Plan to ban cars from Eden Quay in Dublin scrapped

Plans to ban cars from Eden Quay in the centre of Dublin to accommodate the new Luas Cross City and address the “number one blackspot” delaying buses have been scrapped by Dublin City Council.

Last February the council announced a plan to make general traffic turn left from Bachelors Walk on to O’Connell Street. Cars would not be permitted to cross the new Luas line to turn right on to O’Connell Bridge or go straight ahead on to Eden Quay which would be restricted to public transport.

However, in a report to the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, Brendan O’Brien of the council’s traffic department said “the business community, car parks and hospitality sectors” were “completely opposed to the proposals for Eden Quay or have very grave reservations regarding its potential impact”. The National Convention Centre, The 3Arena and Diageo also opposed the plan.

The council has now decided to allow cars to keep using one lane of Eden Quay, and to use traffic lights to stop motorists from blocking the Luas and buses.

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However, Bachelors Walk was the “number one blackspot for public transport” Mr O’Brien said, and the ban on cars turning right on to O’Connell Bridge will be retained.

Fine Gael councillor Paddy Smyth said councillors were being subject to “bullying and threats” from a small number of interest groups who wanted to keep cars on the quays.

But Keith Gavin of the Irish Parking Association said the council’s proposals remained an “unsatisfactory plan” which should be referred to An Bord Pleanála.

Green Party councillor and chair of the council transport committee Ciarán Cuffe said traffic would be backed up to Heuston Station if cars were left on the quays. “It will be interesting to see what will happen on the first wet Monday in January.”

Mr O’Brien said 6,000-7,000 people were travelling in buses on the north quays, about 10 times the number of people in cars, but he said the council would continue to allow cars to use one lane of Eden Quay and would monitor the situation.

Diversion

Separately, councillors have delayed deciding on a route for the 6km Liffey Cycle Route, from Heuston Station to the 3Arena, until October. The council last October proposed a permanent ban on private cars and lorries from Ellis and Arran quays, diverting traffic for 1.5km through the residential streets of Stoneybatter and Smithfield. The diversion was necessary to get around a particularly narrow section of the quays between the James Joyce Bridge and the Four Courts.

In another report on Wednesday Mr O’Brien said there had been considerable opposition from councillors, residents, schools and businesses, but the car diversion proposal, the seventh route proposed for the cycle scheme “offered the best solution”.

Despite this, he said, he did not propose pursuing it. Instead, the report proposed keeping all traffic on the quays. Cyclists would use a new boardwalk over the river on Ellis and Arran Quay, which would add up to €3 million to the €20 million cost. Buses and cars would share a lane for another short section with cars and buses having to “queue” at certain times. In parts, cyclists and pedestrians would share the same space.

This option would be “considerably more expensive” than option seven Mr O’Brien said and would also require an application to be made to An Bord Pleanála. Councillors asked to have further assessment conducted on the route.