MORE THAN half of those living in the commuter belt areas around Dublin have no involvement with their local community and have problems with street drinking and vandalism, according to a survey carried out by the Labour Party.
Senator Dominic Hannigan, the party’s spokesman on the commuter belt, said the survey pointed to the need for action to improve the quality of life for people living in the urbanised areas of Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow.
“In the last decade, there has been significant growth in population in the towns and villages around Dublin. This has generated considerable debate about commuter issues, but yet very little research exists about how residents feel about their quality of life. The purpose of our research is to plug this gap,” said Mr Hannigan.
Forty per cent of those who participated in the survey felt their quality of life had stayed the same, 31 per cent said it had got worse and 29 per cent said it had improved over the past five years.
While almost 60 per cent felt their town was growing at the right pace, more than half of them, 54 per cent, were not involved in any local community group, sports club or voluntary organisation. Despite this, 56 per cent felt there was a strong sense of community among the longer-term residents.
Vandalism and anti-social behaviour emerged as serious problems for people living in the commuter belt. Vandalism was described as a problem by 50 per cent, while property damage affected 28 per cent.
Street drinking was cited by 54 per cent as a problem, while noise affected 40 per cent and intimidation 26 per cent. Littering and dog fouling were a problem for 68 per cent of people.
In terms of services, 55 per cent use buses to get to work, 15 per cent drive, 23 per cent cycle or walk, 5 per cent go by train and 2 per cent work from home – and 95 per cent think bus or train services need to be improved.
People felt their journeys to work have increased over the past five years by an average of 30 per cent and while 90 per cent live within walking distance of a public house, only half live within walking distance to a playground.
Just one in six residents thinks their local council is doing enough to provide land for parks or football pitches, while over half of respondents complain about the quality of the water supply.
A large majority feels that the lack of facilities for young people is a big problem, most think class sizes are too large and 60 per cent do not think there are adequate recycling facilities. Mr Hannigan said to deal with the issues raised in the survey, councils should prioritise developments that offer community benefits and local and national agencies should do more to promote local jobs in business parks so commuting would not be such a big problem.
He also proposed that Garda numbers should be linked to the population growth of an area, more litter bins and recycling facilities should be provided and quality bus networks completed. More playgrounds and youth facilities were also needed, as was proper planning, to ensure there were sufficient school places before new housing was occupied.
The survey was compiled from 1,533 completed forms. A total of 80,000 survey forms were distributed to homes in the region.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label commuting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commuting. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Commuter times rose 75% in last 5 years, survey finds
TRAFFIC CONGESTION has reached "crisis proportions" in the State with commuter times increasing by almost 75 per cent in the past five years, a new survey has found.
Workers are now spending an average of 80 minutes per day travelling to and from the office and commuters are losing the equivalent of almost nine working weeks to gridlock every year.
The Dublin workforce faces the longest commute each day, with the average journey to work in the capital taking 49 minutes, while commuters in the northwest face the shortest trips to work, at 24 minutes.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has warned the problems will more than likely worsen over the coming weeks as schools re-open and the summer holidays come to an end.
The association, which conducted the survey of 486 companies, believes traffic congestion in cities and towns across the country has reached crisis point and is increasing the costs incurred by small business.
"Traffic congestion is continuing to have a negative impact on business, confirmed by two thirds of small firms," ISME chief executive, Mark Fielding said.
Mr Fielding said despite extra investment in road infrastructure the delays are getting worse, which is having a negative impact on business, with the survey finding the delays are costing businesses some €2.5 billion each year, which is almost 1.5 per cent of GDP.
Last year, the Government pledged to shorten travel time for commuters and reduce traffic congestion on the roads under its Next Steps Forward: Developing Transport scheme.
However, Mr Fielding believes a significant reduction in the duration of commuter journeys cannot come about until a National Transport Management Agency is established.
Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said the figures were "not surprising" and show there are significant issues that need to be addressed in order to reverse the increases.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the Government is working to alleviate the problems by investing over €34 billion in improving transport infrastructure with a view to doubling public transport use by 2016.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Workers are now spending an average of 80 minutes per day travelling to and from the office and commuters are losing the equivalent of almost nine working weeks to gridlock every year.
The Dublin workforce faces the longest commute each day, with the average journey to work in the capital taking 49 minutes, while commuters in the northwest face the shortest trips to work, at 24 minutes.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has warned the problems will more than likely worsen over the coming weeks as schools re-open and the summer holidays come to an end.
The association, which conducted the survey of 486 companies, believes traffic congestion in cities and towns across the country has reached crisis point and is increasing the costs incurred by small business.
"Traffic congestion is continuing to have a negative impact on business, confirmed by two thirds of small firms," ISME chief executive, Mark Fielding said.
Mr Fielding said despite extra investment in road infrastructure the delays are getting worse, which is having a negative impact on business, with the survey finding the delays are costing businesses some €2.5 billion each year, which is almost 1.5 per cent of GDP.
Last year, the Government pledged to shorten travel time for commuters and reduce traffic congestion on the roads under its Next Steps Forward: Developing Transport scheme.
However, Mr Fielding believes a significant reduction in the duration of commuter journeys cannot come about until a National Transport Management Agency is established.
Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said the figures were "not surprising" and show there are significant issues that need to be addressed in order to reverse the increases.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said the Government is working to alleviate the problems by investing over €34 billion in improving transport infrastructure with a view to doubling public transport use by 2016.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 27 April 2007
Commuter belts expand
POPULATION growth has shot through the roof in the ever-widening commuter belts of Ireland's biggest cities.
New Census 2006 figures show that people are moving out of cities and into smaller towns.
