Dublin City Council, in partnership with the National Transport Authority, has published the draft Dublin City Centre Transport Plan 2023. The publication of this plan is an objective of the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, which was adopted by the elected members in November 2022, and of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area, as approved by the Minister for Transport in January 2023.
The Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 sets out an inspiring vision for the city, and in the area of transport sets out very challenging and ambitious targets to be achieved, including a 40% reduction in general traffic and significant increases in walking, cycling and public transport.
The overall transport vision in this plan is for a low traffic city centre with public transport, walking and cycling being prioritised. It draws lessons from the response to the Covid pandemic whereby low traffic volumes allowed very ambitious changes to be undertaken in areas such as Capel Street, Nassau Street and along the North and South Quays. The traffic management changes envisaged as part of this plan aim to significantly reduce volumes of car traffic in the city centre, opening up space for the sustainable modes, and significantly improving the public realm by allowing greening and the development of new public spaces for residents, workers and visitors to the city centre.
The vision put forward in this transport plan will enable the delivery of Dublin City Council’s “Enhancing Public Transport, walking and cycling in Dublin City Centre” Pathfinder project by the end of 2025. This project forms part of the Department of Transport’s Pathfinder Programme of 35 sustainable mobility projects around the country, a series of exemplars demonstrating how we can transform the way we travel.
Key initiatives outlined in the draft Plan include:
- Meeting the transport targets set out in the Development plan by making the city centre a low traffic environment and removing the 2 out of every 3 cars in the city centre which don’t have a destination there.
- Implementing a series of traffic management measures which prioritise pedestrians, public transport users and cyclists throughout the city centre and ensure that advantage is taken of the reduced traffic volumes to allocate more space to sustainable modes.
- Ensuring that the current and planned public transport services through the city centre can operate efficiently with minimum delays and with adequate space in the public realm for public transport users.
- Reallocating sections of the North and South Quays to public transport, walking and cycling only.
- Implementing new traffic arrangements at Westland Row allowing for space to be reallocated on Pearse Street, Tara Street, Beresford Place and Gardiner Street.
- Creating the potential for a new plaza area at the Custom House Quay or Beresford place.
- Making Parliament Street Traffic Free along with College Green/ Dame Street to Georges Street.
- Exploring alternative uses of road space at night time and weekends.
The draft plan has undergone Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) as required by the relevant EU Directives and transposing Irish legislation. The Public Notice of the preparation of the SEA Environmental Report and AA Natura Impact Assessment will be published in due course.
A period of consultation has now commenced and members of the public and interested parties are invited to share their views on the draft Plan.
The draft Dublin City Centre Transport Plan and consultation survey can be found here.
Hard copies of the draft documentation are available for review at Dublin City Council, Civic Offices Wood Quay, Dublin 8.
Postal submissions can be sent to City Centre Transport Projects, Dublin City Council, Block 2, Floor 7, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8.
The consultation finishes at 5pm on Friday 1st of December 2023.
Source: Dublin City Council
