Dublin Chamber “cautiously” welcomes city centre transport plan

Dublin Chamber has “cautiously” welcomed the new pedestrianisation and traffic management plans outlined by Dublin City Council in their draft transport plan for the city centre.

Speaking on the draft plan, Aebhric McGibney, director of public and international affairs said “effective urban design to enable the potential of these plans is crucial. We believe this involves creating spaces with ample street furniture, segregated lanes for buses and cycles, and proper lighting. Ensuring safety through thoughtful design, visible policing, and active community presence is essential for maintaining the vibrancy of our city.”

Discussing Dublin Chamber’s submission of the Draft Plan, McGibney said “we have stated that while we support the plan there needs to be a balanced permeability to allow deliveries to be made to retail stores such as is the case on Grafton Street and Henry St, there also needs to be a collaboration with other agencies that are undertaking large infrastructure projects in the city such as Eirgrid and Irish water to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum.”

“If implemented with the correct mix of active travel lanes, high frequency segregated bus corridors, and sufficient car parking spaces for elderly or infirm users who need cars to enter the city core, this draft plan can be transformative for all who use the city”.

Dublin Chamber said that increased accessibility was “vital,” and said that safe walkways, crossroads, shade and shelter, permeability, and access allowing for more walkable space should be a key part of any redevelopment of Dublin’s streets.

“By investing in the public realm, focusing on access for all, innovative street furniture, lighting and safety, and safe distances between cars and pedestrians, Dublin can create communities that are walkable and support the vision of a 15 Minute City.”

“Creating connected and walkable places in which people can live, work, and play also encourages social interaction, thereby building stronger, safer communities,” they said.

Dublin Chamber stated that a “desired” commute time of no more than 30 minutes should be achievable from anywhere within the M50 to the city centre by 2050.

Dublin ranks as the 12th most traffic-congested city in the world, with the average driver losing 115 hours, or just shy of 5 days, to waiting in traffic every year.

“There is an urgent need for better integration of the various public transport modes in Dublin. Currently, there is an inadequate level of synchronisation across the various modes of public transport, and for this draft plan to be a success the continued rollout of Busconnects Core Bus Corridors must be a priority.”

“We in Dublin Chamber would like to see this to be adopted in the Draft Plan along with collaboration with other agencies that plan to or that are undertaking major projects in the City so as to keep disruption at a minimum.”

Members of the public were invited to submit their consultations up until December 1st, and now Dublin City Council will wade through thousands of submissions from members of the public, businesses and elected representatives alike.