And these are groaning under the pressure of seeing their numbers double or even treble in just a few years.
The five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford have lost population share compared to the rest of the country with a total growth of just 4pc that is half the rate of the country as a whole.
Galway was the exception to this as its population has grown by 10pc since 2002. It now stands at 72,720 and could hit 100,000 by 2020 if growth continues at this rate.
But the number of large towns has increased from 28 to 34, with Mallow, Wicklow, Arklow, Cobh, Midleton, and Ballina the new arrivals on a list dominated by Leinster with 22 towns inhabited by over 10,000 people.
Balbriggan was the fastest growing big town. Its population soared by 51pc to 15,559, while, also in north Dublin, Swords saw its population soar to 34,000.
Drogheda narrowly pipped Dundalk to become the largest town in Louth, and with a population of 35,090 is now Ireland's biggest urban centre outside the main cities.
Towns near Cork city such as Carrigaline, Midleton and Mallow also saw massive increases, most notably in Carrigtwohill which saw its population double to 2,782.
Towns near Galway such as Athenry also boomed, while the population of Oranmore doubled to 3,500.
Near Dublin, the population of Stamullen in Co Meath trebled to 2,500 in just four years.
Other commuter-belt towns around the capital such as Lusk, Rathcoole, Blessington, Kilcock, Kilcullen and Duleek also witnessed population explosions, with the phenomenon reaching out as far as Portarlington in Co Laois, Enfield in Co Meath and beyond.
Overall, the Irish population has grown by 322,645 since 2002, but most of these live outside the big cities.
This means that the city share of the population fell from 35.5pc to 34.2pc, the census figures just published by the Central Statistics Office show.
The biggest population increases were in villages with a population of between 50 and 1,500 people in Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow which grew by over a third, twice as fast as villages elsewhere.
Irish Independent
New Census 2006 figures show that people are moving out of cities and into smaller towns.
And these are groaning under the pressure of seeing their numbers double or even treble in just a few years.
The five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford have lost population share compared to the rest of the country with a total growth of just 4pc that is half the rate of the country as a whole.
Galway was the exception to this as its population has grown by 10pc since 2002. It now stands at 72,720 and could hit 100,000 by 2020 if growth continues at this rate.
But the number of large towns has increased from 28 to 34, with Mallow, Wicklow, Arklow, Cobh, Midleton, and Ballina the new arrivals on a list dominated by Leinster with 22 towns inhabited by over 10,000 people.
Balbriggan was the fastest growing big town. Its population soared by 51pc to 15,559, while, also in north Dublin, Swords saw its population soar to 34,000.
Drogheda narrowly pipped Dundalk to become the largest town in Louth, and with a population of 35,090 is now Ireland's biggest urban centre outside the main cities.
Towns near Cork city such as Carrigaline, Midleton and Mallow also saw massive increases, most notably in Carrigtwohill which saw its population double to 2,782.
Towns near Galway such as Athenry also boomed, while the population of Oranmore doubled to 3,500.
Near Dublin, the population of Stamullen in Co Meath trebled to 2,500 in just four years.
Other commuter-belt towns around the capital such as Lusk, Rathcoole, Blessington, Kilcock, Kilcullen and Duleek also witnessed population explosions, with the phenomenon reaching out as far as Portarlington in Co Laois, Enfield in Co Meath and beyond.
Overall, the Irish population has grown by 322,645 since 2002, but most of these live outside the big cities.
This means that the city share of the population fell from 35.5pc to 34.2pc, the census figures just published by the Central Statistics Office show.
The biggest population increases were in villages with a population of between 50 and 1,500 people in Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow which grew by over a third, twice as fast as villages elsewhere.
Irish Independent
Monday, 12 February 2007
NRA warned council about M50 chaos
This story by Ian Kehoe in the Sunday Business Post was hardly unexpected, but it is still galling.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) warned Dublin City Council 12 months ago that its plan to ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the city centre was based on poor research and could lead to chaos for commuters on the M50.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) warned Dublin City Council 12 months ago that its plan to ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the city centre was based on poor research and could lead to chaos for commuters on the M50.
The NRA wrote to the council last February stating that there was a ‘‘significant knowledge gap in the decision-making process’’ in relation to the council’s HGV policy. It asked for the ban on trucks to be implemented on a phased basis over a number of years.
From February 19, all trucks with five axles or more will be banned from the city centre from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week. From then, the trucks will be forced the use the Port Tunnel and drive onto the M50 to access routes to the west or south of the country.
According to the NRA, the new policy is ill advised and will lead to a greater number of HGVs than expected using the M50, already one of the busiest roads in the country. In the letter, seen by The Sunday Business Post, the NRA said that it was not aware of any research or traffic-modelling that had been done to predict truck flow in the tunnel.
Furthermore, the state agency said that no assessments had been carried out on the impact that the corridor would have on M50 traffic.
‘‘The exact effects of the HGV management proposals on the tunnel itself and on the M50 motorway have not been assessed,” the letter states.
The NRA believes that HGVs will now be heading to a point where traffic is already being held up by a major upgrade project underway between the N81 and N4 junctions. Another major upgrade project is due to get underway next year.
Meanwhile, despite the government’s plans to go ahead with the purchase of the West Link toll bridge, barrier-free tolling is not due to come into operation until next year. With these problems on the M50, the NRA is warning that a blanket ban on HGVs using a southern access route - particularly to the South Port - would risk creating traffic chaos on the motorway.
A spokeswoman for the council said it still believed that the M50 ‘‘will be manageable’’.
