Source: The Irish Times

Dublin’s councillors have welcomed plans to limit the movement of non-public transport traffic in the city centre, in a move designed to end the dominance of cars using the streets as a through-route, in favour of cycling and walking

The restrictions on the movement of private cars and commercial vehicles travelling through Dublin city centre are set to be in place by August 2024, according to Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan when the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan was presented to the city council traffic and transport committee in February. Dublin City Council asserts that currently, two out of every three cars using the city streets do not have the centre as their destination, but are instead travelling through.

The plan includes limiting parts of the city’s north and south quays to public transport only, and introducing restrictions on where traffic can turn. Motorists will still be able to access the city centre’s businesses and car parks, but the plan aims to make through-travel less feasible.

The plan and its measures have enjoyed broad approval, with a report on public submissions showing more than 80 per cent support for the measures, and positive comments from various city council representatives. Sinn Féin councillor Larry O’Toole said he looked forward to safer cycling and more efficient bus services under the plan: “This will be prove to be a very ambitious but brave development in the city.” Fine Gael councillor Paddy McCartan said, “Dubliners are now saying it’s time to call a halt to the inexorable march of the motor car. We are all familiar with rat runs in housing estates, but in effect what people are doing is using our city streets as a vast rat run to go through the city when they have definite other alternatives.” The committee meeting also heard from Richard Guiney, chief executive of business organisation DublinTown, who said the reaction from the business community was “overall positive”.

Speaking at an event to publicise the allocation of €290 million in “active travel” funding for walking and cycling across the State, Mr Ryan described the positive effect the Dublin traffic plan would have: “People will see a transformation this August when we take the through traffic out of the city centre. That is going to make a huge change in Dublin. We will see a tipping point where we will see a large increase in cycling and walking as a mainstream form of transport for our city.”

As well as the Dublin traffic plan, the Statewide Active Travel Investment Programme for 2024 is set to fund around 800 new and existing projects. Included are the Fairview to Amiens Street Cycle Route in Dublin, the Marina Promenade Pedestrian and Cycle Facilities in Cork, the Father Russell Road Cycle Scheme in Limerick, the Waterford Sustainable Transport Bridge, the Ballaghaderreen Town Development in Co Roscommon, and the One-Way Active Travel scheme in Donegal Town.