There will be traffic restrictions in 700 cities and towns across Europe tomorrow for European Car Free Day. Five Irish cities and towns will take part and motorists in these areas are being asked to leave their cars at home where possible. The main aim of the event is to demonstrate how cities and towns would be more pleasant and safer if there were greater reliance on alternatives to private car use.
In Dublin streets closed to all traffic include Custom House Quay (Beresford Place to Memorial Road) from 7 am to 7 pm, Fishamble St, Essex St East, Crane Lane, Sycamore St, Eustace St, Fownes St Upper, Cope St, Anglesea St, Dawson St. (St. Stephens Green to Molesworth St.), and Merrion Square West from 10am to 4pm.
The following streets will be reserved from 10am – 4pm for the use of pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists, public transport, commercial vehicles(loading and unloading only) and cars displaying disabled persons parking permits. O'Connell St (Western side - Princes St to Parnell St), O'Connell St (Eastern side - Parnell St to Abbey St and Abbey St to Eden Quay) Talbot St, D'Olier St, Westmoreland St, College St, College Green, Dame St (South. Great George's St to College Green), Suffolk St, Church Lane, Grafton St (College Green - Nassau St) and Nassau St (Grafton St - Dawson St). Traffic will be restricted to the inbound lane of the following streets: Christchurch Place, Lord Edward St, Dame St from Parliament St to South Great George's St. Local vehicular access will be maintained where possible.
North/South through traffic is advised to use the East Link Bridge to the east of the city centre and the Church St, Bridge St, High St, Nicholas St, Patrick St, Clanbrassil St route to the west of the city centre. East/West through traffic is advised that the Quays will remain open to all traffic except at Custom House Quay where traffic will be diverted via Beresford Place and Memorial Road to Custom House Quay. Traffic wishing to use Dawson St will be diverted via Kildare St, Molesworth St and Dawson St For the duration of the closure two way traffic will be permitted on Kildare St from St Stephen's Green to Molesworth St.
In Cork, cars will not be allowed on some streets on the central island of the city in the area between the two channels of the River Lee, stretching from Grattan Street to Parnell Place. All nine city centre car parks will remain open and no street within the car-free zone will be further than 150 metres from a multi-storey car park. Buses, taxis, hackneys, emergency and disabled drivers will, however, have full access to the city centre. Delivery vans will have full access via Patrick Street and Grand Parade except between 11.00am and 2.00pm. The car-free zone will be bounded by Grattan Street, Bachelor's Quay, Lavitt's Quay, Merchant's Quay, Parnell Place, the South Mall and Washington Street. The car free zone will be in effect from 6.00am until 9.00pm except from Patrick Street & Grand Parade which will be in effect from 9.30am until 4.30pm. The Park & Ride service will operate every 10 minutes from the Victoria Cross terminal beside the Kingsley Hotel. People with bicycles will be encouraged to use them, with the Corporation providing special secure cycle parking areas at the Grand Parade and Patrick Street.
Limerick city centre will be closed to traffic from 10am - 8pm, and there will be parking restrictions on several other city centre streets from 8am in the morning as part of European Car free day. A whole block of the city centre will be pedestrianised from 10am including the section of O’Connell Street from William Street to Glentworth Street and the adjoining side streets from Catherine Street and Henry Street. There will be parking restrictions on William Street, Mallow Street and Henry Street from 8am. The city's Umbrella project will provide street theatre from 12.30pm. A demonstration of electric and solar powered bicycles, and a new Hybrid Electric car will also be on display. Limerick Corporation has already begun noise monitoring in the city centre today to see how levels compare with a car free day.
Galway Corporation is declaring a city centre "car exclusion zone" from 9.00am to 5.00pm; organising a park and ride service from Salthill to Eyre Square; encouraging commuters to "car pool" and organising a demonstration of electric bikes and cars. The car free zone extends from the already pedestrianised city centre area to Eyre Square and a number of adjoining streets, including Eglington Street on of the city's main thoroughfares. Acting City Manager Martina Maloney says that only public service and commercial vehicles or those driven by disabled drivers or people with residents' permits will be allowed into the "exclusion zone". Bus Éireann and the privately owned City Direct service will offer reduced fares; temporary bicycle ranks are to be installed and a major survey of attitudes to the day is to be carried out.