She said that traffic modelling was not required and that the council had carried out its own research.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) warned Dublin City Council 12 months ago that its plan to ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the city centre was based on poor research and could lead to chaos for commuters on the M50.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) warned Dublin City Council 12 months ago that its plan to ban heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the city centre was based on poor research and could lead to chaos for commuters on the M50.
The NRA wrote to the council last February stating that there was a ‘‘significant knowledge gap in the decision-making process’’ in relation to the council’s HGV policy. It asked for the ban on trucks to be implemented on a phased basis over a number of years.
From February 19, all trucks with five axles or more will be banned from the city centre from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week. From then, the trucks will be forced the use the Port Tunnel and drive onto the M50 to access routes to the west or south of the country.
According to the NRA, the new policy is ill advised and will lead to a greater number of HGVs than expected using the M50, already one of the busiest roads in the country. In the letter, seen by The Sunday Business Post, the NRA said that it was not aware of any research or traffic-modelling that had been done to predict truck flow in the tunnel.
Furthermore, the state agency said that no assessments had been carried out on the impact that the corridor would have on M50 traffic.
‘‘The exact effects of the HGV management proposals on the tunnel itself and on the M50 motorway have not been assessed,” the letter states.
The NRA believes that HGVs will now be heading to a point where traffic is already being held up by a major upgrade project underway between the N81 and N4 junctions. Another major upgrade project is due to get underway next year.
Meanwhile, despite the government’s plans to go ahead with the purchase of the West Link toll bridge, barrier-free tolling is not due to come into operation until next year. With these problems on the M50, the NRA is warning that a blanket ban on HGVs using a southern access route - particularly to the South Port - would risk creating traffic chaos on the motorway.
A spokeswoman for the council said it still believed that the M50 ‘‘will be manageable’’.
She said that traffic modelling was not required and that the council had carried out its own research.
Friday, 2 February 2007
Do the PDs care about commuters?
Alison Healy in The Irish Times tells us that The Progressive Democrats have presented a package of measures designed to improve the lives of workers who commute to Dublin from as far away as Monaghan, Offaly and Kilkenny.
Proposals in A Fair Deal for Commuters include treating the commuter belt as a single region for job creation, a circle of park-and-ride facilities outside the M50 and the acceleration of infrastructural projects along the commuter belt.
The document also repeats the proposal by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell for a "fundamental and speedy reform" of the stamp duty regime and says this must be part of the next programme for government. The PD package, which was described as "a contract with commuters", was outlined at a public meeting in Gormanston, Co Meath.
Mr McDowell said the "explosive growth" in the Dublin commuter belt was a serious challenge to Irish society. "The speed of population growth in the commuter belt has led to the creation of a massive infrastructure deficit in terms of roads and rail infrastructure, creches, schools and community centres and medical services," he said. It was adversely affecting people's quality of life now but it could also lead to severe social problems in the long term.
ESRI economist Dr Edgar Morgenroth said many people did not factor in the cost of commuting when considering where to buy a house. He commutes from Co Monaghan, driving 35,000 miles a year and said it cost him €17,500 per year to run his car, or 41 cent per mile. "That's a lot of money," he said,
adding that it could greatly reduce the gap between house prices in Dublin and a commuter county such as Laois.
Dr Morgenroth said we had a "terrible motorway network" and asked why an integrated travel ticketing system had still not been introduced in this State while other countries had introduced such a system before the last World War.
He also advocated high-density housing and said congestion charges would eliminate the "frivolous journeys" that some people often undertook.
Sirena Campbell, the PD's Meath East candidate, outlined the PD plan and said a database should be drawn up of workers and professionals living in the commuter region who were interested in working locally.
The PD plan proposes a circle of park-and-ride facilities around Dublin city and outside the M50 to reduce commuting time. Mr McDowell said the M50 had become a moat around Dublin, "a barrier that bars city-bound commuters from their jobs".
Proposals in A Fair Deal for Commuters include treating the commuter belt as a single region for job creation, a circle of park-and-ride facilities outside the M50 and the acceleration of infrastructural projects along the commuter belt.
The document also repeats the proposal by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell for a "fundamental and speedy reform" of the stamp duty regime and says this must be part of the next programme for government. The PD package, which was described as "a contract with commuters", was outlined at a public meeting in Gormanston, Co Meath.
Mr McDowell said the "explosive growth" in the Dublin commuter belt was a serious challenge to Irish society. "The speed of population growth in the commuter belt has led to the creation of a massive infrastructure deficit in terms of roads and rail infrastructure, creches, schools and community centres and medical services," he said. It was adversely affecting people's quality of life now but it could also lead to severe social problems in the long term.
ESRI economist Dr Edgar Morgenroth said many people did not factor in the cost of commuting when considering where to buy a house. He commutes from Co Monaghan, driving 35,000 miles a year and said it cost him €17,500 per year to run his car, or 41 cent per mile. "That's a lot of money," he said,
adding that it could greatly reduce the gap between house prices in Dublin and a commuter county such as Laois.
Dr Morgenroth said we had a "terrible motorway network" and asked why an integrated travel ticketing system had still not been introduced in this State while other countries had introduced such a system before the last World War.
He also advocated high-density housing and said congestion charges would eliminate the "frivolous journeys" that some people often undertook.
Sirena Campbell, the PD's Meath East candidate, outlined the PD plan and said a database should be drawn up of workers and professionals living in the commuter region who were interested in working locally.
The PD plan proposes a circle of park-and-ride facilities around Dublin city and outside the M50 to reduce commuting time. Mr McDowell said the M50 had become a moat around Dublin, "a barrier that bars city-bound commuters from their jobs".
Thursday, 7 December 2006
Motoring into the Green Lane?
