BusConnects Dublin - Bus Network Changes Discussion

You say that "The A spine will be one of the biggest blows to the communities in the Dublin City region"

If you break it down into specifics, on both the North and South side, the A spine is going to be a big improvement on what's currently available, especially when the physical infrastructure will be completed which will cut journey times.

The A spine will provide more frequent, more direct and more diverse cross-city routes for communities. They will be 24/7 services, also an improvement on the current limited 41 and 15 routes being 24/7.

The 1 currently ends on Shaw Street. The A1, its replacement, will run out to Knocklyon. That's an improved direct cross city connection. 

The 41 (currently every 20 mins) will be replaced by the more frequent A4 (every 12 minutes). There's another big positive change. 

The A3 provides DCU with its own very frequent bus route that terminates there, which is a big improvement on the infrequent 44 that is currently there. On the other side of the city, the A3 will provide a very frequent connection between Tallaght, Templeogue and Terenure (every 12 minutes) Big improvement compared to the 65 bus once every 2 hours currently and the other very infrequent 65B. 

The A2 and A4 will run to Dundrum Town Centre, which is a big improvement in connectivity to Dundrum from areas like Portobello, Rathmines, Rathgar, Terenure, Rathfarnham and Ballinteer. Dundrum is a major trip generator in the area but is only served by one very frequent one bus route from town currently, the 14. Currently, the 16 illogically ends at the Kingston Roundabout in Ballinteer, with no direct connection to one of the largest shopping centres in Ireland which is only down the road. The current setup makes no sense. If the 16 were extended to the shopping centre, passengers numbers would hugely increase. Busconnects is going to fix this anomaly, which is a great improvement. The A4 will also bring back a direct bus connection to Nutgrove Shopping Centre from town, which was lost a few years ago under Network Direct. Another good change.

The thing I don't like with the narrative on Busconnects is that people say things like "this will be terrible, it's going to destroy the community". Comments like this are incredibly generalised, vague, nebulous and lacking in any specifics. If you break it down, there's nothing substantial underpinning it, only an irrational fear of change. If you actually look at the specifics of the changes, there are alot of positive changes that will really improve connectivity. 

Yes, people have a right to object to their gardens being CPO'd. However, this is being done to cut bus journey times. It's being done for a good reason. It shouldn't take 1 hour 20 minutes to travel only 5km by bus from Rathfarnham to town. Yet that's what currently happens and some people bizarrely want to keep the status quo.

Don't get me wrong, there are faults with busconnects. I think the NTA could have been more ambitious re CPOing land and examined building demolition at certain pinch points. They should have stood up to residents associations which were never active for years and then all of a sudden come out of the woodwork with very generalised statements like "this is going to destroy the community" when they can't specifically explain why this is the case. The NTA should introduce tri-axle double decker buses like the Volvo B8L in Singapore that can hold nearly 140 people versus the current Dublin Buses that carry 90 people. But for the most part, Busconnects is a big improvement on what's there currently.

I'm not saying that BusConnects is a bad project or anything but like when the northern half of the 44 is going to be removed, it is likely it it will either terminate at Parnell Square or Earlsfort Terrace like the 40 currently is. However, for those who need to go to the DCU/Whitehall region, they have to wish farewell for a direct service from Millmount Terrace to the City, as the S4 only goes to Rathgar, which from there you have to interchange with the 15 and the other routes to get to the City. I guess time is valuable and I mean, very valuable here.

Keep in note that the 44D operates a morning service only (to the city) (06:30, 07:30)

To go with the Driver Recrumient, RTÉ reported that Dublin Bus needs more female drivers, could this link to busConnects? Only 6% are female drivers, so this has no link with BusConnects if you look at the statistics from an angle.

To be honest numerous posters now have given you the alternatives to the current routes.

I fail to see how you continually beat the same drum at this stage.

While some areas of the city may lose the direct service they currently have, if you look at the overall picture the vast majority are being replaced by high frequency feeder routes connected to high frequency spine routes. I recall recently with the removal of the 75 for example there were complaints that the requirement for some areas to use connecting buses would increase journey times, it did the opposite and has decreased them.

Probably meant that due to BC we need more drivers to launch new phases. Women are expecting lower wages and it's an exciting job to them while men are usually more pragmatic. Linking with BC would make sense in the beginning, but not now, though.

Notice a lot of bunching on the S4 last night I saw two S4s right behind one another coming out of UCD. So buses are obviously leaving the terminus right behind each other.

Regularly see three or four of them bunched together on the Kylemore Road also. Surely more effort should be made to keep an even headway on this service.

Agree, the airport should see A1, D4, E1 (via Northwood). 22 should be A5 and a new 22 could be with a variation in Swords, but through the airport and lower frequency. 19 could do to Harristown depot.

From my point of view the Bus Connects project is really about keeping buses on the main routes and taking them out of local housing estates. Where I live, we are served by the 83. It is going to cause a much longer walk for elderly/mobility challenged customers to make appointments at the Mater hospital and other hospitals.

An E3 Brides Glen-Airport would make logical sense would put extra capacity on the N11 and Ballymun corridor and most importantly give the airport extra capacity.

Would serving the airport not be a key feature of busconnects?

The car parks can often be full at the airport as it is. Once the passenger cap is lifted, there are going to be a lot of people getting dropped off/collected at the airport via car if they arent on a bus/taxi.

The 23/24 are a significant improvement to the 83 on the Northside. I can't see how anyone loses out. The 83 doesn't server the Mater anyway.

Tolka Estate will go from the 83a once an hour (off-peak only) to the 23 every 20 minutes.

The North part of Ballygall Road East and Willow Park will also benefit as there is (almost) no bus route serving there currently.

The overall frequency will also be an improvement on the 83 - from approximately every 15 minutes to a combined frequency across the 23 and 24 of 10 minutes.

The only "loss" in the city centre is the 23/24 won't go down the Quays and Westmoreland Street/D'Olier Street but it makes far more sense to change buses rather than have the buses going in such a roundabout route.

Surely generating more traffic is exactly what is needed. And having a reduction planned on the Swords Rd means more capacity will be needed to the airport.

This will require a higher frequency for sure, but the airport already slams capacity on the 16 and 41 a certain times of the day, so much so people are left behind.

This will be worse with BC. By extending the E1 through Northwood and on to the airport (a no brainier considering how close it is), and that it will link up a whole massive spine with a 24 hour service to the airport (brilliant for workers), it really should be considered.