Core Bus Corridor Preferred Route. Third Round of Public Consultation November 2020.
BusConnects is the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) programme to greatly improve bus and sustainable transport services. It is a key part of the Government’s policies to improve public transport and address climate change in Dublin and other cities. Dublin is growing and needs a bus network that works for a developing city. The aim of BusConnects is to deliver an enhanced bus system that is better for the city, its people and the environment.
BusConnects is included in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future" 2020, as well as within the following Government strategies:
The aim of BusConnects Core Bus Corridors is to provide enhanced walking, cycling and bus infrastructure on key access corridors in the Dublin region, which will enable and deliver efficient, safe, and integrated sustainable transport movement along these corridors.
Between November 2018 and May 2019 the National Transport Authority (NTA) carried out the first round of public consultation regarding proposals for the Emerging Preferred Routes of 16 Core Bus Corridors (CBC) across Dublin. During this first round of consultation we received 13,000 submissions in total. These submissions were reviewed and considered as part of the design process for the Preferred Route option for each corridor.
A second round of public consultation on the Preferred Route options commenced in March 2020 and continued until mid-April 2020. Notwithstanding the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent Government restrictions the consultation continued due to the level of interest. The focus of public queries and submissions came through emails, post, phone conversations and online submissions as all the information was available on the BusConnects website for review.
It was decided in March that an additional third round of public consultation would take place in the latter part of this year to provide further opportunities for the public to review and submit feedback to the latest set of designs.
This document is one of 16, each dedicated to a single core bus corridor. The document provides a written description of the Preferred Route from start to finish with supporting maps. It includes all revisions made, if any, since the last round of public consultation. It also includes a revised timeline for the progress of the programme due to Covid-19 implications.
The brochures detailing the Emerging Preferred Route and the brochures from the second round of consultation earlier this year are available to view and download on our website www.busconnects.ie.
Definitions of the terminology used in the document can be found in chapter 4 of this this brochure.
Considerable design work has been continuing since the last round of consultation. This work includes the following:
Designs have progressed with further refinements being made to elements of each corridor such as junctions, alignments, bus stops, cycling and walking facilities, and urban realm features. Engagement with stakeholders is continuing including engagement with individual householders directly impacted. The developing design has been, and continues to be, informed by stakeholder engagement and further detailed surveys. These include the identification of underground services and detailed assessment of trees along the routes.
Draft Preferred Route Option Reports have been prepared for each CBC detailing the development of each corridor from the Emerging Preferred Route through to the draft Preferred Route Option. These draft “Preferred Route Option Reports” are being published as part of the public consultation and will be finalised following this third round of public consultation and the inclusion of feedback received. These draft reports are available to view and download on the website www.busconnects.ie.
As part of the intended planning application for each corridor, the NTA will be preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) in accordance with current Irish and European legislation. This document will identify the anticipated environmental effects of the scheme during both the construction and operational stages. This assessment is being undertaken by environmental specialists on behalf of the NTA. As part of this assessment, these specialists are undertaking studies of the current condition of the receiving environment within the identified corridor extents. This involves a combination of on-site surveys and desktop study of existing records. At the time of this public consultation, various surveys and studies are underway. The information collected will also be shared with the technical designers for consideration in the design decision making process for the infrastructure works.
Further details of the environmental assessment approach for each scheme are outlined in an individual corridor document called“Information on the Proposed Approach to Environmental Assessment”. This document gives a more in-depth description of the determination of the extents of anticipated impacts and how the cumulative impacts of adjacent core bus corridors and other construction projects will be assessed. These draft reports are available to view and download on the website www.busconnects.ie.
The transport assessment of the core bus corridor proposals is focussed on the “movement of people” rather than, solely, the “movement of vehicles”. In order to adequately determine the impact on public transport, active modes (walking and cycling), and general traffic, a comprehensive suite of transport models have been developed.
An extensive set of traffic counts were undertaken in late 2019 and early 2020 and this data, along with other sources, has been used to calibrate and validate the models to assist in the evaluation of the core bus corridors. On a strategic level, the Eastern Regional Model has been used to forecast the modal split for future years. At a more refined level, a Local Area Model has been developed to examine the potential displacement of traffic. In addition, detailed modelling is ongoing in terms of junction and corridor analysis tests and to quantify the effect on the movement of people through each junction and along the corridor itself.
