Friday 14 August 2009

30kph limit on quays - if you agree

Dubliners have been asked to comment on a radical proposal to reduce traffic on the quays to a crawl.

The city council wants to impose a 30km/h speed limit on both the north and south quays - which currently have 50km/h limits.

The change would also apply to other city centre routes - including O'Connell Street, D'Olier Street, College Street, College Green, Westmoreland Street and Dame Street.

Authority chiefs say they want to make the centre safer for cyclists and pedestrians. They have already lowered speed limits around most of the shopping and central business areas to 30km/h in 2006. However, they were unable to reduce the speeds on streets that are classified national primary roads, which fall under the control of the National Roads Authority (NRA).

However, legislative amendments made by Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey TD mean that local authorities can now introduce special speed limits on sections of national roads, once the NRA has consented.

City Hall is asking members of the public to make submissions by the end of August on draft speed limit bye-laws, which are currently on display at its road and traffic department on Wood Quay.

Submissions must be made in writing to the Executive Manager, Roads and Traffic Department, Block 2, Floor 6, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 - before 4.30pm on the 31st of August 2009.

The changes would mean that the entire city area - from the northside's Parnell Street to St Stephen's Green on the southside - would have a maximum limit of 30km/h. The zone would stretch as far as Church Street in the west and Gardiner Street in the east.

Council bosses maintain the change would lead to a significant reduction in road fatalities and serious injuries.

The move comes just as the council brought in a measure to increase the journey times of taxis and buses through the city. Since July 27, only buses and taxis are allowed pass through College Green on weekdays from 7-10am and 4-7pm. Private cars have been banned from the zone in front of Trinity College.

Dublin Bus argued that the so-called 'bus gate' was vital for cutting public transport journey times through the city. Councillors voted 15 to 12 in favour of the bus gate, as part of a €2.1m transport plan aimed at reducing journey times for buses through the capital.

www.buckplanning.ie

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