We are to be consulted on the switch to cleaner cars:
"The decisions in today's Budget (6th December '06) to radically alter Vehicle Registration Tax, Motor Tax and the introduction of vehicle labeling represent one of the most progressive environmental measures to be introduced in recent years," stated Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
"The decisions in today's Budget (6th December '06) to radically alter Vehicle Registration Tax, Motor Tax and the introduction of vehicle labeling represent one of the most progressive environmental measures to be introduced in recent years," stated Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
"In moving towards a more CO2 emissions based motor tax system and in line with the Programme for Government, I want to provide an incentive through the motor tax system for the motoring public to drive cleaner cars.
"I am proposing a system under which CO2 emission ratings for individual vehicles will, in addition to the normal engine cc value, be used for the calculation of motor tax. This will apply to any new or pre-owned imported vehicle, registered in this country on or after 1 January, 2008 and taxed within the 'Private Car' motor tax class, which make up about 75% of vehicles registered each year," stated Minister Roche.
Ireland has successfully stabilized, and has been able to reduce its emissions since 2001. Within this overall trend, however, emissions from the transport sector have continued to grow. Transport is the third largest contributor to national greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 18% of the total emissions in 2004. Road transport accounts for 96% of transport emissions. As the average engine size of vehicles purchased in Ireland has increased in line with increases in disposable income, the benefits of increased fuel efficiency from technological improvements has been lessened.
"This initiative in relation to motor tax, together with proposals by the Minister for Finance to rebalance VRT, announced in the Budget, will provide an additional signal to people that there are substantial costs associated with buying new cars with higher CO2 emissions, and its objective is to provide an incentive for consumers to purchase cars that are more CO2 efficient". Both the VRT and Motor Tax initiatives will be supported by an improved mandatory vehicle labeling system to inform consumer choice.
It is projected that the overall motor tax income for 2006 will be €870 million compared with €802 million in 2005. Motor tax revenue is a critical source of current funding for local authorities. Together with an Exchequer contribution, it is ring-fenced within the Local Government Fund, which is used to support investment in non-national roads and provide general purpose current funding for local authorities. Overall, the Local Government Fund meets some 30% of local government current spending annually, and motor tax accounts for some 60% of the Fund.
"My proposals are to 'rebalance' motor tax payments in favour of cars with lower CO2 emission levels, at the expense of vehicles with high emission levels and without any overall loss of motor tax revenue" added Minister Roche.
The Minister concluded: "Cars which are registered prior to 1 January, 2008 will continue to be taxed in accordance with current arrangements and CO2 ratings will not apply to these vehicles".
An extensive publicity campaign to inform the motoring public of the benefits from a motor tax perspective of purchasing low emission new cars will be undertaken prior to revised tax rates coming into operation. The Minister wishes to provide an incentive through the motor tax system for the motoring public to drive cleaner cars and, at the same time, to impose penalties in respect of cars with higher CO2 emission levels.
The Minister is now inviting interested parties to make submissions in relation to the rebalancing of annual motor tax. The public consultation paper is available on www.environ.ie under motor tax.
Submissions may be emailed to motortax@environ.ie or posted to:
'Motor Tax Consultation',
Motor Tax Policy Section,
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Custom House,
Dublin 1.
Submissions received will be published on the Department's website, www.environ.ie
Wednesday, 6 December 2006
DUBLIN PORT TUNNEL TO OPEN ON 20th OF DECEMBER
Dublin City Council and the National Roads Authority today announced that An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Vincent Jackson will open the Dublin Port Tunnel on Wednesday 20th December 2006.
The €751million M50 Dublin Port Tunnel is the longest urban motorway in Europe, comprising two twin lane tunnels, each 4.5km long. It will provide a dedicated motorway, toll free for Heavy Goods Vehicles and buses, from the M50 to Dublin Port. All other vehicles will pay tolls ranging from €12 at peak hours to €6 and €3 off peak.
“The Dublin Port Tunnel is Ireland’s largest Civil Engineering Project and was particularly challenging to construct”, says Tim Brick, Project Engineer. “Construction commenced in June 2001 and has involved 5,000 construction and engineering staff working 7.5 million man-hours, without any fatality. Construction work is now completed and testing and commissioning is well advanced. Training of emergency services is ongoing while the Tunnel Operator, Transroute Tunnel Operations, is training its staff in preparation for the opening of the Tunnel.”
“Approximately 6,300 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV’s) will use the Dublin Port Tunnel each day, toll free, with benefits for hauliers and for the city environment”, says Hugh Creegan Head of Programme Management, National Roads Authority. “Buses with 25+ seats can also use the tunnel toll free, as can specially adapted cars for disabled drivers. Priority will be given to trucks and buses in the Tunnel. Cars and other vehicles will pay tolls of between €12 - 3 depending on the time of day. The revenues received from toll charges will go toward the operational cost of the Tunnel, with any surplus reverting to the State.”
The HGV strategy to take large trucks off Dublin city streets will be introduced approximately two months after the Tunnel opens. All HGV’s with 5 axles or more, exiting the Port, must use the Tunnel to access the national road network. A permitting system will be put in place by Dublin City Council prior to the commencement of the strategy. Dublin City Council and the National Roads Authority will shortly embark on a major public information campaign in 8 languages (English, Irish, Polish, Russian, French, German, Spanish and Chinese) to ensure that all potential users of the Dublin Port Tunnel are aware of safety information, how to behave when driving in the tunnel and to ensure that HGV drivers know that using the Tunnel is toll free for them.
Dublin’s traffic czar just can’t give up his car
This article by the Sunday Times was pointed out to me by one of my Economics students the other day. I was lecturing on transport economics!