Each EIAR will contain a section on the potential traffic and transport impacts associated with the construction and operational phases of the core bus corridors. This assessment will be informed by the following reports:
A draft, work-in-progress version of the “Transport Modelling Reports” for each core bus corridor, together with a summary of the work-in-progress strategic modelling results to-date, are being published as part of the public consultation and will be finalised following this third round of public consultation and the inclusion of feedback received. These draft reports are available to view and download on the website www.busconnects.ie.
In tandem with the technical design work on finalising the road alignment in the urban cross sections across the core bus corridors, planning has also progressed for refining the Urban Realm design proposals. These designs are being developed in consultation with the local authorities to ensure tie-in to existing schemes and initiatives. The NTA is focusing on finishing the layout of spaces, considering desire lines (how people want to move through spaces) and the placement of urban furniture (trees, bins, bollards, benches, bike stands, railings, etc.)
Urban Realm improvement opportunities along the routes present themselves through the civil/physical works needed to reach the BusConnects objective to provide bus priority, along with improved cycling and pedestrian facilities. All put together, the core bus corridors provide an opportunity for lots of continuous interventions that, together, can give a general citywide lift.
The Urban Realm improvement opportunities are spread out along the core bus corridors and need to respond to and reflect specific locality and context. In the design of the urban spaces we will be using appropriate materials and urban furniture that comply with standards for use, durability and maintenance as well as carbon footprint considerations.
Further details of the urban realm design approach can be found in a document called “BusConnects Urban Realm Concept Design” published as part of the public consultation. This document is available to view and download on the website www.busconnects.ie.
In tandem with the technical design work the designers will be starting the work of preparing the various maps and schedules of areas that are proposed to be acquired under the statutory compulsory purchase order process (CPO). The attached Maps in this brochure indicate Proposed New Boundaries (Possible Land Acquisition) represented by broken red lines. These boundaries are indicative of potential areas for permanent CPO, and are not yet finalised. As detailed plots are finalised the designers will be continuing to seek to meet those with an interest in the impacted areas.
In some cases there may also be a need to realign driveways and/or redo the landscaping of property front gardens, or reorganise business accesses and/or loading areas. Some of these works may be outside the permanent CPO area, and consequently there may be a need to put in place temporary arrangements to ensure access during construction to carry out necessary accommodation works. Similar to the permanent CPO development, the designers will be continuing to seek to meet those with an interest in the impacted areas.
Each corridor upgrade will take approximately 2 years to complete.
This brochure provides details of the proposed Preferred Route Option for this core bus corridor. These proposals are subject to a second non-statutory round of public consultation, and subsequent design refinement and environmental impact assessment, before a formal statutory application will be made by the NTA to An Bord Pleanála for approval
The project website www.busconnects.ie has a dedicated section for the Core Bus Corridor project. All previous emerging preferred route brochures are available on the website. Users can access the site to find out more about the project and download copies of the key documents.
We are inviting submissions in relation to the Preferred Route Options set out in this document. The closing date for submissions is stated on the website.
Written submissions and observations may be made by:
Following the third round of public consultation the NTA will finalise the Preferred Route Options for all sixteen corridors. The scheme designs will be finalised, transport and environmental impact assessments will be completed. This will culminate in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) for the scheme together with details of land to be acquired. This will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in 2021 for its consideration and determination. A formal statutory consultation process will be undertaken as part of that process.
The Bray to City Centre Core Bus Corridor (CBC) commences at the junction of Leeson Street Lower and St. Stephen’s Green. The CBC runs along Leeson Street Lower and Upper including the existing one-way system on Sussex Road. It continues on Morehampton Road and Donnybrook Road through Donnybrook Village, and on to the Stillorgan Road. It intersects with the UCD to City Centre CBC at Nutley Lane and includes the Belfield Interchange at the entrance to University College Dublin (UCD). It continues south on Stillorgan/Bray Road as far as the Loughlinstown Roundabout. The route then proceeds along the Dublin Road through Shankill and on to Bray through the Wilford Roundabout (M11 Access Roundabout) and Castle Street. The CBC terminates at the Dargle River Crossing where it ties into the proposed Bray Bridge Scheme.
The following paragraphs will describe each section of the CBC in more detail, identifying the key design revisions which have been incorporated into the design since the publication of the Preferred Route Option in March 2020.
