Dublin Trams
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The fact that there are ‘car lots’ filled with cars lining the Naas road suggests that people working in the area have no other means to get there.
The Red Cow, despite its current situation, is a good location for a Park & Ride in to the future. Crossing major junctions as luas enters the city centre is inevitable. The fact that the red cow is the busiest junction in Dublin, outlines the volume of traffic on the Naas road. It is five lanes heading westbound from the long mile junction, and cannot handle the volume of traffic at that.
Running luas by Crumlin Hospital or the KCR is a nice idea Diaspora but still involves closing key arteries in to the city centre, the crumlin road is too narrow, as is cromwellsfort, kimage road west, and kimmage road lower never mind how to handle Kimage Cross Roads or the Walkinstown Roundabout.
Originally posted by Peter FitzPatrick
The fact that there are ‘car lots’ filled with cars lining the Naas road suggests that people working in the area have no other means to get there.I was more referring to to the large number of motor importers and distributors and jap import operations as well as distribution facilities such as BOC etc. None of which employ large numbers of commuters due to them being 24 hour operations.
Originally posted by Peter FitzPatrick
The Red Cow, despite its current situation, is a good location for a Park & Ride in to the future. Crossing major junctions as luas enters the city centre is inevitable. The fact that the red cow is the busiest junction in Dublin, outlines the volume of traffic on the Naas road. It is five lanes heading westbound from the long mile junction, and cannot handle the volume of traffic at that.The N7 is improved but surely the junction must rank alongside the worst in Ireland due to its existing traffic load. Park and Ride works well in places like Sallins and Rush but I’m not convinced that people will drive a short distance and park, but more likely is a scenario of this facility serving commuters from Carlow who will fill it by 0730.
Originally posted by Peter FitzPatrick
Running luas by Crumlin Hospital or the KCR is a nice idea Diaspora but still involves closing key arteries in to the city centre, the crumlin road is too narrow, as is cromwellsfort, kimage road west, and kimmage road lower never mind how to handle Kimage Cross Roads or the Walkinstown Roundabout.Classic LUAS the option that could be considered ‘the best of a bad lot’ is selected. What should have been done was one of two things, either push through a route via Drimnagh to Heuston/James’ Hospital on strategic grounds or admit that all routes considered were critically flawed and conclude that the route required at least a partial metro section. No loaf is better than a bad loaf, if it requires three loaves to solve the hunger later.
In your opinion it’s critically flawed, it’s a light rail system not a metro, you’re not going to solve everything with one line. It serves Tallaght primarily which at the moment doesn’t even have an adequate qbc. You’ve outlined your disapproval at length so maybe now its time for us to shut up and wait and see it in action.
Cheers ! 😀
Originally posted by Peter FitzPatrick
You’ve outlined your disapproval at length so maybe now its time for us to shut up and wait and see it in action.Cheers ! 😀
So a breakfast at the Red Cow in August is on, to view LUAS operating and count the number of 01-cw regs in the LUAS park & ride facility.
😀Just comparing Luas with Dublin trams – in 1879 horse-drawn trams left Rathmines every three and a half minutes at peak times – albethey without 250+ bowler hats crammed on board – compared with an initial 5 mins for Luas.
And even earlier in 1867, it was served by an omnibus every 10 minutes.
There were also plans on the back of the success of the Underground in London to build a line underground from the city centre to Rathmines, with 3 stations on the route from the canal to the Temple Road area. It’s quite extraordinary the extent of the commuter-belt even then, and the tram numbers don’t even take into account the hoards of people who walked to work.There’s great potential in this area today for this walking and cycling routine to be replicated with the eventual sell-off of Portobello Barracks. High density housing here, a mere 20 minutes walk from Dame St or 10 to Stephen’s Green would be a major boost in getting people back into/near the city, not to mention the knock-on improvement of the dingy Rathmines Road – and is in direct state control.
Yesterday (Sun 18/Apr/04 ) saw the first intensive testing in the city centre – for a couple of hours in the morning they were running a replica of a full service from Sandyford right through to Stephens Green, with trams departing every 5 to 7 minutes in both directions.
I’ll have some fresh pictures on my site tomorrow.
This followed on from the resurfacing of Harcourt Street finally being completed, meaning that cars and trams could be seperated, thus testing could take place without traffic having to be halted.
There was one blip during the testing, when a 48A bus stalled and couldn’t be restarted at the bottom of Harcourt street, it blocked all the traffic, and they were forced to let the cars through onto the tracks. Luckily the bus got going again after 12 minutes, but it’s pointed out a potential problem for the future.
Gabriel
Those pics are up now.
Incidently, over on the “Red Line” as it’s now called (Line A) the first trial run to Abbey Street is pencilled in for early Sunday morning. This will go normal speed to Heuston (track already checked), and then walking pace from there to Abbey Street.
Gabriel
From BBC News…..
Fewer passengers use Sheffield’s Supertrams than expected
Plans for more light rail systems in UK towns could be at risk because existing ones are failing to attract passengers and investment, a report has warned.
