Madam, - A. Leavy (October 11th) claims Metro North would "give no return to the economy for years (if at all)". On the contrary, major public works programmes give an immediate return, not least in increased economic activity and tax receipts and fewer unemployment payments. The long-term benefits would exceed the costs, especially when the savings from lower carbon emissions are taken into account.
Claims that the proposed Metro North services could be provided by surface transport - e.g. extra buses, a new Luas - ignore the basic fact that the streets in the city centre and the highways in the suburbs are already extremely busy. Additional surface transport would add to the congestion. Metro North would reduce traffic, since many suburban motorists would leave their cars at home and many commuters from dormitory towns would leave their cars at the northernmost stations.
Cllr Anne Devitt (November 6th) outlines some of the benefits of the suburban section of Metro North. In addition the line would constitute the north-south sector of an underground rail system serving most of the strategic locations in the city centre. These would include the Henry Street and Grafton Street shopping areas, the Government and museums quarter, the main entertainment areas, as well as the Mater, Temple Street and Rotunda hospitals, TCD and DIT.
It would connect directly with the core of the Dublin Bus network around O'Connell Street, the two Luas lines and the Maynooth commuter line. It would provide links involving one change to the Dart and to the commuter and main-line services from Heuston and Connolly stations, without any additional infrastructure being built.
The Metro North project should be assessed on the basis of all the facts. - Yours, etc,