Sir, – As a strong supporter of MetroLink, I am concerned that current station proposals risk undermining both St Stephen’s Green and the effectiveness of the project itself.
Public estimates suggest Charlemont station alone could see close to 30,000 users over a 12-hour period. A city centre interchange at St Stephen’s Green would probably exceed this. Yet current proposals appear to route this footfall through the park via the Wolfe Tone corner, rather than surfacing passengers directly on to surrounding commercial streets.
The Office of Public Works has already raised concerns about the impact on the park, including reports that dozens of trees could be removed. Protecting green space is not only about avoiding construction within parks; it is also about avoiding turning them into pedestrian corridors for mass transit interchange.
If redevelopment of the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre proceeds, failing to integrate a MetroLink station there would be a once-in-a-generation missed opportunity. Likewise, proposals to pedestrianise College Green and Dame Street make that area an obvious candidate for a high-capacity interchange linking the Luas Green Line with the city’s retail core and major cultural destinations.
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It is difficult to justify the compulsory purchase of residential properties at Dartmouth Square to facilitate a Charlemont station when already-developed commercial land exists at more logical locations.
MetroLink is essential infrastructure and should proceed. But it must be located where it protects parks, minimises disruption and serves the city for the next century, not merely the next planning cycle. – Yours, etc,
Daniel Haydock,
Chatham Street,
Dublin 2.
