Major alterations to the traffic regulations in the heart of Dublin city, akin to those rolled out seven years ago upon the commencement of the Luas cross city line, became effective this past Sunday. The ban imposed on private vehicles and commercial transport, prohibiting them from heading directly east or west along either side of O’Connell Bridge on the Liffey, has put an end to the uninterrupted movement of traffic along the city’s quays. This stipulation marks the initiation of the Dublin City Centre Traffic Plan – a plan that was made public nearly a year ago and intends to subdue the reign of private vehicles dominating the streets of Dublin by 2028.
The goal of the plan is to restrict traffic which does not need to enter the city. Currently, 60% of drivers merely drive through the city, without making a stop. Although these constraints came into effect on the quays as of 7am on Sunday, they will undergo their first significant trial amidst peak hour traffic on Monday.
For the north quays, vehicles on Bachelors Walk are now obligated to steer left onto O’Connell Street, while access to Eden Quay, leading to Dublin Port, is barred. Private vehicles have already been prohibited from taking a right turn from Bachelors Walk onto O’Connell Bridge leading to the city’s southern reaches.
Motorists are now forbidden from going straight from Burgh Quay to Aston Quay on the city’s south side. Only public transportation and cyclists are permitted to make the left turn from Westmoreland Street to Aston Quay. However, southside drivers retain the freedom to cross O’Connell Bridge by turning right from Burgh Quay or continuing straight from Westmoreland Street to O’Connell Street. In a fresh regulation, private vehicles are also now permitted to follow public transport in making a right turn from O’Connell Bridge to Eden Quay.
Drivers can access Temple Bar from the south quays by turning left onto D’Olier Street, right onto College Street near Doyle’s pub, and another right onto Westmoreland Street for the left turn onto Fleet Street. This route provides access to the Fleet Street car park, Temple Bar’s private parking, and areas for business deliveries. The limitations apply daily from 7 am to 7 pm. Despite these restrictions, the entire north quays remain open to private vehicles, with only a 50m portion of Aston Quay near O’Connell Bridge being off-limits.
All city car parks continue to be accessible, and cars are still able to cross any bridge over the Liffey currently open to car traffic. Essentially, the city remains welcoming to drivers intending to park and avail themselves of its facilities. However, it will be considerably difficult and time-consuming for those who wish to use the city centre as a route to other destinations – a move intended to encourage drivers to consider alternatives.
Brendan O’Brien, the council’s head of traffic, clarifies that the intention is to reduce general traffic in the city by around 40 percent, while promoting public transportation, walking, and cycling. He also mentions upcoming projects like BusConnects and Metrolink that require a traffic reduction environment. He insists that while commuting by car in the area is necessary for some, alternate routes should be considered for those merely passing through.
The transport proposal, including the anticipated College Green Plaza development, new plazas at the Custom House and Lincoln Place, and the removal of traffic from Parliament Street, was revealed last September. It received support from over 80 percent of 3,500 respondents, despite opposition from car park owners and certain businesses, including retailers and restaurant traders concerned about the potential implications of private car restrictions on their businesses.
Certain firms expressed marked apprehensions about the practicality of functioning within the city in light of limited access to the docks. A case in point is Diageo, the producer of Guinness, which relies on the docks to facilitate the transportation of beer from James’s Gate to Dublin Port. The brewer emphasised that an imposition for its trucks to follow indirect routes to the harbour would cause elongated commute times, consequently leading to amplified transport emissions and costs.
Local residents voiced some disquiet, not predominantly due to the fact that the restrictions might hinder their own mobility within the city, but primarily due to the potential of traffic being diverted into their neighbourhoods from the docks. They also added their contention that the plan failed to accommodate the requirements of disabled people who use cars by suggesting that they should be allowed to utilise bus lanes.
Most opposing factions may have conjectured that these objections would be sufficient to discard the plan or at least postpone it for an indeterminable period. Historically, this method proved successful.
In 2015, plans were in place to halt traffic on Bachelors Walk and George’s Quay. Yet, the strategy was abandoned the subsequent year.
Mr O’Brien comments, “During our 2015 consultation, there was significant resistance, including from political quarters. However, the scenario has significantly altered this time around.”
This time, every party within the city council backs the plan. Nevertheless, what truly propelled it beyond a mere theoretical proposal was the allocation of a precise execution date.
In February, the city council with Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, announced that the first steps of the plan would be put into action in August, inciting the counteraction of the opposition.
Objections were strongest from a coalition known as the Dublin City Centre Traders’ Alliance, founded in 2015 by car park proprietors who were against modifications in traffic, but now bolstered by retail and restaurant interest groups along with Brown Thomas/Arnotts.
The alliance questioned the legality of the suggested changes and secured backing from Minister of State Emer Higgins who prompted the council’s chief executive, Richard Shakespeare, to consider an economic evaluation that the coalition was organising and to postpone any implementation of changes until the subsequent year.
Mr Shakespeare recently scrutinised the financial report before deciding to move forward with plans slated for August. As a middle path, constraints, notably those relating to the needs of individuals with disabilities who rely on personal vehicles, have been scaled down. As a result, all but three buildings on Aston Quay remain reachable by car, which also keeps Arnotts’ car park accessible from the quays.
However, dispensations for disabled parking permit holders to utilise bus lanes cannot be granted by the council without the government’s introduction of new legislation, explained Mr O’Brien.
The Dublin City Transport Plan is something Diageo will monitor to ensure they maintain the most suitable and effective routes from St James’s Gate to Dublin Port.
While there might be a sense of relief amongst traders due to the toned-down measures, others who endorsed the plan, including Dublin Bus, the Dublin Chamber business group, the Dublin Commuter Coalition as well as several health and environmental organisations, find value in the council’s perseverance to launch it this month – an action they consider a crucial initial phase in the execution of the plan.
Mr O’Brien affirmed, “The aim is to progressively reclaim some of the city centre’s traffic-loaded areas for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists. It truly is about striking a balance and gradual transformation.”
The scheme targets “extraneous traffic” that has no city-centre destination, considering about 60% of current drivers are merely passing through. Those first restrictions, implemented on quays starting Sunday at 7 a.m., will face their initial major challenge during Monday’s rush hour traffic.