Re: Re: Thomas Street & James Street, Dublin!

Dept of Transport confirm a €1m allocation via NTA for the upgrade of the Thomas Street/James Street QBC http://www.dttas.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=533

The original plans that went to public consultation in 2010 showed all the hallmarks of Roads Engineers happily ensuring that 4 lanes of smooth traffic made their way unimpeded through this historic street. The report brief was to take account of the reality of the QBC given that it is an opportunity for funding for the street. The ideas in the report are intended to soften and ameliorate the impact of the QBC so that it doesn’t simply become a route ferrying people through the street.

View the plans for the QBC here http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTraffic/QBNProjectOffice/DCS/Documents/NORTH%20CLONDALKIN%20QBC%20PLANNING%20DRAWINGS.PDF

As part of the process of the Thomas Street Study the views of a locally-based planning and design firm were sought and this didnt come down very favourably for the current designs pointing our that the design undermined the urban qualities of Thomas/James Street by creating a suburban traffic route. Im not sure how successful the Dublin Civic Trust study will be in changing the design to place a greater emphasis on Thomas Street as a place to be rather than a place to get through.