BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

I live near the S8 and used it quite a few times in the last week - it's a great local link service (I use the Luas for main commute). BUT - and I know this is somewhat controversial - these new bus routes (incl L25 and S6) are going onto roads where the changes made to filter lanes are causing huge traffic delays. In most cases these changes are to facilitate cycle lanes but the increased traffic congestion (and it can be significant) is catching the buses as well. I think there's some hard choices to be made here as the cycle lanes are underutilised but there seem to be many more people at the bus stops since S8 launched.

Roads like Newtownpark Ave (S8) and Carysfort Ave (114) have much longer tailbacks than they used to because cars can't turn left/right without holding up more traffic. it's the same in Deansgrange where cars can't move out of the way at the supervalu or the NCT centre and also cause tailbacks for 46A etc. (Roadworks in Deansgrange have obviously made it worse again)

Well the cars can't turn as easily because there are now restrictions there to facilitate the cycle lanes (which weren't there 12 or 18 months ago). So you can blame the cars or the cycle lanes but the point is that the newer bus routes are more reliant on these roads as they are running perpendicular to the main routes (which usually have bus lanes). It's definitely very bad at peak times but it's not unusual to see this later in the evenings as well (around 7/8pm) or at weekends.

Also, while it doesn't affect me personally, if the intention of these newer services is that you would combine one route with another to get to your destination (as some earlier posters were saying), then I think it's important that they are moving as fast as they possibly can (acknowledging that some of these roads won't fit in a dedicated bus lane)

Thank you to the person who posted the link to the overall map for new routes.

big-picture-map-170920-oe-web.pdf

I note that this is dated 2020. Is it the best map ? I wish there was a map showing where the busstops are for the routes. I see our nearest bus (no 11) is gone and replaced by the 86 but for the moment there are still 11's running into city from the Beacon.

Google Maps shows the stops and the route very clearly, if you select the bus route number, after selecting a stop in the App.

Not sure if its fully up to date, but its pretty accurate.

If the data says they should, then they should.

No point being ideological for the sake of it.

How is the S6 getting on with the traffic lights in Goatstown at peak times? While its physically a shorter route from Dundrum to UCD than the 17's route via Bird Ave and Roebuck Rd, the tailbacks at that junction can be epic and there is no bus lane (unless they threw one in at the last minute).

This was my original point - I think it's far more important to make the BusConnects work and work properly. If there was obvious and widespread use of the cycle lanes then there might be a reason to reconsider but there really isn't and there's no point celebrating making life more difficult for car users if the buses are queued up behind them. We will only get people out of their cars if regular and reliable alternatives are provided and those alternatives are then made better than driving. This is the case on the N11 where the bus lanes allow buses to move ahead of traffic congestion and at peak times all of these services are fully utilised.

On the roads being used by newer routes such as the S8 and S6 by all means let's get bus lanes in but if they can't then I think it's imperative to keep the buses moving even if that by default keeps the cars moving.

Yeah I agree. I have to say, as a cyclist myself, obviously in an ideal world it would be great if we had segregated cycle lanes. Of course, we can't always find the space for to have both bus and cycle lanes, which is understandable. But I find bus lanes to be nearly as good as cycle lanes. The bus only comes every few minutes, it is relatively straightforward to overtake and once you're ahead of it you're grand, as the bus will inevitably have to stop again which puts you ahead of it even more.

For instance, on the Rathfarnham CBC, in the ABP application they have now decided to have just cycle lanes between Bushy Park Road junction and the Dodder Park Road junction. No bus lanes. On the preferred route proposal, there were just bus lanes with no cycle lanes. Now I'm not complaining as the cycle lanes will obviously benefit cyclists. But on this stretch, once the A Spine is operational, there will only be buses every six minutes. Frequent yes, but not like every two minutes or anything. I think a better solution would have been to keep the bus lanes. It means cyclists can get through when buses aren't there, and more importantly, buses are well able to get through ahead of traffic. Under the ABP proposal, the bus will now be stuck in traffic. This stretch of road is one of the worst bottlenecks on the Rathfarnham corridor. I've spent a crazy amount if time stuck on the 16 or 15b in this section over the years.

Was part of a conversation in work today. Colleagues are of the opinion that the luas is less frequent in the IFSC area since the bus connects changes in the area.

I don't normally use the luas so doesn't ordinarily affect me but was looking to get a luas towards city centre last Friday and the next tram from Spencer Dock was in 18 minutes. Apparently its a fairly regular occurrence when colleagues leave the office that they'd be waiting that long for a tram despite the advertised frequency.

I presume they are putting two and two together and getting five?

A quick look at the Luas twitter page will show almost daily delays on the red line with Luas stating a number of trams are out of service due to essential maintenance.

It's more a case of Luas having their own issues rather than bus connects meaning a luas frequency reduction

The tram burnt out was a green line tram not a red line one.

no, he's right. It's a separate fleet of trams on the two lines as the green line trams are now too long for the red line. They only very rarely move them from one line to another (though I suppose they may have moved a red line tram onto the green line to fill in the gap from the vandalised unit).