HIS job is to convince Dublin’s drivers to leave their cars at home and use public transport. But Michael Phillips, the city’s new director of traffic, has admitted he drives to work most days along one of the best public transport routes in the country.
HIS job is to convince Dublin’s drivers to leave their cars at home and use public transport. But Michael Phillips, the city’s new director of traffic, has admitted he drives to work most days along one of the best public transport routes in the country.
Phillips’s journey from his house in Dun Laoghaire to Dublin city council’s offices on Wood Quay takes one hour in each direction. His route runs alongside the city’s most successful quality bus corridor (QBC), built at a cost of €500,000 a kilometre by the council and serviced by the 46a route, the jewel in Dublin Bus’s crown.
The successor to Owen Keegan says he also uses the Dart, but mainly chooses to drive as he carries up to three family members that he drops off along the route. The traffic director also insists he needs his car for work during the day.
“People might criticise me for this, but I would say it involves using road space economically,” Phillips said.
“If I was on my own, I would always use public transport. One of the problems [Dublin] has is the number of single-occupant cars.”
Despite his regular commute by car, Phillips is planning to introduce new measures aimed at coercing other motorists out of theirs.
The city council is to extend the number of QBCs in Dublin, leaving motorists to compete for greatly reduced road space. Up to 14 new routes are planned for the next three years.
“Up until now, drivers have been able to change their route to get on to roads that don’t have bus lanes, but that is going to change,” said Phillips.
“When the new ones come on line there will be lanes on the alternatives too. So people will realise that if they want to travel quickly, the bus is a better option.”
The city council also intends to increase parking fees “in line with inflation” next year, and is limiting the number of car spaces new commercial developments can have.
“We have calculated that about 25,000 car users in Dublin use their vehicles for business purposes,” said the director of traffic. “They need to be able to get around and to find parking easily. About 65,000 commuters, however, come into the city in their cars in the morning and park somewhere until they go home in the evening.”
In another apparent example, though, of “do as I say and not as I do”, Phillips’s employer has 300 city centre parking spaces that can be used by 900 of the council’s 3,000 employees. “Our staff use their cars to provide a service to the city and the number of car-parking spaces we have is constantly under review,” Phillips said.
He says he can understand why Dublin motorists are slow to abandon their cars. “Currently 51% of people use their cars to travel in and out of Dublin. This is because we still don’t have the public transport system we need. It’s coming, but it’s not there yet.”
Congestion charges are not an option for this reason, but he said car users, himself included, need to reconsider how they commute.
“The complaint that public transport is inadequate is not going to be relevant soon. People say that because it costs a lot to buy, tax and insure a car they should be entitled to use it every day, but that isn’t the case anymore.
Wednesday, 29 November 2006
Transport 21 Integration and Transformation of the Transport Network
Will Transport 21 make things any better? Here's the Minister's speech from earlier this year, make up your own minds!
- Our population has increased by 11% since 1996 to just over 4 million and is predicted to reach 4.7 million by 2016,
- Employment grew from 1.2 million in 1991 to 1.9 million in 2004 and our current 4.3% unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the EU. Total employment is forecast to grow to 2.4 million in 2016, an increase of 23%
- Private car ownership has increased by around 50% between 1991 and 2003. Despite this, our car ownership rates are still low for a developed economy, which points to further future growth.
- Distances travelled to work are increasing, with some 18% of the workforce now travelling over 15 miles to work compared with 11% in 1996. The car remains the main mode for travel to work and accounts for around 62% of all trips.
- The number of new houses being built each year has increased from around 30,000 in 1995 to around 77,000 currently, with a significant proportion in the hinterland areas around our cities.
- The tonnage of goods transported nationally by road has increased from 85 million tonnes to 283 million tonnes.
All of these trends have had and will continue to have a significant impact on the ability of our transport infrastructure and services to cope. Against this challenging backdrop, we have been playing a fast and furious game of catch-up. Since 1997 we have invested some €7.8 billion in transport infrastructure. This level of investment has funded the completion of the M50 Dublin C-ring motorway and the M1 motorway from Dublin to Dundalk. The Dublin Port Access Tunnel is almost complete. The railway infrastructure on the entire inter-city national rail network has been modernised. The capacity of the commuter rail network in the Greater Dublin Area has been greatly increased with infrastructural improvements and a massive rolling stock acquisition programme. Two high capacity Luas light rail lines have been constructed. These are just some of the many transport projects advanced in recent years. Yes, a lot has been done.
However, despite that level of investment, more needs to be done. It is widely recognised that our transport infrastructure suffered from chronic under-investment for a number of years. Prior to the mid-90s, as a nation we simply did not have the financial resources to invest in major transport infrastructure projects. Since then, we have been and, indeed at this point in time, continue to be engaged in investment catch-up. We have been putting in place the level of transport infrastructure that is needed.
Transport 21recognises the different characteristics of investment in transport. Transport investment typically involves long construction phases and massive financial outlays. This has enabled Government to commit to the key projects that are central to addressing in a meaningful way the capacity problems faced by our present transport infrastructure.
A fundamental aspect of Transport 21 is the fact that it provides the basis for an integrated transport network. This is a key and overdue development. It is widely accepted that transport must be considered in a holistic way and not as an end in itself.
So what does Transport 21 entail?
An integrated transport system for Dublin, to include seven new Luas projects, two Metro lines, an underground station at St. Stephen's Green integrating all services and the Western Rail Corridor. In addition, a new commuter rail services for Cork City and Galway City, DART extensions in Dublin, and a new road route connecting Donegal, to Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford, known as the Atlantic Corridor are among a snapshot of the projects to be delivered under the plan.
