Barry Long
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QUOTE***
“It is a combination of the Legacy of the way roads were designed in the 1970’s and 1980’s. No thought whatsoever was given to the humble bike in these decades. Also the planners in the case of Sandyford got it wrong on a monumental scale. ” *** END QUOTETo reverse these errors is simple; all it requires is the vision and political will. Architects should come out in favour of a car free Dublin Centre. Where there are existing bus lanes, these should be kerbed off, trees planted, cycle space painted red and turned into two- way cycle lanes.
Every single city centre street should have this basic provision for cyclists. In cases where streets are too narrow to cater for cyclists and cars, the cars should be banned. The only exception would be deliveries: these could only take place during 4am-6am.
Where there is conflict between car and bike, bike must win out. For the bike does not harm the environment; it is good for people, for the quality of life of the city, for a smog-free environment. If the government is serious about a ‘smoke-free’ environment the first thing to do is elimate the choking fumes of the cars that are turning our city into a smouldering traffic cesspit.
Another point: Outside beautiful buildings like the Leinster House Lawn and the Rotunda, sit these giant car parks. With this attitude, I won’t be holding my breath for a clean, car-less Dublin.
Why are Dublin planners/architects not doing more for cyclists? The situation in the city centre is disgraceful, the cycle lanes hideously inadequate.
Diaspora, you should be on a bicycle. There is no need for you to be hogging public transport when you’re a ten minute pedal from Connolly.
You should be crying out for a bike lane to take you to Connolly quickly; you don’t need a tram. Anyone who lives in the central zone should be on a bike.
The solution was obvious: Line B should have terminated in Connolly via Dawson Street, College Street, Pearse Street and Tara Street.
This would’ve had the added benefit of ridding the city of cars traveling South-bound to Stephen’s Green, thus freeing up the historical/tourist quarter. It being Ireland, there was no political will to do this so we’re left the LUAS shambles.
That said, I don’t think it’s vital that the lines interconnect. The common assumtion – especially in the media – is that the LUAS is a ‘train’ stoping at ‘stations’
Sorry, guys. It’s a humble tram. Tram/Rail interconnections – yes. Tram/Bus – yes. Tram/Tram – no need. It’s like suggesting a connection between the M50 and the Cork Ring Road – just because they’re both dual carraigways.! Absolutely illogical.
Originally posted by niall murphy
I live close to a the Cork-Dublin mainline in Co Kildare. Trains are constantly passing at speeds up to 100mph(160kmph). I dont feel I should be compensated, nor do I think those close to tramlines should receive extra money because someone chose to provide them with a top class transport system on their doorstepIrish Rail is notorious for its infrequency. There are no passenger services between 9pm and 6am. Your house could not be as promximate to the railtrack as it would be were you living along the section of LUAS between Fourtcourts and Jervis.
Go down there yourself; take a look at the track alignment (beside the footpaths adjacent to people’s front doors) and it will dawn on you that the trams will indeed make life intolerable for residents of this section of Line A
Originally posted by Gabriel-Conway
The LUAS trams have two aural warning systems.A shrill car-type “horn” for danger situations, and a lovely, electronic, but very melodious sounding “bell” which chimes softly to let pedestrians know that the tram is coming.
They used the latter when inching through Windy Arbour last week – a lovely sound, don’t know how they managed to make an electronic bell sound so nice!
Gabriel
Saying the horn sounds melodious is very subjective. I know i’m subjective too and I say the sound is odious.
But going on the Amsterdam feeling – and my sentiments will be shared by anyone living along an urban tram route – nightlink trams will = nightmares for the residents along the city centre section of the Line A
Originally posted by Peter FitzPatrick
i disagree, was nearly run down by a test tram last week in Belgard, couldn’t hear a damn thing … was surprised at how quiet they are, gliding along … sure there is some sound, but its not much …When in open suburbia the noise level is quite acceptable. There is no foot traffic to contend with so the horn remains unhonked. But inching through a narrow street the tram will not only vibrate the pavement but the horn wil have to be honked to warn street users a tram is passing. In any event the tram has to honk its horn while approching, while doors are closing, and while leaving each stop.
Originally posted by Morlan
Yes but the trams in Amsterdam are much older, heavier and rickety are they not?
I lived along Tram 1 and and Tram 17. These are new trams that only came into service last year. They are almost identical in design to the RPA’s trams.
When moving along a narrow street you see the tram does shake. Members may have seen the section of tram in Amsterdam between Konigsplein and Leidseplein (Tram 1,2,5). When people are walking in the vicinity of the tram the driver is required to honk the (shrill) horn to warn of its presence. Not even the soundest sleeper would be able to get some kip while the trams were grinding and beeping every five minutes; never mind the drunkards who’d be hanging around the stops. Trams don’t run after midnight in Amsterdam for this reason.
LUAS won’t run after 12am. In fact it will likely end up closing at 11.30 just like the buses. The reason? The houses along the route won’t be able to sleep. Traveling along a narrow street the tram will have to honk and grind its way along the street. Forget the guff about ‘silent’ trams – that’s untrue. Trams do make noise, a lot of it. I lives along a tram route in Amsterdam, so I know a lot about trams. In the mornings I always woke up with the sound of the first tram rumbling along the (wide) street. I can only imagine in horror how loud the tram will rumble and shake traveling past those tiny terraced houses just after the fourcourts stop. The compo claims from traumatised residents, fed lies by the RPA, will be astronomical.
As other contributors have pointed out, line A is a disaster, chaos waiting to happen. The capacity is woefully inadequate. Even at five minute intervals, the trams will be stuffed as a Christmas turkey.
Just imagine the morning rush-hour. At heuston station you’ve got two hundred people, all carrying backpacks and suitcases, trying to get onto an already-packed tram.
Packed because by the time a tram reaches heuston it will have made FIFTEEN stops. That means each tram can collect only 13 passegers at each stop. This is bound to be inadequate, given that the LUAS passes through polulated Tallaght, Drimnagh and Inchicore – never mind the giant Park ‘n’ Ride at the Red Cow.
The promised 38 minute journey time from Tallaght to Abbey is a joke. They may as well have plucked a figure from the sky. When I asked Eamon Brady, PRO of the RPA, how long would the journey take from Suir Road to Abbey, he paused and said: “Well it’s about half way along so I guess 19 minutes”
He didn’t know. There has been no analysis done, no approximate timings for each stop, so how can anyone believe the RPA’s propaganda?
