North Circular Road (Dorset Street Lower to Amiens Street) Active Travel Scheme

The North Circular Road (Dorset Street Lower to Amiens Street) Active Travel Scheme aims to improve the experience of walking and cycling along a 1.1km route within Dublin’s North Inner City. 

The scheme starts at the junction of Dorset Street Lower and North Circular Road and continues east along North Circular Road and Portland Row, before finishing at the junction of Portland Row and Amiens Street.

The scheme forms part of a wider network of active travel projects that are being delivered across Dublin City. A map of Dublin City Council’s proposed Active Travel Network can be found here.

Drawings of the proposals can be found here 

• Footpath widening at existing narrow sections/pinch points and localised footpath repair.
• Provide segregated cycling facilities along the full length of the project route.
• Safer, upgraded junctions with better crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Support the objective of an Active Travel Network across Dublin City by providing a connection to existing and proposed infrastructure, such as the Clontarf to City Centre project.
• Continuous footpaths across side roads to improve pedestrian priority where appropriate.
• Make walking and cycling to Croke Park, The Mater Hospital, Connolly Station and many education centres much easier.
• Allow people of all ages to lead a more active lifestyle that helps improve physical and mental wellbeing.
• Contribute to a reduction in vehicular traffic and traffic-related pollution.
• Provide six new bus stops to facilitate the proposed Orbital bus service to be implemented under the BusConnects Dublin Network Redesign project.
• Improve landscaping and greening along the route.
• Resurfacing of carriageway on North Circular Road and Portland Row.

Cyclists are most vulnerable at junctions, with almost half of serious injuries and a quarter of fatalities occurring at a junction (1). The introduction of protected junctions (which separate cyclists, pedestrians and motorists) at the North Circular Road/Belvidere Road/Belvedere Place and the North Circular Road/Summerhill Parade/Summerhill/Portland Row will greatly improve their safety. In addition to the proposed protected junctions, safety improvements to the North Circular Road/Russell Street/Fitzgibbon Street junction and numerous side roads on the scheme will improve the safety of people walking and cycling in this area and encourage more people to use active travel.

By making it possible for more people to walk and cycle, the scheme will reduce traffic congestion and free up space for necessary vehicles.

There are active travel and public transport routes that connect into this scheme – for instance, the Clontarf to City Centre Active Travel Scheme and the planned Orbital Bus Route on the North Circular Road and Portland Row. This scheme will also tie into the planned Swords to City Centre BusConnects Scheme which when all combined, will facilitate safe and continuous walking and cycling journeys.

This scheme forms part of Dublin City Council’s overall 314km Active Travel Network, which aims to transform the way people travel in the city to achieve multiple benefits including:

• Reduced pollution and carbon emissions.
• Improved physical and mental health and wellbeing.
• More connected communities.
• More pleasant environments.
• Stimulated local business activity.

1. ‘Cyclist spotlight report: fatalities and serious injuries’, Road Safety Authority (2025) Available at: https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/road-users/cyclist-spotlight-report-fatalities-and-serious-injuries-2020-2024.pdf?sfvrsn=cf6157b3_1 (Accessed 4th June 2025)

The revised design has undergone screenings for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and an Appropriate Assessment (AA).

The Active Travel Programme Office has received a determination from the Planning Section confirming that the screenings carried out for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and an Appropriate Assessment (AA) recommend that an EIA Report and an AA Natura Impact Statement are not required for the updated scheme.

Therefore, the Active Travel Programme Office considers that the proposed scheme is not required to proceed under the requirements of Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, nor does it require approval from An Bord Pleanála. The proposal can be carried out under exempted development, as provided under Section 4(1)(e) and Section 179(6)(bb) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and it is the intention of Dublin City Council’s Active Travel Programme Office (AcTPrO) to use the processes of Section 95 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 as amended by Section 37 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, and Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 for implementation of the project.

The project is being funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

No trees are proposed to be removed. An arborist has been appointed, and they have completed a tree survey to assess the possible impacts. The arborist will also develop a tree protection plan as the design progresses to ensure protective measures are in place during construction.

It is proposed to provide additional greening on the scheme such as low-level planting at side road entrances and other suitable locations. Several locations have been identified on the drawings where such potential greening could be located. Further analysis of these locations as well as selecting suitable planting will be carried out during detailed design.

To improve pedestrian and cyclist safety at junctions, the project proposes to change how vehicles access the following streets:

• Sherrard Street Lower
• Sherrard Street Upper
• Belvedere Place
• Emmet Street

Details on the above alternative vehicle access to the above streets are outlined on the Information Leaflet.

A ‘no-tight turn’ from North Circular Road onto Summerhill is also proposed. This change is required to improve the operation of the North Circular Road/Summerhill Parade/Portland Row/Summerhill Junction for all road users. Further details of these changes are shown on the drawings which can be downloaded here. 

The North Circular Road between Dorset Street Lower and Amiens Street has approximately 144 on-street car parking spaces, which are a mixture of designated resident permit / pay and display parking and informal parking spaces (i.e. not pay and display). This project proposes to provide a total of 83 car parking spaces, 1 accessible car parking spaces and 4 loading bays. This is a reduction of 58no. car parking spaces and an addition in 1no. loading bay over the length of the scheme. The number of accessible spaces remains the same, however they will also include dropped kerbs to facilitate access requirements. 

As many adjacent streets have resident permit parking / pay and display, it is not anticipated that a significant overflow of parking will move onto adjacent streets. 

A 750mm buffer space will be provided between car parking areas and the cycle lane. This will allow car users, including mobility-impaired users, to access their vehicle or attend to a child. 

Where parking is to be removed, the project team aims to use some of this space for additional greening along the route.

The information leaflet can be downloaded here. 

The scheme will include 6 new bus stops, which will serve the proposed orbital bus route planned under the Dublin Network Redesign project which is being delivered by the NTA to enhance bus services. The bus stops are shown on the scheme drawings.

In January 2023, Dublin City Council completed a period of public consultation for interim proposals. The consultation asked members of the public for their views on Dublin City Council’s plan to install interim walking and cycling facilities, such as bollard-protected cycle lanes, along the 1.1 kilometre route.

249 submissions were received during the public consultation period. Upon review of each submission, a majority (72%) were considered to view the scheme positively, whilst 11% of submissions were deemed to view the scheme negatively. 17% of responses were considered neither positive nor negative. Further details can be found in the Public Consultation Report for the North Circular Road (Dorset Street Lower to Amiens Street) Walking and Cycling Interim Scheme. 

Considering the substantial changes to the interim scheme’s design, a public information event is being organised to give local residents and businesses the opportunity to engage with the project team and discuss the updated plans. The event is being held in Croke Park Hotel, between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday 3rd July 2025. Details regarding the upcoming information event will be distributed to residents and businesses through a leaflet drop and will also be communicated on the Dublin City Council website and social media channels.

Dublin City Council would like to thank each person who took the time and effort to make a submission to the public consultation.

The current estimate is Q1 2026.

The current estimate for construction is 18 months. More detailed information on the construction programme will be available once the detailed design and tender process has been finished.