What will it deliver?
175 million extra public transport users. 75 million extra suburban rail passengers. City Centre to Dublin Airport in 17 minutes by Metro. 80,000 more bus passengers per day. 80 million Luas and Metro passengers per annum. A doubling of Park & ride sites in Dublin to 74.
70kms of QBC in Cork. 187 new rail carriages. 850kms of dual carriageway, 2+1 and single carriageway roads.
We already have commenced the planning phases on new Luas projects. Tomorrow, I will announce the public consultation phase for Metro North, a service that will make it possible to travel from Dublin Airport to the City Centre in 17 minutes. Road projects have commenced, with the focus to continuing to be "on time, on budget" delivery.
A key element of Transport 21 is the continuation and expansion of the Public Private Partnership model, under which a number of our new national roads have been delivered effectively and within budget in recent years. We would welcome German participation in these partnerships.
Full details of Transport 21, including detailed maps is available on my Department's website which I think shows very clearly the extent of the rail network planned for Dublin under Transport 21.
Our success in the coming years will be fundamentally dependent on our ability to deliver a 21st century infrastructure for a 21st century Ireland. Connecting communities and promoting prosperity is at the core of Transport 21.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not wish to delay you any longer from your lunch. Thank you again for inviting me here today and for taking the time to listen.
I am delighted to be invited here today to speak to you about Transport 21 and what it will mean for our transport infrastructure, our transport services, our economy and most of all, our people.
Transport 21, which is seeing us invest €9.4million a day for the next 10-years in Irish transport, highlights the central importance that the Government has given to overhauling our Transport system. It provides us with unprecedented resources to do the job right. It recognises that this country needs a 21st Century Infrastructure for a 21st Century Economy and details the project delivery path.
However, a plan of this magnitude must be about more than construction projects. It must have a massively positive impact on commuting times, on the success and sustainability of our economic progress, on our international competitiveness. In essence, if we are to spend €34 billion, we expect to see a transforming impact on the quality of our lives as citizens.
- Our population has increased by 11% since 1996 to just over 4 million and is predicted to reach 4.7 million by 2016,
- Employment grew from 1.2 million in 1991 to 1.9 million in 2004 and our current 4.3% unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the EU. Total employment is forecast to grow to 2.4 million in 2016, an increase of 23%
- Private car ownership has increased by around 50% between 1991 and 2003. Despite this, our car ownership rates are still low for a developed economy, which points to further future growth.
- Distances travelled to work are increasing, with some 18% of the workforce now travelling over 15 miles to work compared with 11% in 1996. The car remains the main mode for travel to work and accounts for around 62% of all trips.
- The number of new houses being built each year has increased from around 30,000 in 1995 to around 77,000 currently, with a significant proportion in the hinterland areas around our cities.
- The tonnage of goods transported nationally by road has increased from 85 million tonnes to 283 million tonnes.
All of these trends have had and will continue to have a significant impact on the ability of our transport infrastructure and services to cope. Against this challenging backdrop, we have been playing a fast and furious game of catch-up. Since 1997 we have invested some €7.8 billion in transport infrastructure. This level of investment has funded the completion of the M50 Dublin C-ring motorway and the M1 motorway from Dublin to Dundalk. The Dublin Port Access Tunnel is almost complete. The railway infrastructure on the entire inter-city national rail network has been modernised. The capacity of the commuter rail network in the Greater Dublin Area has been greatly increased with infrastructural improvements and a massive rolling stock acquisition programme. Two high capacity Luas light rail lines have been constructed. These are just some of the many transport projects advanced in recent years. Yes, a lot has been done.
However, despite that level of investment, more needs to be done. It is widely recognised that our transport infrastructure suffered from chronic under-investment for a number of years. Prior to the mid-90s, as a nation we simply did not have the financial resources to invest in major transport infrastructure projects. Since then, we have been and, indeed at this point in time, continue to be engaged in investment catch-up. We have been putting in place the level of transport infrastructure that is needed.
Transport 21recognises the different characteristics of investment in transport. Transport investment typically involves long construction phases and massive financial outlays. This has enabled Government to commit to the key projects that are central to addressing in a meaningful way the capacity problems faced by our present transport infrastructure.
A fundamental aspect of Transport 21 is the fact that it provides the basis for an integrated transport network. This is a key and overdue development. It is widely accepted that transport must be considered in a holistic way and not as an end in itself.
So what does Transport 21 entail?
An integrated transport system for Dublin, to include seven new Luas projects, two Metro lines, an underground station at St. Stephen's Green integrating all services and the Western Rail Corridor. In addition, a new commuter rail services for Cork City and Galway City, DART extensions in Dublin, and a new road route connecting Donegal, to Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford, known as the Atlantic Corridor are among a snapshot of the projects to be delivered under the plan.
What will it deliver?
175 million extra public transport users. 75 million extra suburban rail passengers. City Centre to Dublin Airport in 17 minutes by Metro. 80,000 more bus passengers per day. 80 million Luas and Metro passengers per annum. A doubling of Park & ride sites in Dublin to 74.
70kms of QBC in Cork. 187 new rail carriages. 850kms of dual carriageway, 2+1 and single carriageway roads.
We already have commenced the planning phases on new Luas projects. Tomorrow, I will announce the public consultation phase for Metro North, a service that will make it possible to travel from Dublin Airport to the City Centre in 17 minutes. Road projects have commenced, with the focus to continuing to be "on time, on budget" delivery.
