More cycling
The outstanding transport success of recent years is Dublinbikes, which has civilised the city for cyclists, along with the Grand Canal route. Another visionary project, “S2S” (Sutton to Sandycove), will create a cycleway and promenade around Dublin Bay. This public amenity would also improve flood defences. The section from Sutton to Fairview is due to start next year, but the project depends on co-operation between county councils. The 5.8km section from Ringsend to Dún Laoghaire has yet to begin.
Better traffic signalling
With traffic levels falling, there’s no better time to improve the lot of cyclists and pedestrians. We must tweak traffic lights to give more “green man” time to pedestrians.
Signals need to give priority to Luas, which could shave minutes off the trip from Tallaght to The Point. No other European city would make trams stop for traffic.
Integrated ticketing
Real-time passenger information and integrated ticketing have been introduced for buses and other services, but tickets should also cover taxis and bike rental, as in Shanghai.
Bypass O’Connell Street O’Connell Street’s role as north-south bus corridor needs to be reduced, with the introduction of more “suburb-to-suburb” routes that avoid the centre.
Co-operating, not competing
The Luas city centre link should act as a north-south spine for public transport. In Bordeaux, where tram and bus services are run by one company, bus routes were reorganised to feed into the light rail network. Dublin Bus still acts as a competitor to Luas, rather than another part of the network.