JJ
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The reason for the different surfacing is that in some areas traffic is allowed to mount the rail trackbed. This happens where theres a single lane of traffic alongside so if a vehicle breaks down or theres a blockage of the traffic lane then the cars etc can drive around it by driving on the tram lines ( keeping an eye out for approaching trams one hopes !!! ).
In other areas the tram alignment is segregated fully and road vehicles other than emergency services are not permitted to travel along the track under any circumstances.
Most of the surfacing is dictated by the Councils anyway as the LUAS contractors have had to get agreement to the proposals in each area and whats being put in is actually quite different in some cases from the EIS proposals which were originally put forward.
JJThe Palace, just inside the door on the right and Ryans in Parkgate Street at the back of the bar.
JJFar from it. I’m told the DDDA have valued the land at commercial rates and want paying for it !!
JQGood point Stephen,
Seems to me that if the timescale which MR Brennan has proposed to the RPA is to be achieved then the whole street will be dug up again just about when the new scheme has settled in. Thats the problem with the approach here, make it up as you go along !Also what about the effects on the city of building cut and cover stations at D’olier Street, O’Connell Street and Stephens Green all at the same time !!!
JJ
The DTO has recently set up a working group on transport interchanges and is issuing guidelines for designers and offering funding for designs. One of the sites under consideration is the one next to the Luas in Tallaght mentioned above where theres some space for a LUAS/Bus interchange.
Its a shame that so many developments do not take public transport into account at the early stages of design ( perhaps schools of Architecture should take some responsibility and include basic transport planning modules? ). Theres been a move in the UK for the last few years to incorporate better interchange facilities in major developments and in the Far East and the States this has been happening for some time. Check out the site below:
http://www.interchangeplus.com/
JJ
The LUAS platforms are covered by Railway legislation ( much of it coming from the UK Railway Safety principles and guidlines ( RSPG ) so the requirement for tactile paving is for a contrasting colour with the background.
I’m told the inner city platforms are to be finished in granite so they should look really good.
Great pics Gabriel, nice to see that its coming together.
JJ
As far as I know the poles in the city will be the same as the ones out at Tallaght but generally there will be plenty of fixings to buildings.
I have also been told that the cables will not be fixed to the old Harcourt Station facade after all. The reason for this is that there are poles required on the stops for PA and cameras so they may as well use them for the cables too.
I agree that the new footpaths look great but how long before some idiot digs them up and slaps some tarmac back ?
JJ
You are correct Stephen, the green is owned and maintained by the OPW so they have installed the new granite and refurbed some of the bollards ( no plans to reinstate the chains though as far as I know).
The Luas side will be in the same Pportugese granite and the same contractors will do the surfacing I understand so its all matched. The new LUAS platform will be in a differing granite to clearly define the stop.
Has anyone seen the surfacing being put in down in Arran Quay and Smithfield by the Luas. I think it looks very well.
JJGraham,
some of the stone work is being retained for re-use to clad the new stairs to the upper levels on Amiens Street side and a new retaining wall on Harbourmaster Place.BTW the stone is mostly Limestone of which there are three distinct types and finishes.The only granite is in a string course and a couple of cills.
The centre of the ramp is constructed from brick arching and over the next few weeks this should become visible.
JJ
Gabriel,
Great pics. You are almost right about Line C. It was tacked on as the original Luas concept was for a single line linking through college green. The Government at the time decided to split the line and then extend it to Connolly but as the inquiry process had commenced a new line had to be designated.
It gets even more complicated because the first proposal for Connolly was rejected and yet another inquiry was held. Work is now going on to remove the ramp based on this last scheme. The high wall is to be replaced with a railing which will be the subject of an design comp.The images on the LUAS web site are pretty poor but there is a small image of the Connolly scheme which you can see.
JJ
I’d recommend Iveagh GArdens behind the National Concert Hall, theres an access from one of the lanes off Harcourt Street
ST Michans for the mummified bodies
JJActually Dunlow are part of the consortium Partners in the PPP who were contributing about €50m which is outside the levy scheme. DLRCC have already indicated that as the second phase of Cherrywoods development was dependant on there being a light rail connection that further planning permissions will not be forthcoming.
The levy scheme is seperate and will be administered by the local authority through the planning system and would be applied to all planning permissions.
The scheme is for funding of the extension to Line B from Sandyford to Cherrywood only as the current works are fully funded already.
Not sure of the final agreed figures but the suggested levy was about €2500 per dwelling for residential and €19 per sq. m. gross floor area for commercial.
A similar scheme is being put together for the Docklands to cover the price of the extension to the Point Depot and for future lines and Metro there will be schemes under section 49 in place.
Problems with the private funding on the Cherrywood line though may delay this one going ahead. Its part of the problem of involving commercial interests in part funding public services.
The trams at Red Cow were moved out of the Depot to allow electrical short circuit testing of the overhead lines in the stabling yard. The vandalism took place about a week previously, I’ve heard that it was a roving graffiti artist from the UK. The poles will be the same throughout the system and are painted silver to match the silver on the old lamp standards in town, no victoriana ( phew ! ). Plenty of building fixings in town and combined public lighting fittings were poles are needed. One dissapointment is that the poles at the stops were to be stainless but due to costs cuts these will now be painted.
Croydon used higher tensioned wire and as a result H sections for the poles. They are very crude and ugly so I’m glad we did not end up with something like them.
JJThere’s been some work done on alignments for Line D by the Railway Procurement Agency however it’s closely tied in to the Metro. Not sure what the overall timescale is though.
JJThe old station is being used as site accommodation during construction of the LUAS Line B and there are plans to incorporate the old station in a development which includes a transport interchange with Trams and Bus.
Theres ongoing discussions about feature lighting on the bridge which is in danger of being omitted due to costs.
JJThere are no LUAS poles on Amiens street yet. Not sure what you are referring to Graham.
There are poles out at Kingswood near Sylvan Drive which are examples of the type to be used. Fairly basic and not particularly pretty. There are also some larger types required in some areas.
Where possible there’s building fixings ( All of Harcourt Street for instance )
The CCTV point is one worth highlighting. All the stops will have CCTV cameras ( required to cover the ticket vending machine and help points )
JJ