A key element of Transport 21 is the continuation and expansion of the Public Private Partnership model, under which a number of our new national roads have been delivered effectively and within budget in recent years. We would welcome German participation in these partnerships.
Full details of Transport 21, including detailed maps is available on my Department's website which I think shows very clearly the extent of the rail network planned for Dublin under Transport 21.
Our success in the coming years will be fundamentally dependent on our ability to deliver a 21st century infrastructure for a 21st century Ireland. Connecting communities and promoting prosperity is at the core of Transport 21.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not wish to delay you any longer from your lunch. Thank you again for inviting me here today and for taking the time to listen.
Growth in all the wrong places?
Frank McDonald's views on planning and commuting:
Growth in all the wrong places
Kildare County Council has been ticked off more than once by ministers for not pursuing an overall strategy and failing to abide by the Strategic Planning Guidelines (SPGs) for the Greater Dublin Area. Yet nothing has been done to ensure that growth is channelled into the right areas.
Co Kildare is growing faster than any other county in the Republic with the single exception of Meath. The 2002 census showed it was just five people short of the Strategic Planning Guideline target of 164,000 for 2006, having recorded a 21.5 per cent increase in population since 1996 - mainly in areas close to Dublin.
The population of Naas rose by 30 per cent to 18,312. Newbridge grew slightly faster (by 32 per cent) to 8,686, while Kildare town went up by 29 per cent to 6,893 and Kilcock by more than 45 per cent to 3,251. Athy, more remote from Dublin, rose by just 18 per cent to 5,270.
These were all areas designated for growth under the SPGs, first published in 1999. But what was remarkable about the 2002 Census was its confirmation that villages that were never intended for development, other than to meet local needs, had become hot spots in the Dublin commuter belt.
Clane's population went up by nearly 30 per cent to 5,192 and Kill's by 37.5 per cent while Bodenstown grew by a staggering 120 per cent to 3,206. Growth rates in Leixlip and Maynooth, both in the Dublin metropolitan area, were much more modest.
Other designated growth centres that recorded population increases substantially less than the county average include Kilcullen (up 5.8 per cent to 1,780) and Monasterevin (up 12 per cent to 3,158). Celbridge, where the SPGs sought more controlled development, saw its figure rise by 28 per cent to 14,251.
The county council must shoulder the blame. Even as it was denying that there was any conflict between its own plan and the SPGs, the council was not only targeting Maynooth and Kilcock, which were both designated for development under the guidelines, but also Clane, Castledermot and Kill, which were not. Like other villages in Co Kildare, these are located in the "strategic greenbelt" of Dublin's hinterland, according to the SPGs. The draft local area plan for Kill, published in March 2001, even noted this greenbelt designation and the restriction of growth to local needs only before going on to propose doubling its population.
In the case of Castledermot, the local area plan also quoted from the SPGs' prohibition on development other than that required by local needs. But it, too, went on to suggest a 200 per cent increase in population by 2006. More than 500 new homes would be needed to accommodate this dramatic increase.
Conceding that most of the demand arises from Dublin's overspill, the council's housing strategy estimates the number of households in the county would grow by more than 26 per cent to 65,159 by 2006, and says that improved roads, sewerage, electricity and telecom services would be needed to cater for this.
As elsewhere, developers tend to get what they want in Co Kildare. On area committees, Fianna F�il and Fine Gael councillors unanimously support land rezoning wherever it is proposed and their decisions are then rubber-stamped by the full council. It's a free-for-all, of course, but with chaotic consequences.
However, not everyone in Co Kildare is as gung-ho about development as the councillors.
There was fierce resistance in Clane to what local people saw as aunseemly rush by councillors to rezone large tracts of land for housing on the outskirts of a village that lacked the facilities even to cater for its existing population. A massive campaign was waged against these rezonings in 1996, prompting the then minister for the environment, Labour's Brendan Howlin, to intervene. He refused to approve an early draft of the county development plan on the basis that it was being put together in a piecemeal fashion, with no overall strategy. After his successor, Noel Dempsey, sent back a revised draft in 1997, the county council engaged planning consultants Jonathan Blackwell Associates to draw up a new strategy. This provided the foundations for the revised county plan, which was finally adopted in May 1999. Though the local area plans for Clane and Kill were quashed by the High Court, on the grounds that they were being adopted out of time, the county council later proceeded to designate Clane as a "primary growth centre" in defiance of the SPGs and set a population target of 6,300 for the village, to be achieved by 2006. But Cllr Tony McEvoy (Ind), who unsuccessfully challenged the Meath county plan in the High Court, winning a moral victory in the process, maintains that if all of the zoned land in the area is developed - some 140 acres in total - Clane's population could soar to 10,000, or almost double the figure recorded last year.
Since the present county plan was adopted, a number of other towns and villages have been the subject of local area plans, all characterised by the over-zoning of land. These include Rathangan and even little-known Derrinturn, barely more than a crossroads, which could end up with a population exceeding 3,000. When individual targets for all the towns and villages with local area plans are added to a growing rural population, the county plan would cater for a total of 197,000 in Co Kildare by 2006 - 22 per cent more than the target set by the SPGs. Thus, there is no way the county council can claim to be in compliance.
The county plan assumed that the rural population of Kildare would remain constant, at around 36,000. Yet in 2001 alone, 900 "one-off" houses were built in the countryside, reflecting the view taken by county manager Niall Bradley, often in opposition to the council's planners. Over the past two years, An Taisce has lodged at least 60 appeals against schemes in Co Kildare, many of them cases where refusals were recommended by the planners. Of the 40 cases determined so far by An Bord Plean�la, the county council lost every single one. In one case, where a Dublin-based solicitor built a large two-storey house without planning permission in Ballycaghan, near Kilcock, and the Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, made representations on his behalf, the council has so far failed to seek a High Court injunction against this unauthorised development.
