Colm Moore
11-10-2010, 03:20
http://www.rpa.ie/en/news/Pages/MetroNorthMythsandFacts.aspxHome > English > News > Metro North Myths And Facts
Metro North Myths And Facts
Metro_North_Ballymun_Stop_Platform_Level
Myth: Metro North will cost between €5bn and €15bn
Fact: These numbers are quite simply ridiculous and Metro North will cost far less than €5bn to build. The exact number is confidential because we are not going to tell the companies bidding to build Metro North how much money we have in the budget.
Myth: The first Luas Lines cost three times more than the original tender amounts
Fact: The Government authorised the Light Rail Project Office to enter into contracts to build the Luas Red and Green lines when the project had gone through the railway order process and when tenders had been received. This Government approval was for a budget of €775 million. Luas was implemented at a total cost of €728 million.
RPA anticipates Government approving the implementation of Metro North, when it has completed the railway order process and tenders have been received. This is the only budget that is relevant.
Myth: No cost benefit analysis of Metro North has been prepared
Fact: An independently audited cost benefit analysis has been carried out. The project benefits exceed costs by a ratio of 2:1.
A previous published review of RPA’s projections by advisors to the Oireachtas Joint Transport committee concluded that RPA was underestimating the benefits that would be delivered by Metro.
Myth: There is no economic justification for Metro North and it is a Celtic Tiger “vanity project “
Fact: Metro North will deliver a net benefit to the Irish economy of more than €1 billion. This has been verified by independent auditors.
Fact: While Metro North may have been planned in more prosperous times the economic necessity of building Metro North remains. If even modest population and employment growth occurs, as predicted by the Central Statistics Office, then Metro North will carry over 36 million passengers each year. This is based on trips to destinations such as Dublin City University, the Mater and Rotunda Hospitals, Ballymun, Swords, Dublin Airport as well as commuting by north Dublin and Fingal residents to the heart of the city.
Myth: Metro North will reduce employment in the Dublin area
Fact: Metro North will create 4000 direct construction jobs and thousands more indirect jobs in retail and in the construction supply sector.
Myth: Disruption to city centre retail for Metro North construction works will affect turnover for all city retailers and will cause firms to close.
Fact: The vast majority of the work associated with project delivery will be completed without substantial interference in the day-to-day operation of the city and its businesses. RPA has worked closely with Dublin City Council in developing a detailed traffic strategy to ensure as far as possible that is the case.
Fact: This strategy includes a number of commitments aimed at ensuring that the city centre will remain accessible and open for business at all times including:
* Access will be maintained to all premises fronting on to the works
* Existing pedestrian flows on the streets will be maintained where possible
* Access will be maintained to all premises for servicing and deliveries
* Access will be maintained to all existing multi-storey car parks
* Information will be provided on car park access routes and space availability
Fact: Various other measures will be implemented during the construction phase to ensure that the city centre remains an attractive destination for shoppers, these include:
* The provision of up to date information on the works in the city centre to members of the public and to businesses;
* A marketing campaign to advertise the city as being ‘open for business as usual
* 24/7 telephone hotline for queries and complaints.
The Metro North worksites will also use high quality attractive hoarding designed to integrate with the streetscape.
Myth: Metro North will deter tourists from visiting Dublin
Fact: There is no evidence that Metro North will have an impact on tourist numbers - indeed in the longer term Metro North will make Dublin a much more attractive city to visit. There is no evidence that the construction of Luas impacted on tourist numbers – in fact official figures show tourist spending increased by over €1 billion during the period when Luas was under construction.
Myth: Access restrictions in city centre would mean a potential loss of revenue from the tourism market of €1.45bn per annum
Fact: It is absolutely absurd to suggest that Dublin will lose its entire tourism revenue due to Metro North. Overseas tourist numbers have already fallen by over 16% and tourist revenue has declined by more than 20% in 2008 and 2009 and indications are that the decline in numbers has accelerated significantly in 2010.
There is no evidence that Metro North will in any way have a significant negative impact on tourist numbers or revenue.
Myth: The journey time will be too long from the airport to be attractive to business travellers
Fact: The journey times from the airport to city centre will be under 20 minutes with a train leaving the airport every 5 minutes – this fast, frequent, reliable and economic service will be attractive to all including business travellers and tourists.
Myth: Shoppers will not be able to drive into the city
Fact: Shoppers will continue to be able to drive in to the city and park their cars in the city centre. All off-street car parks will remain fully accessible at all times. Indeed only a very small percentage of shoppers use private cars to access the city centre for shopping. All current bus, Luas and rail services will continue to operate throughout the construction period.
