flysrmd11

The NRA website is rather poor. You’d expect them to actually post some maps, plans etc. of all the road projects but no.

Thomond Park.

DIT still offers a Transport & Logistics degree:
http://www.dit.ie/DIT/study/undergraduate/courses/dt358.html
€1000 scholarship if you enter with 500+ CAO points.

Also a Transport Technology degree (less logistics):
http://www.dit.ie/DIT/study/undergraduate/courses/dt028.html

There’s a lot of giving out about one off housing, but I don’t think the alternative is much better. Having grown up in a small village in Kerry (population 300 a few years back), a number of estates (one with 70 houses) have sprung up creating an absolute blight on the landscape. I wonder/fear what it will look like in a few years time when the ‘newness’ is gone.

A point I’d appreciate some feedback on: What is it with everyone removing natural hedgerow (often with mature trees) and replacing it with ugly walls. Leaving the hedgerow, in most cases one would hardly notice the house therefore greatly reducing the eyesore factor. Your thoughts/

Dublin didn’t need a second Metro

http://www.platform11.org/nometro.html

I must say that I am rather surprised and disappointed by Platform11’s objection to the Metro, and consequent display of contentment at its cancellation. It is really sending the wrong message to all who are influenced by the lobby group, quite a few apparently. While it was of capital heavy (but not more so than any other major infrastructure project) and not “the perfect solution”, it was A solution – much better than none and/or the money going into new motorways. The latest trend has become “metro-bashing”, in the midst of the current economic climate and spite towards certain politicians, many people are falling for it, ignoring the real reason for the project: A real transportation need. There will be regrets in a few years time. We hear all too often how X should have been done in the 1970/1980. History repeats itself

Some comments on issues raised about the metro:

There is a lot of reference to serving “the airport” and how much better a heavy rail line is in that role. Of course it would have been a key metro terminus, however why are many disregarding the other areas to be served, many which are far from any heavy-rail/DART lines. No metro basher has a suggestion for any of those.

Why the fixation that it would have “dumped people in at the base of the spire”? That was he first phase and would of course have changed later. Anyway, many people seemingly do want to go to the city centre, otherwise why would so many cities have dedicated non-stop express rail services between the airport and city centre.

People say how poorly planned the metro was with routes changing every second week. No doubt, however with different consultants etc., that is to be expected and does not change the need for the metro itself. If the same logic was applied 4-5 years ago, we would not be so close to the LUAS today. It has its problems (why two totally separate lines and consequent need for the duplication of much infrastructure) however I have no doubt that it will become a vital, much loved, and heavily used part of the city’s transport infrastructure the day it starts operating.

Now for some comments on the new idea, a spur from Howth Junction to the Airport. For a start, it is rather shocking that that three stations with large catchment areas (and the myth that it is just affluent villagers is absurd) will lose direct services, obviously a big step backwards and an ideal way to force plenty of people back to their cars. Every seat change reduces passenger potential by at least 30%, that statistic is from efficient railway systems… imagine it with CIE’s delays, full trains etc.

Furthermore there is a severe lack of capacity on the City – Howth Junction line, any extra tracks is 10+ years away and improved signalling only marginally increases capacity which should really be used by current DARTs/Belfast trains. There is obviously no capacity for direct trains, consequently Airport – City (Tara Street) journey times will likely be 30+ minutes, a minimal improvement compared to Aircoach. Metro journey time with stops en-route was supposed to be 18 – 24 minutes. The concept of “Belfast trains running via or Cork trains running through to the airport” often gets mentioned as a reason for Heavy Rail to the airport, but as appealing as it sounds, there is simply no capacity at present or in the foreseeable future.

I admit that in reality we should be seeing both Heavy Rail/DART expansion and the Metro, however the idea that the former can replace any need for the second is pure fantasy. I very honestly doubt we will be seeing any whole new DART lines and in any case, those would be significantly more expensive to build than the Metro.

Jeremiah

There was much discussion about keeping the Spire clean. This article from today’s Sunday Times may be of interest:

Copyright: Sunday Times

Spire cleaning squad to ward off vandals
John Burns

GRAFFITI will be cleaned off the Spire of Dublin up to three times a day, according to the city council.
Planners expect the monument, due to be completed this week, will be a target for vandalism as Dubliners try to autograph the world’s largest sculpture. But a specialist company is to be employed to keep the base of the stainless-steel spire clean.

“We are confident that we have solvents available to remove spray paint from the monument,” said Jim Barrett, the city architect. “We will be cleaning it twice or three times a day, because we anticipate there will be a temptation to write on it. We may employ a private company to do the cleaning and monitor its alarm system.”

The alarm will be triggered if there is a malfunction in the lighting or if anyone attempts to break into the 120 metre-high structure.

The spire has an underground chamber to facilitate maintenance, such as replacement of the lighting. The entrance to the chamber is guarded by a sophisticated system of computerised-locking doors. As well as cleaning with solvent, the council is also making arrangements to polish the structure, especially the bottom 12 metres featuring a mirrored finish with an abstract design etched in.

Barrett said: “We will have a mobile polisher and anticipate giving it a shine three or four times a year. If there are scratches, we can revisit it from time to time with manual polishing.

“Any reduction in the thickness of the monument due to polishing would be very slight, and would take hundreds of years before it makes an impact.

“If someone physically takes a hammer and chisel to this they will find it is tough stainless steel. The impact would be quite small.”

There will not be a permanent closed-circuit camera trained on the structure, but it will be lit at night. The council is also planning to erect a series of bollards and kerbs around the base to prevent ramming with cars. “It will be impossible even for a tank to get up,” Barrett promised.

The first three of eight sections have now been installed but work was halted on Wednesday due to high winds. It is planned to restart the installation on Tuesday. Sections six, seven and eight have been joined together, which will speed up the final stages.

“It could be finished by Wednesday afternoon but the electrical work then has to be done,” said a council spokeswoman. “We have no formal launch date. The launch will be a big event so we’ll have to apply for a licence. It should be a couple of weeks after it’s finished.”

Silver ceremonial coins are planned to mark the launch of the monument, which is years behind schedule because of legal challenges and engineering difficulties. Originally to be named after the millennium, it is now officially titled the Spire of Dublin.

Designed by Ian Ritchie Architects in London, the 124-ton structure is 40 stories high. Even though only half-built, it is already visible from some elevated vantage points in the suburbs.

The spire has been designed to allow its tip to move 2.5 metres in the wind. The top nine metres are perforated with almost 12,000 15mm holes to allow it to radiate light. Rainwater will be collected in an internal gutter and will be flushed to the ground.

Spire cleaning squad to ward off vandals
John Burns

Jeremiah

I can only find this website on the port tunnel:

http://www.dublincity.ie/porttunnel/

BTW, did anyone see the programme on RTE some months ago where they suggested continuing the port tunnel under Dublin bay to close the ring road/motorway around the city?

Jeremiah