Metro to remove 41,000 cars from Dublin

[James Shields]

A few papers and sites carrying reports about the Metro.

28/02/06
14:09
Metro to remove 41,000 cars from Dublin

The new Metro will remove 41,000 cars a day from Dublin's streets
with a journey time from the City Centre to the Airport of 17
minutes, according to Transport minister Martin Cullen at the
launch of Metro North Public Consultation meeting today

Metro North, which is estimated to carry at least 80,000
passengers a day, will also integrate with Luas, Bus, Park & Ride
at Swords and Ballymun, cycling, taxi and rail services, the
Minister said

It will also integrate with other services in the city -
connecting with Metro West, the Maynooth rail line, the Tallaght
and Sandyford Luas lines and DART via the Interconnector at St.
Stephens Green

Minister Cullen also announced that the Dublin Bus network review
allows for bus services to be re-organised so that the bus
complements and feeds into Metro, thus extending the advantages to
other communities

The preparation work for the Metro will begin in the next few weeks


This external information has been sourced from Business World,
a service of Media World Ltd.

[Mark Gleeson]

Cullen pledges Dublin airport metro by 2012

Last updated: 28-02-06, 14:16
A metro service between Dublin city centre and the airport will carry 80,000 a day when and remove 41,000 cars from the capital's streets, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said today.
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Speaking at the unveiling of the public consultation for Metro North in Dublin today, Mr Cullen said the journey between the city centre and the airport will be 17 minutes and 26 minutes to Swords.

It will have an initial frequency of four to five minutes, growing to every 90 seconds once demand builds, he predicted.

Mr Cullen said the Metro link will integrate with Luas and bus services as well as park-and-ride facilities in Swords and and Ballymun.

The new line will be approximately 18 kilometres long, and partly overground. Luas trams will be able to use the Metro line.

The planning, design and procurement stage of the project start this year and last until 2009, while construction will be finished by 2012, Mr Cullen said.

"We need and deserve a first-class transport system. We have the resources because of the hard work and enterprise of the Irish people and a Government that works with them," Mr Cullen said today.
"We are one of the few European cities without a rail link [to the airport]. Metro North corrects this and by going to Swords, achieves more."

© 2006 ireland.com
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/bre...breaking58.htm

[PaulM]

All this talk of "Busses feeding into metro" etc. makes me think metro-lite will be undercapacity on launch.

[Kevin K Kelehan]

All of course premature before we know what is actually proposed

[Mark Hennessy]

Dublin’s Metro should be up and running by 2012 carrying 80,000 passengers a day from St Stephen's Green to Swords, via the airport, it was claimed today.

As the three route options were unveiled, transport minister Martin Cullen claimed the 18km Metro North line would cut car journeys in the capital by 15 million a year.
Mr Cullen said the project will take four years to construct and will be paid for out of the Government's €34bn Transport 21 plan.

Minister Cullen refused to predict exactly how much the metro would cost.

“I’m not going to go out in the market with predicted figures opening up a mugging for the state. We know in broad terms what the project will cost,” the minister said.

All three routes start at Stephen’s Green running under Trinity College and the River Liffey before crossing beneath O’Connell Street.

Proposals on a central, west and east line are being put forward.

All three include underground sections, several kilometres at street level and an elevated section.
Plans for the central line, which the Railway Procurement Agency believes is the best, have included options for stations at stops including O’Connell Street, Mater Hospital and Botanic Road.

The line would come above ground before running onto Ballymun, out to the airport and onwards to Swords.

The west route has possible stops at Tower Street, the Rotunda and Broadstone before crossing the Cabra Road, running on to Finglas crossing the M50 near the exit for the N2 and onto the airport and Swords.

The east line includes possible stations at Hawkins Street, O’Connell Street, Mater Hospital, Drumcondra and Griffith Avenue before coming above ground near Whitehall. This line would then stop at Santry, the Clonshaugh Road before heading on to the airport.

A public consultation process began today giving businesses and residents along the proposed routes a chance to give their opinions. Public meetings will also take place between now and July for people to voice their concerns.

It is hoped the Metro will remove 41,000 cars a day from Dublin’s streets, with a train running at least every four minutes. Journey times from the city centre to the airport will take 17 minutes while commuters travelling to Swords will spend 26 minutes on the Metro.

Plans are already underway to ensure this system integrates with other services in the city including Luas, bus services and inter-city rail networks.

“Metro will reduce travel times and congestion, improve the reliability, availability and quality of public transport, and make public transport more attractive to car users,” Mr Cullen said.

“Reducing car journeys can only have a beneficial effect on the net air quality in Dublin. Metro is set to improve the quality of life for the people of Dublin and for those visiting the capital on business or as tourists.”

Padraic White, RPA chairman, said: “While the Metro would serve the airport it was estimated that 80 per cent of passengers would be commuters living on Dublin’s north side.”

He revealed the RPA would choose the preferred route in July and a formal railway order would be submitted to the minister in 2007.

Work on the Metro, which will last for at least four years looks set to begin in 2008 with the RPA overseeing the project with the help of Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and the Dublin Airport Authority.

Tests on underground conditions throughout the city are due to begin in the coming weeks but the RPA insisted Metro North would not run into many of the problems and controversies which surrounded the over-budget, behind schedule Dublin port tunnel.

Officials revealed the Metro tunnel would be at least half the size at 5.5 metres, built between 20 to 50 metres below the surface for some eight-nine kilometres.

Mr White also said the RPA was committed to giving residents and businesses their say on the massive project.

“Consultation is an essential part of the process in the delivery of Metro North and we are determined to make this process of consultation as extensive as possible whilst sticking to a very ambitious deadline,” he said.

Mr Cullen and the RPA also said plans and proposals for Metro lines in the west of the city serving Clondalkin, Tallaght and Blanchardstown would also be published in the coming months with a view to begin construction in the next five years.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/02/28/story246963.html

[alek smart]

Hmmm....Is this the same City Authority which is wringing it`s hands and Ochon Ochoning in relation to removing Pay and Display Car Parking from Parnell Square ..?
These lads no more want to reduce the daily traffic count by 41,000 cars than they want to sniff radioactive snuff.

Ok..how about this then....ELIMINATE all on-street Pay Parking.
ALL centre city parking to be off-street or multi-storey.
The immediate conversion of the resultant free space into Pedestrian and Public Transport interactive areas.
The conversion of at least ONE existing Multi-Storey into a Bus Interchange.

This relatively simple strategy would be a very forceful way of Kick Starting the T21 principles in the Capital........

Holding my breath ..now!!!

[Thomas J Stamp]

It'll actually remove about 10,000 and decimate the bus services to Swords, Ballymun and Finglas, a la luas does to Dundrum and the DART did 20 years ago to the 8,7 ect routes.