Madam, - Oh God! Not another Martin Cullen project. I can understand why he won't tell us the cost. But am I alone in thinking that, rather than the (partial) duplication of public transport along the proposed route, there is a better route?
Widening the M50 will not solve congestion there; it will merely add to it by creating additional space for more cars. Running the Metro along the M50 would, however, ease congestion in the city. It would serve the industrial, retail and residential zones currently spreading along the motorway and prevent the knock-on effects on the city of M50 hold-ups. - Yours, etc,
PETER LYDON, Woodford Drive, Dublin 22.
Madam, - Now that the Minister for Transport has announced the route for Metro North, do you think he might share with the taxpayers of Ireland the reasons why this particular route was chosen? This would be the norm in western European countries.
The Minister has told us that there was widespread consultation, that more than 2,500 written responses were received by the Railway Procurement Agency, that the route complies with transport and land use strategy, that it will generate social and economic benefits, etc, etc. But none of this actually answers the question as to why it will be built as per the Minister's announcement.
Why, for example, does the route not take in the defunct but existing railway between Broadstone station and Finglas? This would serve the new Dublin Institute of Technology planned for Grangegorman, as well as other highly populated areas of North Dublin.
Are there more likely commuters per square kilometre on the chosen route? Is the cost per kilometre of construction cheaper? Indeed, is there some logical, social or economic reason why the proposed metro does not use the same rail-track gauge as the national rail system? We already have a Dart rail system and a Luas rail system that cannot connect with each other. Is a third non-connecting system really a good idea? Is the metro the most urgently needed piece of rail infrastructure or would other projects fix more problems sooner?
There have been plans for a dedicated Dublin City rail system since the 1860s. The short time needed properly to ensure that we will get the best value for our money will not seriously delay the project. - Yours, etc,
WALTER CARPENTER, Rush, Co Dublin.