On Sunday, a significant portion of Dublin’s embankments will be unavailable to motorised vehicles to facilitate the hosting of open-air film viewing and various live performances. This is in line with Car Free Day activities. From 7am to 7pm, Custom House Quay will be devoid of any vehicular movement, only allowing pedestrian access during these hours.
The roads will be overtaken by a host of activities including cycling skills tutorials, games, live shows and an al fresco cinema, among others. Car traffic planning to traverse the Liffey via Butt Bridge and turning onto Custom House Quay will be directed instead towards Beresford Place, Memorial Road and then back onto North Quays, in order to reduce any potential disruption during the event.
In addition to this, cyclists will need to alight before entering the event space. Accommodation for bicycle parking is arranged until 4pm at the entrances leading to the event at Custom House Quay via Butt Bridge and Matt Talbot Bridge.
Regularly scheduled buses heading westward on Custom House Quay will be rerouted from Memorial Road to Matt Talbot Memorial Bridge, George’s Quay, Butt Bridge, Eden Quay before resuming their usual route. Similarly, buses operating eastward on Custom House Quay will be rerouted from Eden Quay to Beresford Place, Memorial Road before returning to their regular route. On the other hand, Luas lines will follow their standard Sunday timetable.
Car Free Day forms part of the European Mobility Week, a yearly initiative organised by the European Commission for Sustainable Urban Mobility focused on a varying theme each year. This year’s focus is on exclusive spaces allotted for citizens to assemble and appreciate their surroundings in a more societally oriented and ecological manner, as the majorities of Europeans, approximately 70%, are urban dwellers.
Dublin’s Deputy Lord Mayor, Donna Cooney, emphasised Dublin City Council’s commitment, as a burgeoning European Capital city, toward achieving climate neutrality by the year 2030.
Lucy Hayes, the officer in charge of walking and cycling at DCC, underscored the paramount importance of making Dublin reachable via all modes of transportation, not solely automobiles. Hayes brought attention to the ‘Car Free Day’, highlighting it as an exciting and enjoyable opportunity to assess alternative, eco-friendly means of navigating across our lovely metropolis. According to her, the event provides a splendid chance for Dublin’s residents and those from afar to explore the city from a unique perspective, like they might have never done before.