The National Audit Office (NAO) said some systems were losing money, did little to cut traffic and did not link to other transport modes.It said the losses discouraged private firms from investing in new systems.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said he would look at other options if trams did not provide value for money.
Major barriers
Seven light rail – or tram – systems have been built since 1980 and another 12 are being developed, with £1bn of government investment.
However, major barriers were preventing further expansion, the government spending watchdog warned.
The NAO report cited the example of the Sheffield Supertram – in operation since 1994 – which was expected to raise £80m on privatisation, but in fact attracted only £1m.
If costs are going to carry on doubling then any government is quite right to say ‘well, let’s have a look at it and let’s see if there aren’t other alternatives’
Alistair Darling
Passenger numbers were 45% below expectation on the South Yorkshire line, while numbers on the Midland Metro were 38% down, the NAO said.
The Midland Metro, Manchester Metrolink, Croydon Tramlink and Tyne and Wear Metro were all running at a loss, with Midland Metro losing £11.4m a year.
Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, said: “Systems need to be better integrated with other modes of transport to attract more passengers and help to reduce urban congestion.
“If more systems are to secure private sector investment, construction costs must be brought down and placed on a sound financial footing.”
Costs
Mr Darling told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme tram usage had increased by 86% between 1997 and 2003, but that the government was taking a tough line on future funding.
“One of my big concerns is that the costs of these new schemes have doubled in some cases,” Mr Darling said.
“If costs are going to carry on doubling then any government is quite right to say ‘well, let’s have a look at it and let’s see if there aren’t other alternatives’.
“If we are going to build these things then we have to make sure that we get value for money from them.”
‘Hands off’
Commons public accounts committee chairman and Conservative MP Edward Leigh said the government has not been active enough in implementing tram systems.
A new tram system for Liverpool is under discussion
“The Department of Transport has taken a hands-off approach compared to our continental competitors.
“The department has allowed tram systems to be built that have no through ticketing arrangements, unco-ordinated timetables, and trams have not been given priority over road traffic,” he said.
Conservative transport spokesman Damian Green said: “The Department for Transport has talked about 25 new light rail lines but the report makes it clear that it has no strategy for achieving this growth.”
But a spokesman for the Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) group said the NAO report had shown how light rail “can be delivered faster, better, cheaper”.
Put that in yer pipe and smoke it!!!!
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:Came home on a bus yesterday that broke down – just about 5 yards past the choke spot on Harcourt Road where the Luas crosses it.
The outbound traffic was passing with great difficulty, some using the Luas lines to get by, as we waited.
Absolutely amazed to see an outbound Luas creep up and barely pass us by, – if it had ben inbound it would have unable to pass. Even more amazed at the reaction of the delayed traffic, hooting and trying to beat the Luas. Most of them probably had no idea what was causing the problem, or how close they came to whacking into the Luas.
Two further thoughts – the Luas colour scheme renders it fairly invisible, on a dull day it seems to blend back into the buildingscape. From a safety point of view this cannot be ideal.
Also the warning signal from the Luas is pretty weak, especially on a turning curve as it was here, you may well not hear it over traffic noise.For the record the bus eventually go going, passed another broken down bus and after a long delay we all got swopped over to another bus. One hour to do two miles. There was a second Luas inbound at the new (and much more ugly) bridge at Ranelagh.
luas has two warning sounds, the bells that chime approaching a junction and a louder (much louder) horn if needed …. got a blast of it myself the other day.
Did anyone notice this very local addition to the Luas overhead wires on Abbey Street:
Last weekend, two pairs of runners dangled above the street, tied to the wires – either junkie skangers marking their territory, or someone’s idea of a joke. I don’t know if they’re still there (near the Liffey Street junction), and I didn’t have a camera. Sorry!Luas fares and timetables announced (from RTE)
14 May 2004 18:09
The company running Dublin’s new Luas light rail system, Connex Transport, has announced details of fares and timetables.
The first route to open will be the Green Line, from Sandyford to Stephen’s Green. Services will begin from the end of June.
Connex said the single fare from Sandyford to the city centre will be €2, and €3.80 for a return fare. The minimum fare from stop to stop will be €1.30 and 80 cent for a child.
The Red Line from Tallaght to Connolly Station will open in August.compares well to the Paris metro system where a “carnet” of 10 tickets cost 10euro. each ticket is valid for 1journey on the metro regardless of distance travelled or how many changes one makes. of course it costs more to go outside the metro area on suburban rail, but obviously we beat them here too with a 10euro single fare to newbridge for example on an infrequent service without a clockface timetable. Paris to Disneyland is probably the same distance but costs 6euro and the service is every 10mins on RER, even if off peak the trains are not very busy.
Did i say Luas compares favourably…………………. The fact that it looks like a per stop based ticketing system is a farce. what we get here is a farce. seems to me like we’re still learning from the stunning British example when we really should be learning from pathetic French and German examples…..
the tracks at kingswood …
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