Business group slams Dublin city traffic plans

THE economic viability of Dublin city centre will be under threat if traffic changes planned by Dublin City Council go ahead a new coalition of business interests has warned.  

The recently formed Dublin For All group is also insisting that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required before the council’s plans gets underway.

Under the changes proposed by the council, new traffic management measures will be introduced on the North and South Quays, which will eliminate certain turns and close off routes to shops, hotels and car-parks.

The council say changes are needed before December, when the Luas Cross City link to Broombridge is due to commence.

The new line crosses the North and South Quays at both O’Connell Bridge and the Rosie Hackett Bridge, which will become major sources of delays and congestion unless some changes are made.

The proposed scheme includes a new dedicated bus lane from Ormond Quay to Bachelors Walk and across to Eden Quay, with bus stops being extended.

It is also proposed that left turning general traffic will be allowed to access Bachelors Walk as far as O’Connell Bridge to facilitate access to car parks and deliveries into the O’Connell Street, Henry Street and Abbey Street areas.

There are also plans to remove vehicular traffic from Eden Quay at O’Connell Bridge and to reconfigure Eden Quay as far as Marlborough Street as a public transport, cycling and pedestrian only link.

The plans coincide with the proposed Liffey Cycle Route, which could see all private traffic rerouted from the quays between James Joyce Bridge and Fr Mathew Bridge up to North King Street and North Brunswick Street and back down Queen Street or Church Street.

Dublin For All, which includes CHQ Dublin Ltd, Convention Centre Dublin and Point Village Company amongst its members, say all proposals should be suspended until an EIA of the entire transport plan for the city centre is carried out.

“We believe the planned changes will have a negative impact on the economic viability of the city centre thus severely restricting car access which remains the only viable choice for a large number of visitors to the city,” a spokesperson for the group formed in opposition to the plans said.

“The Quays represent a critical means of access to visitors from the west of the country and the planned changes will severely restrict access to many areas including the IFSC, Point Village, 3 Arena, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, and various hotels, making car journeys to the city centre even more difficult.”

Dublin For All said it had commissioned its own EIA screening report regarding the proposals that concluded a full EIA and EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) was required before any new measures are introduced.