The CBC commences at the junction of Leeson Street Lower and St. Stephen’s Green. The corridor runs along Leeson Street Lower and Upper with continuous bus priority and segregated cycle tracks in each direction, including the one-way system on Sussex Road. Traffic between Hatch St Lower/Pembroke St Upper and St Stephen’s Green is now proposed to be restricted to buses and local access only. Local vehicular access will be maintained to Leeson Street Lower from the Hatch Street Lower/Pembroke Street Upper junction. Inbound general traffic will be diverted along Hatch Street Lower and Earlsfort Terrace.
Continuous bus priority and segregated cycle tracks are proposed in each direction along Morehampton Road and Donnybrook Road through Donnybrook Village and the Stillorgan Road to UCD through a combination of bus lanes and Signal Controlled Priority.
To accommodate this improved infrastructure, limited land take will be necessary at the following locations:
The indicative extents of this land take are shown on the drawings included in the Appendix of this brochure.
At the Belfield Interchange UCD Entrance, it is proposed to retain a bus lane on the southbound on-ramp, northbound off-ramp and northbound on-ramp, and to provide a new bus lane on the southbound off ramp and Stillorgan Road Overbridge, plus segregated cycle tracks on each of the junction arms and on the overbridge.
On the Stillorgan Road between Seafield Road and Foster’s Avenue it is intended to provide a bus lane, a one-way segregated cycle track, and two general traffic lanes in each direction. A short length of two-way segregated cycle track will be provided on each side of the road along this section due to its proximity to UCD. This will run from the Stillorgan Road Overbridge to Belfield Park alongside the southbound carriageway, and from Foster’s Avenue to the newly proposed cycle entrance into UCD (opposite Seafield Rd) alongside the northbound carriageway.
Between Belfield Park and Lower Kilmacud Road it is proposed to provide a bus lane and two general traffic lanes, as well as a one-way segregated cycle track in each direction. A new Toucan Crossing is planned between Patrician Villas and St. Laurence’s Park. A new dedicated footpath is proposed between the Lower Kilmacud Road and Trees Road Lower junctions on both sides of the Stillorgan Road.
To accommodate this improved infrastructure, limited land take will be necessary at the following locations:
The indicative extents of this land take are shown on the drawings included in the Appendix of this brochure.
It is proposed to maintain one bus lane and two general traffic lanes in each direction. Improved segregated cycle tracks and pedestrian footways will be provided along this section of the route where appropriate.
At the junction with Westminster Road it is proposed to remove the existing U-turn filter lane to facilitate a new Toucan Crossing. It is intended to provide a new pedestrian link from the Stillorgan Road to South Park.
A short section of northbound cycle track will be diverted locally along St Brigid’s Church Road to achieve improved cycle track widths and segregation. Additional traffic calming measures are proposed on St Brigid’s Church Road to accommodate this. It is also proposed to close the junction of The Hill and N11 Stillorgan Road to maintain continuous segregated cycling facilities at this location.
A new footpath is proposed on either side of the Stillorgan Road between the new junction on the N11 at Druid’s Glen Road and Wyattville Road. Improvements have been made to cycle track provisions at the Wyattville Road junction. The existing adjacent northbound Bray Road slip towards Cherrywood Road will be retained as a one-way northbound road and cycle route.
At the Loughlinstown Roundabout it is proposed to signalise the existing roundabout on three arms and to provide a continuous bus lane southbound through the junction towards Shankill.
To accommodate this improved infrastructure, limited land take will be required at the following locations:
The indicative extents of this land take are shown on the drawings included in the Appendix of this brochure.
Between Loughlinstown Roundabout and St Anne’s Church it is intended to provide bus priority and a general traffic lane in each direction. Where bus lanes are not continuous, Signal Controlled Priority will be provided.
Segregated cycle tracks have been omitted between Loughlinstown Roundabout and Stonebridge Road along the CBC, in order to minimise the property impacts along the Dublin Road. It is intended to provide a two-way cycle track from the Shanganagh Road/Dublin Road Junction along the Dublin Road and Stonebridge Road as far as St Anne’s National School, to provide a local cycle link to the two schools on Stonebridge Road. These proposals have been introduced following local community engagement and consideration of submissions from the public. Alternative segregated cycle routes between Shankill and Loughlinstown may be considered, outside the scope of the BusConnects CBC, in the future.
This section of the CBC will require road widening on both sides of the road at different locations. The route alignment has also been developed further taking into consideration other third party developments, refined bus stop and bus priority provisions, and tree survey information relevant to this section. The indicative extents of land take are shown on the drawings in the Appendix of this brochure.
