Bus Corridor Plans 2020

Environment

Providing a more reliable bus service is part of the plan for sustainable public transport in Dublin.

The Bus Connects program developed and managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) is designed to promote investment in new quality bus corridors, reducing journey times and increasing reliability.

In 2018 a draft Bus Connects Network was published. From a period of public consultation, the NTA discovered the major stumbling blocks to the plan were cutting down trees and taking part of the gardens of private porperites .

A revised Bus Connects Network was drafted and a second public consultation period ran from October to December 2019. Changes from this period of consultation see fewer trees felled. Along St Mobhi Road in Glasnevin, 85% of the trees will be saved from felling and 80% on Merrion Road. The impact on property owners will be reduced by 40% on average.

This is being done by focusing on bus priority rather than road widening.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority Anne Graham explains that the revised plan reduces bus journey times and,

Make the buses system much more attractive to people to move from their private car into more sustainable transport.

Rathmines would be one area with a bus-gate to prevent private motorists driving through to the city centre. There will be bus priority signalling at pinch points.

Many residents say neighbourhoods will still be badly affected. The Rathfarnham to the city centre route corridor raised the greatest number of objections. Lorna Callaghan on the Rathfarnham Road stands to lose about 2 metres of her front garden to facilitate a four-lane road. She points out that most people living in Terenure, Rathgar and Rathfarnham live on main roads. The corridor as proposed will have a detrimental impact on their community,