New bus gates on Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay

It meshes well with BusConnects plans, you can dig into the details via the planning docs, or by watching the council presentation:

It is being done because BusConnects will require it with a large increase in buses using the Quays when the D Spine (and associated radials) are diverted from Dame Street.

Better to let these changes get bedded in before also diverting the buses.

I’m not aware of any Dublin Bus or Go Ahead buses that are not wheelchair accessible. I rarely see people occupying the wheelchair space and block a wheelchair from entering the bus.

I’ve seen a driver ask the buggy to be folded or people to move out of the way. All works well. Wheelchair has priority over that space and buggies after that.

An efficient wheelchair accessible bus service will serve everyone in the city well. Cars with single driver well abled people blocking 70 on a bus is pure selfish on our narrow busy Dublin streets.

Did these organizations participate in the extensive public consultation? if not, they aren't representing their supposed stakeholders very well. 3500 people bothered to participate and 80% of those participants were overwhelmingly in favor of these much-needed measures to make the city more accessible, bus services more reliable and the city overall more friendly to all people, not just car drivers as it is today. Shelving the plans to cater to a few dozen carers/wheelchair users who can't/won't get on a low-floor, wheelchair-accessible bus is absolutely nonsense.

If it's a red herring, you can blame Robert Sinnott of Voice of Vision Impairment, because he's the one who seriously brought it up on Newstalk.

The day after the Dublin Bus CEO telling the Oireachtas there are too many cars in Dublin one of his drivers is on the radio saying she drove her car along bus route to RTE. Host didn't think to ask why not get the bus.

This is why I think the host should have at least asked the question.

That "Voice of Vision Impairment" group doesn't seem to be representative.

The cars are the problem in the city centre area. Taxis can be a problem but perhaps they should be allowed to use the bus lanes outside of the city core.

I always remember the early days of the covid lockdown it was possible to drive the 16 from Ballinteer to the Airport in less than an hour during the day while driv8ng between 30 and 40 km/h. If the congestion was removed you could increase the frequency or reduce the amount of buses on a route, therefore allowing expansion of others.

Even now the 24hr bus lanes on Swords Road still have cars in them, same on Finglas Road, especially on Sundays.

Is there a map showing where will be blocked off to cars exactly? I can't see one anywhere.

I noticed a comment in the independent that cars won't be able to turn left on westland row to pearse street.

Yeah there are a few Public Realm maps in section 9:

https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/draft-dublin-city-centre-transport-plan/supporting_documents/Draft%20Dublin%20City%20Centre%20Transport%20Plan%202023.pdf

But we don't know specific traffic routing plans yet, only where the cars can't be.

It will be very disappointing if this goes through. Yet again support for the well off and to the detriment of those less well off. No surprises to see FG behind this.

Really shows the importance of having Greens in government. There would be zero political will for any of these changes without them. I really hope people see this whenever the election is called.

https://www.emerhiggins.ie/

Her email is available on her website above. If you are as disgusted as I am about this, please let her know.

My email to her:

Ms Higgins,

I want to share my absolute disgust regarding your objection to the immediate implementation of the Dublin City Traffic Plan. This objection demonstrates serious contempt for the people of Dublin and Ireland. It is completely out of touch with the vast vast majority of Dubliner's needs and wants. 

Are you a user of Public Transport in this city, as it seems obvious to me you are not?.. No one who needs, or prefers, to access the city centre via active travel and public transport, could possibly stand over an objection to removing private vehicle through-traffic through the beating heart of Ireland's capital city. 

As a Fine Gael voter on many occasions, I am once again deeply disheartened and disappointed at how out of touch your party has become from the people of Dublin and Ireland. 

There is an article today in The Irish Times acknowledging the 20th anniversary of the Luas system. I suggest you read this article and consider the negative views and expectations the business community had regarding the Luas system. There was a fear the Luas would ruin businesses in the city centre by impeding private vehicle access. I suggest you try to imagine Dublin City today in the absence of the Luas network, and consider the impact it would have had on businesses, if it hadn't been built. 

I implore you to reconsider this objection. 

And what about the far greater numbers of bus users into and out of the city centre?

This is prioritising them, particularly as an additional 25 buses an hour in each direction are going to be re-routed onto the Quays away from College Green once the Plaza works start.

Some reality checks need to be had here.

Yes, I think it needs to be explained that 'motorists' want something that is impossible. There is simply not enough road space for everyone that wants to drive into town. No matter how much road space is allocated to cars, it will fill up and the average speed for cars will remain the same.

So the only question is whether we want everyone to get stuck in traffic or do we want to at least let those on buses get into town quickly.

What about the views of the vast majority of people crossing the canals who are using the bus service though?

Why should those people continue to have their journey unnecessarily lengthened?

This is all about prioritising the bus service and therefore making it more attractive to use.

FG repeating their pre euro election populism. Give a stay of execution to car drivers, couple of digs at the greens and keep people happy before general election. Wouldn't surprise me if Harris gets involved.

Media could do better job of increasing awareness of benefits to public transport in congestion hours and days that will be saved.

100%.

You speak for a lot of people.

I use my PHEV most days, but for going into the city centre from Blanch, I use public transport. That needs to improve and the infrastructure projects (Bus Connects, Dart +, Metrolink) are needed, but also these measures to eliminate cars from the city centre.

Until now I didn't know she existed, a quick search and it seems she's made quite a few gaffes in her time, so will fit in just fine with FFG.

Maybe if she is promoted to Transport minister then the passenger cap at the Airport could get lifted…