Between November 2018 and May 2019 the National Transport Authority (NTA) carried out the first round of public consultation on initial proposals for the Emerging Preferred Routes of sixteen Core Bus Corridors across the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). During this consultation phase thirteen thousand submissions were received in total. A Consultation Submissions Report for each corridor is available to view and download on our website www.busconnects.ie.
All of the submissions were reviewed and considered as part of the design preparation for the Preferred Route for each corridor. We have amended our initial proposals to address some of the issues raised in submissions including incorporating suggestions and recommendations from local residents, community groups and stakeholders. We are now publishing the Preferred Routes for sixteen Core Bus Corridors and commencing a second round of public consultation.
This document is one of a series of sixteen, 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 and includes information on revisions made, if any, from the initial emerging preferred route.
The original brochures detailing each Emerging Preferred Routes, published last year, are available to view and download on our website www.busconnects.ie. These brochures contain information on the process for impacted property owners, the project timelines and steps required for statutory planning application.
BusConnects is the National Transport Authority's programme to greatly improve bus services. It is a key part of the Government's polices to improve public transport and address climate change in Dublin and other cities. It is included within the following Government policy strategies:
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 designed to provide a better, more reliable and more efficient bus service for everyone.
this project will deliver journey time savings of up to 40-50% on corridors. Dedicated bus and cycle lanes can significantly increase bus travel speeds and reliability.
Tackling the challenges of climate change is a priority for Ireland and moving more people to public transport is a key component of the solution.
More bus shelters, with seating where possible, new footpaths and better information at bus stops, will make using the fully accessible bus fleet easier for all to use, including the elderly and mobility impaired.
This project will see the provision of much needed cycling facilities around the city region with over 200kms of high quality cycling facilities provided.
Along each route, improvements and enhancements will be made to footpaths, walkways and pedestrian crossings. Funding and investment for local urban realms with additional landscaping and outdoor amenities will be provided.
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 selection 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 lanes/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 second round of non-statutory public consultation.
They are not final proposals as they are subject to further consideration from the second 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.
Signal Control Priority uses traffic signals to enable buses to get priority ahead of single lane road sections, but it is only effective for short distances. This typically arises where the bus lane cannot continue due to obstructions on the roadway. An example might be where a road has pinch-points where it narrows due to existing buildings or structures that cannot be demolished to widen the road to make space for a bus lane. It works through the use of traffic signal controls (typically at junctions) where the bus lane and general traffic lane must merge ahead and share the road space for a short distance until the bus lane recommences downstream. The general traffic will be stopped at the signal to allow the bus pass through the narrow section first and when the bus has passed the general trafficwill then be allowed through the lights.
A Toucan Crossing is a roadway crossing designed to enable both pedestrians and cyclists to cross the road with purposefully designed signal controls.
Where CBC roadway widths cannot facilitate cyclists without significant impact on bus priority, alternative cycle routes are explored for short distances away from the CBC bus route. Such offline options may include directing cyclists along streets with minimal general traffic other than car users who live on the street.
They are called Quiet Streets due to the low amount of general traffic and are deemed suitable for cyclists sharing the roadway with the general traffic without the need to construct segregated cycle tracks or painted cycle lanes. The Quiet Street treatment would involve appropriate advisory signage for both the general road users and cyclists.
Urban Realm refers to the everyday street spaces that are used by people to cross, shop, socialise, play, and use for activities such as walking, exercise or commute to/from work. The Urban Realm encompasses all streets, squares, junctions, and other rights-of-way, whether in residential, commercial or civic use. When well-designed and laid out with care in a community setting, it enhances the every-day lives of residents and those passing through. It typically relates to all open-air parts of the built environment where the public has free access. It would include seating, trees, planting and other aspects to enhance the experience for all.
The Kimmage to City Centre Core Bus Corridor (CBC) commences on Kimmage Road Lower at the junction with Terenure Road West and Fortfield Road. It is routed via Kimmage Road Lower to Harold's Cross Road, and then along Harold's Cross Road, Clanbrassil Street Upper & Lower and New Street South, where it will join the Greenhills CBC at the Kevin Street Upper junction. Priority for buses is provided along the entire route, consisting primarily of dedicated bus lanes in both directions, with alternative measures proposed at particularly constrained locations along Kimmage Road Lower.
An alternative cycle route is also proposed along a part of the CBC in the southern half.
The following paragraphs will describe each section of the CBC in more detail, as well as identify the key revisions which have been incorporated into the design since the publication of the Emerging Preferred Route (EPR) in January 2019.
The Kimmage to City Centre CBC commences on Kimmage Road Lower at the Kimmage Road West junction with Fortfield Road and Terenure Road West. It is proposed to upgrade the junction to provide bus priority and enhanced pedestrian/cyclist facilities.