The junction between Dublin Road and Shanganagh Road is proposed to be upgraded to a signalised junction with new pedestrian crossing facilities and Signal Controlled Priority. Access from Corbawn Lane on to Shanganagh Road will be an exit only access. A dedicated right-turn lane is proposed from Shanganagh Road onto Beechfield Manor.
As a result of ongoing community engagement, it is proposed to retain the existing general traffic lanes with no dedicated bus or cycle lanes from the Shanganagh Road/Dublin Road junction through Shankill Main Street to south of Cherrington Drive. Buses will be given priority through the Main Street by means of Signal Controlled Priority at the junction between Dublin Road and Shanganagh Road to the north and a location between Cherrington Drive and Castle Farm to the south. The design has been revised to move the northbound bus priority signal from Quinn’s Road junction to a new location between Cherrington Drive and Castle Farm. Using Signal Controlled Priority enables the removal of bus lanes and cycle tracks through Shankill Main Street, and the retention of a number of mature trees, while still ensuring that buses are not delayed by traffic congestion in this section.
Quinn’s Road roundabout is to be upgraded to a signalised junction. Feedback from the local community during previous consultations indicated a strong desire to retain the roadside tree canopy along this section of road. A northbound bus lane is proposed alongside the general two-way traffic and there is no southbound bus lane from Quinn’s Road junction to south of Crinken Lane junction. From Crinken Lane to the Wilford Roundabout it is proposed to provide northbound and southbound bus lanes, segregated cycle tracks and general traffic lanes. Where widening is required to accommodate bus lanes, cycle tracks, and improved footpaths, the intention is to maintain the tree line along the Dublin Road where possible. The alignment has been refined locally where additional survey information has informed the design along the route.
At Shanganagh Park and Cemetery, the design has been revised to move both northbound and southbound cycle tracks into the park and along the cemetery boundary, alongside the southbound footpath. New boundary walls will be set further back to retain most of the roadside tree line here. Land take will be required in places on both sides of the road. Playground areas will be retained in their current location as part of proposals. Their final future location will be coordinated with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council as part of ongoing liaison regarding the emerging Shanganagh Park and Cemetery Masterplan.
From the Wilford Roundabout to the Dargle River Crossing, it is proposed to continue with a bus lane, general traffic lane and a segregated cycle track in each direction. It is proposed to replace the Wilford Roundabout with a new signalised junction. Limited land take will be required on both sides of the road. The indicative extents of this land take are shown on the drawings included in the Appendix of this brochure.
It is proposed to provide a southbound bus lane and two general traffic lanes on Castle Street to the Fran O’Toole Bridge. The CBC terminates at the Lower Dargle Road and Ravenswell Road Junction with Castle Street and the Fran O’Toole Bridge.
* This includes an approximate 550 trees that may be removed from vegetation / woodland edge between Shankill and Bray.
Part of the overall BusConnects Programme is to create 16 radial core bus corridors (CBC). A CBC is an existing road with bus priority so that buses can operate efficiently, reliably and punctually. This generally means full length dedicated bus lanes on both sides of the road from start to finish of each corridor or other measures to ensure that buses are not delayed in general traffic congestion. The bus lanes will be alongside segregated cycle lanes/tracks where feasible and general traffic.
A segregated cycle track is a separate section of the road dedicated for cycling only. This space will generally be isolated from other vehicular traffic by a physical kerb. Where is it not physically possible to have segregated cycle tracks there will be the option of quiet roads and shared cycling on reduced speed roads for cyclists.
The NTA published outline plans for each of the 16 CBCs in a non-statutory public consultation process in 2018/2019. The options were called Emerging Preferred Routes (EPR), in some cases with multiple sub-options, to inform the public of the likely layout of the roadway with the necessary CBC infrastructure in place. They included possible impacts on front gardens, and likely changes to how traffic will operate to facilitate bus priority.
Following consideration of the public submissions about the 16 EPR’s, the core bus corridor proposals have been reviewed and amended. They are now being presented as the Preferred Route Option (PRO) and are subject to a further round of non-statutory public consultation. They are not final proposals as they are subject to further consideration from this round of public consultation and also subsequent examination in the context of environmental impact assessment.
A Bus Gate is a sign-posted short length of stand-alone bus lane. This short length of road is restricted exclusively to buses, taxis and cyclists plus emergency vehicles. It facilitates bus priority by removing general through traffic along the overall road where the bus gate is located. General traffic will be directed by signage to divert away to other roads before they arrive at the bus gate. To see an animation of a how a Bus Gate will work, please visit our website www.busconnects.ie.