-11-2023 3:23pm

Woot. Phase 5b - southern orbitals, will go live on 26th of November.

Phase 5b Southern Orbitals

I see a route L55, which was not something that was in the original final plan. So once an hour buses will continue to carry mostly thin air up and down the Old Lucan Road 🙄

LXFlyer · 10-11-2023 3:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351228#Comment_121351228

I wouldn’t be quite that cynical.

It maintains a link between Palmerstown & Ballyfermot which will be removed by these changes, and also a link between Ballyfermot and Chapelizod which is also being removed.

It’s a genuine PSO service facilitating older people at either end of the route which is a good thing.

Stillnotworking · 10-11-2023 3:38pm

So does that mean that the F spine wont go live on the 26th November?

LXFlyer · 10-11-2023 3:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351326#Comment_121351326

No - that was never going to happen given that the phase before it, this one, the southside orbitals had not happened.

It won’t be until sometime next year when they have the drivers and funding to do it.

Stillnotworking · 10-11-2023 3:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351351#Comment_121351351

As ever, thanks for the update. Good to know.

tom1ie · 10-11-2023 3:52pm

This may have already been answered on here but does anyone know when the orbital QBC infrastructure is due to start?

I was sitting behind a packed 15B stuck in traffic on scholarstown road/ballyboden way, where there is a large grass verge either side of the road that would make a fine QBC.

This would link into the QBC on taylors lane.

The QBC should also be extended to the old mill pub via killinniny road

LXFlyer · 10-11-2023 3:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351399#Comment_121351399

There are no plans for any orbital infrastructure as yet. They will follow the radial ones - I’d not be holding my breath if I were you.

Given that they have lodged 12 planning applications for the radial corridors with ABP recently, the focus will be on getting them up and running I imagine.

tom1ie · 10-11-2023 4:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351436#Comment_121351436

oh i see- i thought they at least had some plans showing possible routes or something?

fair enough so the poor aul 15B will be stuck in traffic for a while yet!

TheChrisD · 10-11-2023 4:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351228#Comment_121351228

I suspect the L55 is a temporary thing in place until the 80 starts running?

stop · 10-11-2023 4:21pm

So much for the S2 plan to use Steeven's lane - another sign of lack of ambition of Bus Connects - lets send the route on a detour James' St to the Quays instead.

Eagerly awaiting nonsense of S4 (new route for western section of 18) being separated from Drimnagh Road routes - no mention of these routes as an 'interchange' point in the list of interchanges.

L55 will last about as long as the 221, but will tick the box of 'listening' to those who participated in the consultation.

Some of the 'destinations' on the map are laughable - 74 has Terenure College - maybe to reassure its students the passengers from Crumlin & Whitechurch are being kept away?

Lots of Golf Clubs included, are they trying to reach a new cohort of passengers? Might need larger rack space on the buses if so?

LXFlyer · 10-11-2023 4:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351545#Comment_121351545

To be fair - the 18 does carry reasonable numbers of people making local journeys between Palmerstown and Ballyfermot - it’s not as if it’s unused.

I think the L55 might end up being used a bit more than some of you might think.

I imagine that there would have to be infrastructure changes to allow buses use Dr. Steeven’s Lane and Seán Heuston Bridge - they may follow in advance of the O finally launching.

stop · 10-11-2023 5:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351567#Comment_121351567

With all the delays on hiring etc, they could have long ago come up with a solution for Dr. Steeven's lane - I just don't believe they have that kind of ambition.

What do you think about the S4 potentially being separated from existing routes on the Drimnagh Road? There is form for this with the W4 not sharing stops with the 13/68/151.

LXFlyer · 10-11-2023 5:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121351777#Comment_121351777

Looking at the stop listings on www.bustimes.org, the S4 will use the exact same stops as the 18 does along the Drimnagh Road but with one additional stop, stop 7958 westbound at St. Mary’s Drive.

That stop won’t be served by any other routes for now, I suspect for the simple reason that all of the other timetables would have have to be redone with the addition of that stop (adding stops to a route is somewhat more complicated nowadays).

There are a few examples of this on other newly “BusConnected” routes too and I suspect that when the later phases happen you’ll see the other routes start to serve these extra stops.

But, given that the existing stops will still be served, I’d not be too worried about it.