8.5.3 Public Transport
DCC policy on public transport will be implemented in collaboration with the NTA’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016 – 2035. Key public transport elements of this strategy include:
- Metro North and South, and the DART expansion programme including DART underground
- Luas to Lucan, Finglas and Poolbeg, and also Green Line enhancements
- Road link from the Port Tunnel to the South Port
- Bus Rapid Transit Network and also core Bus Network
Whilst delivery of these will take longer than the immediate development plan period, it is policy to protect route alignments from inappropriate development. The National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland will be consulted in relation to all significant proposals along these routes.
A number of key transport proposals have also recently been set out in the draft ‘Dublin City Centre Transport Study’, which has been jointly prepared by the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council. Bus, rail, BRT, cycle and pedestrian network proposals are all included, along with specific measures central to achieving these, which focus on key city centre areas such as College Green, Westmoreland Street, D’Olier Street, Suffolk Street, St Stephen’s Green North, the Quays, and interchange locations.
This has a clear focus on improving public realm in tandem with promoting both public transport and active travel. Dublin City Council will seek to influence the level of service and routing of public transport in the city and will safeguard lands required for future public transport corridors and nodes in association with appropriate zonings and land-use policies and objectives. Technical guidance and codes of practice for development alongside existing and proposed public transport route corridors should be observed.
The Council recognises that some areas of the city are currently better served by public transport than others and that a number of proposals under ‘Transport 21’ may not be realised. A large sector of the north city extending from the DART line on the eastern side to the Luas cross-city route on the western side lacks a rail or light rail corridor and would benefit from same in order to encourage modal shift and reduce congestion.