The EPR previously proposed a Bus Gate at the junction of Sundrive Road and Kimmage Road Lower. It is now proposed to locate the Bus Gate just north of the Ravensdale Park junction, 0.8km further south along Kimmage Road Lower. This change will achieve bus priority by deflecting through traffic off the Lower Kimmage Road, without the need for road widening to provide bus lanes. This will remove the requirement for land take along this section of Lower Kimmage Road. The existing street layout and on-street parking arrangements will remain unchanged on Kimmage Road Lower north of Ravensdale Park.
The existing cycle lanes will be retained on this stretch of the road and conditions for cyclists will be greatly improved through reduced general traffic as a result of the proposed Bus Gates. Local traffic will be permitted access from the south via Sundrive Road or Larkfield Avenue.
Traffic management measures will be required on the adjoining residential streets of Poddle Park to the west and Derravaragh Road to the east. These streets will be closed to through traffic, apart from cyclists, at suitable locations to prevent through traffic diverting off Kimmage Road Lower inappropriately. Traffic management measures such as turning restrictions at junctions or road closures will also be considered on other adjoining residential streets at suitable locations as required
A new proposal has been developed for a cycle route through the small park alongside the River Poddle just north of Kimmage Cross-Roads, which will continue generally parallel to Lower Kimmage Road over a length of 2.3km to Harold's Cross Park. It will mainly follow quiet local streets including Poddle Park and Blarney Park with appropriate traffic management and will also include short sections of greenway across public park lands.
Urban Realm improvements will be made at the focal points on Kimmage Road Lower where there are clusters of shops and business at the Corrib Road junction and at the Sundrive Road junction.
With the previously proposed Bus Gate moved south to Ravensdale Park, local traffic access will remain available from Sundrive Cross to both the southern and northern part of Lower Kimmage Road. However, the left-turn from Sundrive Road will be restricted so as to prevent through traffic from using Kenilworth Park instead of Clareville Road. The existing street layout and parking arrangements along Lower Kimmage Road will remain unchanged.
To accommodate local access to Lower Kimmage Road from the north, the junction of Harold's Cross Road and Kenilworth Park will be modified to provide for the southbound right-turn movement. The operation and capacity of this junction will be improved by restriction of the link from Kenilworth Square to a westbound Bus Gate, with westbound general traffic diverted via Rathgar Avenue.
The proposed Poddle Cycleway will run along Sundrive Road from Blarney Park to the shopping centre entrance and then follow the river northward to Mount Argus Park. The cycleway travels through the car park of Mount Argus Church to Mount Argus Road, utilizing a Quiet Street Treatment to Harold's Cross. Previous proposals to divert cyclists via quiet streets east of Lower Kimmage Road at Priory Road, Larkfield Avenue and Larkfield Grove are no longer required with reduced general traffic on Lower Kimmage Road between the Bus Gates.
The EPR proposed to provide a footpath, one bus lane and one general traffic lane in each direction in this section. Between Harold's Cross Park and Parnell Road it is now proposed to also include a cycle track to this section of road. To accommodate the addition of cycle tracks along this street it is proposed to acquire small areas of land from adjacent properties. The indicative extents of this land take are included in the Appendix of this brochure. It is no longer proposed to provide a separate cycle route to the west via Our Lady's Hospice and Greenmount Lane.
Between Parnell Road and Lombard Street West, it is proposed to maintain a footpath, one bus lane and one general traffic lane in each direction as in the EPR, with the new addition of segregated cycle tracks. The northbound bus lane will not continue between Leonard's Corner junction at South Circular Road and Lombard Street West, where the street is not wide enough. Signal Controlled Priority will enable buses to pass through this short section ahead of general traffic. To accommodate this cross section, the following works will be required:
Between Lombard Street West and Kevin Street Upper, it is proposed to modify the street layout to accommodate a cycle track alongside a bus lane and one general traffic lane in each direction. The existing central median island will be largely retained along with all existing trees in the median. It is proposed to close access from Vincent Street South to Clanbrassil Street. At Kevin Street Upper, this scheme ties in with the Greenhills to City Centre CBC.
In the EPR it was proposed to provide a cycle route along Grove Road with a new footbridge over the Grand Canal to Martin Street. With the addition of continuous cycle tracks along Clanbrassil Street and New Street, the plans for this CBC no longer includes proposals for an alternative cycle route through Portobello.
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.
General queries can be directed to a dedicated freephone 1800 303 653 or by email to cbc@busconnects.ie
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 www.busconnects.ie
Written submissions and observations may be made by:
Core Bus Corridor Project National Transport Authority, Dún Scéine, Harcourt Lane, Dublin 2, D02 WT20
Following the second 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 during Q4 2020 for its consideration and determination. A formal statutory consultation process will be undertaken as part of that process.