Implementing the first measures of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, city council chief executive Richard Shakespeare has the support of the Minister for Transport, all political parties on the council, environmental, health and commuter organisations, Dublin Bus, and more than 80 per cent of respondents to last year’s public consultation on the plan.
He also has the backing of legislation. The Road Traffic Act gives powers to local authority management to restrict access to roads by vehicles to “enhance the provision of public bus services” or “facilitate the safe use of public roads” by pedestrians or cyclists. It is this type of restriction on road access that will be implemented on August 25th.
The net result of all these traffic management measures will be that all of the north quays will remain open to private vehicles, and just a 50-metre section of the south quays, which stretches to three buildings on Aston Quay, will not be directly accessible by car. All crossings of the river currently available to cars remain open, and all car parks accessible, and the restrictions will only apply from 7am to 7pm.
This makes the ongoing opposition of some business groups, particularly those dominated by car park owners and retailers, hard to fathom; what restrictions do remain are more likely to affect commuters than motorists heading to the city to shop. The Dublin Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the plan.
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Announcing his decision to go ahead, Shakespeare told councillors that he had reviewed an economic analysis commissioned by the Dublin City Centre Traders Alliance, a group opposed to the plan, and also met the group a number of times, but had decided pressing ahead was the “correct course for the city”.
The widespread backing for the plan, bolstered by legislative powers designed to allow local authorities to implement exactly these types of traffic management measures, meant Shakespeare was always in a position of strength to face down those opposed to any restriction on cars in the city. He was right to do so.
He has more decisions to come as further measures are planned over the next couple of years. Proper implementation of the current plan and a successful delivery of promised improvements to the public realm of the city centre would do much to build support for the strategy.
The plan should help to reduce congestion and cut transport emissions. Both are important and linked goals – and the resulting benefits were not assessed in the economic plan commissioned by the traders. Less congestion helps to speed public transport, for example, and in turn this encourages people to use it more and leave their cars at home. More of this will be needed and we must hope that a positive outcome from the latest moves will help to make the case to push ahead.