It was McCreevy, a local Fianna F�il TD, who allocated �2.5 million (€3.2 million) for the re-opening of Monasterevin train station in 2001. This was based on projections by the town's railway action committee that 95 per cent of the town's 270 Dublin-bound commuters would use it - a figure disputed by Iarnr�d �ireann. There has been a pathetically low return on this public investment. Though the town is now served by five mainline trains travelling to and from Dublin, average daily boardings amount to just 60. The only hope is that this will grow with Monasterevin.
Dublin's relentless sprawl leaves planning in tatters
Useful article on sprawl by Frank McDonald:
Even Cavan is now in the capital's commuter belt, writes Frank McDonald , Environment Editor.
Every set of figures tells a story, and the preliminary report on last April's census is no exception. Indeed, its population statistics starkly illuminate the Government's laissez-faire approach to regional planning and its abject failure to ensure that growth happens in an orderly way in the right places.
This is dramatically true in the case of Dublin. Under the 1999 Strategic Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), a policy of consolidating the metropolitan area was laid down, with only limited growth envisaged for the major towns of its hinterland. But even by census 2002 this was already in tatters.
Census 2006 has confirmed the sprawl of Dublin into Leinster, and even into parts of Ulster. As the Central Statistics Office (CSO) noted in its own commentary, Cavan had the highest growth rate of the State's three Ulster counties, with "the main stimulus coming from the south of the county, which is within commuting distance of Dublin".
Virginia is now a Dublin suburb. Its population rose by 34.5 per cent to 3,188 over the past four years. The outskirts of Gorey, Co Wexford - 100km from the capital - recorded an even more dramatic population increase of 53.2 per cent, while Enniscorthy's fell by 14.1 per cent; it has not been drawn into the Dublin commuter belt - yet.
Leinster's share of the State's overall population has continued to increase, largely fuelled by the sprawl of Dublin; it now accounts for just over 54 per cent of the total. All of the counties in Leinster increased their populations between 2002 and 2006, in most cases by more than the national average rate of 8.1 per cent.
Over the past 10 years, as the CSO noted, three Leinster counties - Fingal, Meath and Kildare - accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the 609,000 growth in the State's population. Fingal grew by an astonishing 22.1 per cent over the past four years, with the largest increase (32.3 per cent) being in the Blakestown area of Blanchardstown.
Between them, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow registered an increase of 15.1 per cent in the same period. The Midland Region, with an 11.5 per cent rise, also comfortably exceeded the national average rate of increase. As the CSO noted, its counties - Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath - also form part of the wider Dublin commuter belt.
By contrast, Dublin's own population grew by just 5.6 per cent, with the large increase in Fingal being offset by smaller increases in Dublin city (2 per cent), Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown (1 per cent) and South Dublin (3.4 per cent). The main reasons were attributed by the CSO to "the relatively low level of new housing and an ageing population".
As Hubert Fitzpatrick, director of the Irish Home Builders' Association, said: "What is happening is that the failure to provide sufficient zoned and serviced lands in Dublin . . . is creating a doughnut effect, whereby increasing numbers of Dublin-based workers are being forced to move further and further from the city".
And as outer suburban areas experienced spectacular growth - 54.6 per cent in Ratoath, Co Meath, for example - established suburbs saw their populations decline. The Ludford area of Ballinteer and Williamstown in Blackrock - both in south Co Dublin - each fell by 10.2 per cent, while the centre of Dún Laoghaire dropped by 13.1 per cent.
Declines ranging from 8.1 to 9.2 per cent were registered for other Dublin suburbs experiencing the effects of the "empty nest" syndrome, such as Beaumont, Cabra, Harmonstown and Rathmines. This was true even in parts of Tallaght, where the population fell by 11.5 per cent in Killinarden and by 16.6 per cent in Glenview, while Jobstown went up by 27.9 per cent.
The flight of younger people to outer suburban areas was mirrored in Cork, Limerick and Waterford. The populations of Cork city and Limerick city fell by 3.2 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively, even though Co Cork (up 11.4 per cent) was the fastest growing county in Munster, followed by Co Waterford (up 9.2 per cent) and Co Limerick (up 8.3 per cent).
Co Galway experienced an 11 per cent increase, while the rapid growth in the population of Galway city experienced since the 1991 census moderated to 9.3 per cent between 2002 and 2006. One of the reasons given was that many infill developments in city areas consisted of apartments catering for only one or two persons.
One encouraging trend is the re-population of Dublin's inner city. The biggest increase (56 per cent) was recorded in Arran Quay C, largely as a result of the redevelopment of Smithfield. Other major growth areas include Kilmainham (up 45.2 per cent) and Merchants Quay E (up 42 per cent).
Residential developments in Docklands are also reflected in the census results, with North Dock C up by 15.6 per cent and South Dock by 36.1 per cent, while frenetic building activity on the city's northern fringe has boosted Grange by 34.3 per cent and Kilmore A by 20 per cent.
But Hubert Fitzpatrick is right in saying that the planning system "seriously miscalculated population trends", especially in the GDA. Regional planning guidelines based their zoning recommendations on a projected population of 1.8 million by 2020. However, with this already at 1.67 million, the real figure in 2020 is more likely to be 2.2 million.
"This has huge implications for the amount of land zoned for all types of development and for the resources put aside to service these lands," he said.
More generally, the rising population will place added pressures on an already burdened public infrastructure - even as many existing facilities are under-utilised as a result of the crazy pattern of Ireland's growth.
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