Myth: The construction of Metro North will block access to retail premises such as shops and restaurants
Fact: Access will be maintained to all retail premises during construction
Myth: O’Connell Street will be closed to traffic
Fact: Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction on O’Connell Street at all times during the construction of Metro North – just as at present.
Myth: No comprehensive traffic management / public transport plan has been provided by the RPA to date.
Fact: A comprehensive traffic management plan has been prepared and has been publicly available here (http://www.rpa.ie/en/news/Pages/MetroNorthTrafficManagementPlan.aspx) on RPA’s website for over 18 months. This was presented in detail at the Metro North Oral Hearing. The traffic management plan was prepared after extensive engagement with Dublin City Council, Dublin Bus, business representatives and other interested parties.
Myth: St. Stephens Green will be closed for 5 years
Fact: Over 80% of St. Stephen’s Green will remain open to the public during construction and the area required to build the stop will be fully re-instated after construction. RPA has worked very closely with the Office of Public Works and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in developing all plans for the Green.
Myth: When the original Luas lines were being built in Dublin City centre, the turnovers of retailers and other businesses fell by between 30% to 60%.
Fact: There is no evidence, research or analysis to support this wild claim. However there is evidence to show that footfall increased by 25% when Luas went into operation. Furthermore the Retail Strategy for the GDA recognises the very positive impact Luas had on the city centre shopping districts once it was operational.
Through focused marketing and advertising RPA and other committed stakeholders will assist business by ensuring that the clear message that the city is ‘open for business as usual’ during Metro North construction will be delivered loudly and clearly.
Retailers takings have fallen by 25% on average over the 30 months to July 2010 and retail sales would appear to have declined further since then. The longer term recovery and growth of the central Dublin retail district will be improved by Metro North making the city centre more accessible to a significant number of people.
Myth: The jobs on Metro North will be outsourced from abroad.
Fact: While a number of specialised jobs may be outsourced, it is expected that the vast majority of jobs on Metro North will go to Irish workers, as was the case with the Dublin Port Tunnel project.
Click here to download Metro North Myths and Facts Document (http://www.rpa.ie/Documents/Metro%20North/Metro%20North%20Pre-Construction%20PR/Metro_North_MythsAndFacts_October_2010.pdf)
Click here to view more information on Metro North (http://www.rpa.ie/en/projects/metro_north/Pages/default.aspx)
Metro North Myths And Facts
Metro_North_Ballymun_Stop_Platform_Level
Myth: Metro North will cost between €5bn and €15bn
Fact: These numbers are quite simply ridiculous and Metro North will cost far less than €5bn to build. The exact number is confidential because we are not going to tell the companies bidding to build Metro North how much money we have in the budget.
Myth: The first Luas Lines cost three times more than the original tender amounts
Fact: The Government authorised the Light Rail Project Office to enter into contracts to build the Luas Red and Green lines when the project had gone through the railway order process and when tenders had been received. This Government approval was for a budget of €775 million. Luas was implemented at a total cost of €728 million.
RPA anticipates Government approving the implementation of Metro North, when it has completed the railway order process and tenders have been received. This is the only budget that is relevant.
Myth: No cost benefit analysis of Metro North has been prepared
Fact: An independently audited cost benefit analysis has been carried out. The project benefits exceed costs by a ratio of 2:1.
A previous published review of RPA’s projections by advisors to the Oireachtas Joint Transport committee concluded that RPA was underestimating the benefits that would be delivered by Metro.
Myth: There is no economic justification for Metro North and it is a Celtic Tiger “vanity project “
Fact: Metro North will deliver a net benefit to the Irish economy of more than €1 billion. This has been verified by independent auditors.
Fact: While Metro North may have been planned in more prosperous times the economic necessity of building Metro North remains. If even modest population and employment growth occurs, as predicted by the Central Statistics Office, then Metro North will carry over 36 million passengers each year. This is based on trips to destinations such as Dublin City University, the Mater and Rotunda Hospitals, Ballymun, Swords, Dublin Airport as well as commuting by north Dublin and Fingal residents to the heart of the city.
Myth: Metro North will reduce employment in the Dublin area
Fact: Metro North will create 4000 direct construction jobs and thousands more indirect jobs in retail and in the construction supply sector.
Myth: Disruption to city centre retail for Metro North construction works will affect turnover for all city retailers and will cause firms to close.
Fact: The vast majority of the work associated with project delivery will be completed without substantial interference in the day-to-day operation of the city and its businesses. RPA has worked closely with Dublin City Council in developing a detailed traffic strategy to ensure as far as possible that is the case.
