Dublin - BusConnects

Having many types of buses on offer to provide bus services to people who both live and work in Dublin does sound like a reasonably good idea in theory. However the problem is that the NTA and the bus operators like Dublin Bus & Go Ahead Ireland have to be smart in how they use their fleet for their routes in a proper way. They can't just allocate a bus to passengers when the local infrastructure offers them a lot of obstacles in their path when the bus is trying to provide that useful and efficient service.

One example that I can provide here (which maybe an outlier in fact) is in Blackrock Village & the Dart Station.

If you were driving the bus routes down to Blackrock Dart Station; the only bus that would be suitable for that location would be a mini-bus & a standard twin axle single deck/double deck bus. You wouldn't be able to fit a bendy bus or a tri-axle single deck bus or a coach down there at all as the bus terminus at the Dart Station is plonked in the middle of the access road that heads down into the car park of the station.

Since Covid came to us in 2020; the new cycle lane that was built in Blackrock Village is actually the main reason in restricting what type of bus can go down to either pick up or drop off bus passengers at the Dart Station.

If you are driving down to the Dart Station down along Rock Hill; which is the road going down to Blackrock Village near the traffic lights at Frascati Centre & Blackrock Village Centre; the car/bus traffic lane is located on the left hand side of that road with the bike lane being down on the right hand side.

When the bus gets to the traffic lights down to the station; it does not have a lot space to do a proper left turn. It is largely done in a very tight and very narrow fashion.

If the council in Dún Laoghaire had an proposal to switch the regular traffic lane and the bike lane from Rock Hill down to Central Cafe to having the bike lane on the left hand side and the general traffic lane on the right hand side of the road; I am not sure if that would make more sense. It would have helped the bus a lot of room to breathe to do a proper left turn to head down to the station.

I am not sure if there are any other examples from other posters here in where the local infrastructure currently provides obstacles to bus services offering efficient services in their own part of Dublin.

properly designed BRT should be more akin to a tram.

Properly designed BRT should be a tram. Belfast's Glider is a case in point. Gets stuck in traffic, uncomfortable to stand or get up in while moving. Nowhere near the capacity of a tram either. It looks a bit trammy though and that was the important thing..

Cherrywood or Saggart to the cc is a similar distance and journey time to all the trips you've outlined yet I never hear of this being an issue on the Luas.

No they aren’t - they are well under an hour.

And as another poster pointed out, there is a massive difference between standing on a tram and on a bus. They aren’t remotely comparable.

Just to add that no one is likely to be standing on the tram from the extremes of either route, but rather from points half way along, but the buses do fill up far quicker.

https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=2965723

https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/46039-2024

The National Transport Authority (NTA) intends to appoint a Client Partner with the appropriate capability and capacity to assist the NTA with the management and delivery of the Core Bus Corridors Infrastructure Works (CBCIW) in Dublin. CBCIW will provide approximately 230km of bus priority and approximately 200km of cycle routes. The CBCIW will be split into 12 schemes across the Greater Dublin Area and delivered in a phased approach. CBCIW will be led by the NTA, with the Client Partner providing support and day-to-day direction, leadership and management through scheme planning, development and on-site delivery. The Client Partner will also coordinate, oversee, direct and work collaboratively with delivery partners, including Design and Build Contractors once appointed, to ensure CBCIW is delivered effectively, efficiently and that its benefits are realised. The Client Partner services can be categorised into 7 broad areas: (1) Project Management Office (2) Commercial and Cost Management (3) Design and Technical Services (4) Framework Management, Local Authority Liaison and Technical Services (ITS) (5) Land, Property and Planning (6) Scheme Delivery and Integration (7) Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations. Further detail in relation to each area is contained within the procurement documents. The NTA will not be responsible for any costs, charges or expenses incurred by Candidates or Tenderers relating to this competition, irrespective of the outcome, or if the competition is cancelled or postponed. All costs incurred by interested parties in participating in this competition must be borne by them. The NTA may terminate this competition (or part of it), change the competition's basis or procedures, procure the contract by other means, negotiate with one or more parties at any time, or to do any combination of the foregoing or anything else deemed appropriate. In no instance will the NTA be required to give any reason for any alteration or termination of the process. The most economically advantageous or any tender will not automatically be accepted. The summaries given within this document, or in other information given to Candidates, must not be taken as comprehensive, or as a substitute for reading the procurement documents themselves. Given the long-term duration of the contract, as well as the nature of the services to be provided (which depend on the delivery programme for the underlying Schemes), it is not possible to provide a definitive estimate of the value of the contract. The estimated value stated within this notice represents the NTA’s best estimate at this stage, but the actual value of the contract may be higher or lower depending on the actual volume of services required. The duration of the contract will align with the delivery programme for CBCIW and extend two (2) years beyond completion of the final scheme. The duration of the contract is currently estimated to be approximately ten (10) years; however, this may be amended at the sole discretion of the NTA to align with any revised delivery programme for CBCIW. Refer to the procurement documents for further information

That was for the pre-qualification. Its now at the tender submission stage for shortlisted teams. It closes early July. Imagine it'll be autumn before any sign of an award.

The driver took the wrong turn. Simple as that.

Unforgivable however, as all of the roads under the railway east of Pearse are clearly out of bounds with clear signage and drivers are all warned about them.

The bus would have been going from Broadstone to start up in service on one of the routes that terminate off Baggot Street.

Off topic but why would a bus for a Baggot Street route come from Broadstone and not Donnybrook or Ringsend?

A precious 17 car spaces? Good grief give me a break!

A serious overhaul of our infrastructure planning is needed, constantly having to deal with this utter nonsense.