Fact: This strategy includes a number of commitments aimed at ensuring that the city centre will remain accessible and open for business at all times including:
* Access will be maintained to all premises fronting on to the works
* Existing pedestrian flows on the streets will be maintained where possible
* Access will be maintained to all premises for servicing and deliveries
* Access will be maintained to all existing multi-storey car parks
* Information will be provided on car park access routes and space availability
Fact: Various other measures will be implemented during the construction phase to ensure that the city centre remains an attractive destination for shoppers, these include:
* The provision of up to date information on the works in the city centre to members of the public and to businesses;
* A marketing campaign to advertise the city as being ‘open for business as usual
* 24/7 telephone hotline for queries and complaints.
The Metro North worksites will also use high quality attractive hoarding designed to integrate with the streetscape.
Myth: Metro North will deter tourists from visiting Dublin
Fact: There is no evidence that Metro North will have an impact on tourist numbers - indeed in the longer term Metro North will make Dublin a much more attractive city to visit. There is no evidence that the construction of Luas impacted on tourist numbers – in fact official figures show tourist spending increased by over €1 billion during the period when Luas was under construction.
Myth: Access restrictions in city centre would mean a potential loss of revenue from the tourism market of €1.45bn per annum
Fact: It is absolutely absurd to suggest that Dublin will lose its entire tourism revenue due to Metro North. Overseas tourist numbers have already fallen by over 16% and tourist revenue has declined by more than 20% in 2008 and 2009 and indications are that the decline in numbers has accelerated significantly in 2010.
There is no evidence that Metro North will in any way have a significant negative impact on tourist numbers or revenue.
Myth: The journey time will be too long from the airport to be attractive to business travellers
Fact: The journey times from the airport to city centre will be under 20 minutes with a train leaving the airport every 5 minutes – this fast, frequent, reliable and economic service will be attractive to all including business travellers and tourists.
Myth: Shoppers will not be able to drive into the city
Fact: Shoppers will continue to be able to drive in to the city and park their cars in the city centre. All off-street car parks will remain fully accessible at all times. Indeed only a very small percentage of shoppers use private cars to access the city centre for shopping. All current bus, Luas and rail services will continue to operate throughout the construction period.
Myth: The construction of Metro North will block access to retail premises such as shops and restaurants
Fact: Access will be maintained to all retail premises during construction
Myth: O’Connell Street will be closed to traffic
Fact: Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction on O’Connell Street at all times during the construction of Metro North – just as at present.
Myth: No comprehensive traffic management / public transport plan has been provided by the RPA to date.
Fact: A comprehensive traffic management plan has been prepared and has been publicly available here (http://www.rpa.ie/en/news/Pages/MetroNorthTrafficManagementPlan.aspx) on RPA’s website for over 18 months. This was presented in detail at the Metro North Oral Hearing. The traffic management plan was prepared after extensive engagement with Dublin City Council, Dublin Bus, business representatives and other interested parties.
Myth: St. Stephens Green will be closed for 5 years
Fact: Over 80% of St. Stephen’s Green will remain open to the public during construction and the area required to build the stop will be fully re-instated after construction. RPA has worked very closely with the Office of Public Works and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in developing all plans for the Green.
Myth: When the original Luas lines were being built in Dublin City centre, the turnovers of retailers and other businesses fell by between 30% to 60%.
Fact: There is no evidence, research or analysis to support this wild claim. However there is evidence to show that footfall increased by 25% when Luas went into operation. Furthermore the Retail Strategy for the GDA recognises the very positive impact Luas had on the city centre shopping districts once it was operational.
Through focused marketing and advertising RPA and other committed stakeholders will assist business by ensuring that the clear message that the city is ‘open for business as usual’ during Metro North construction will be delivered loudly and clearly.
Retailers takings have fallen by 25% on average over the 30 months to July 2010 and retail sales would appear to have declined further since then. The longer term recovery and growth of the central Dublin retail district will be improved by Metro North making the city centre more accessible to a significant number of people.
Myth: The jobs on Metro North will be outsourced from abroad.
Fact: While a number of specialised jobs may be outsourced, it is expected that the vast majority of jobs on Metro North will go to Irish workers, as was the case with the Dublin Port Tunnel project.
Click here to download Metro North Myths and Facts Document (http://www.rpa.ie/Documents/Metro%20North/Metro%20North%20Pre-Construction%20PR/Metro_North_MythsAndFacts_October_2010.pdf)
Click here to view more information on Metro North (http://www.rpa.ie/en/projects/metro_north/Pages/default.aspx)