Sir, – Cian Byrne (Letters, March 24th) makes valid points about the duplication involved in the new Metro Link facilitating those in south Dublin already served by Luas and the desirability of including Rathfarnham in any such plan.
May I point out that the bus routes from Rathfarnham, and also indeed from Templeogue, Churchtown, Terenure, Rathgar and Rathmines will be worsened even further by the current proposals of the city manager and council to ban bus traffic from College Green/Dame Street in the interests of developing College Green as a pedestrian plaza.
College Green is an essential artery through which these buses pass and its removal will seriously disadvantage the users of such bus routes, including the infirm and disabled, many of whom pay for the bus service through fares and taxation, because of the necessity to walk greater distances towards their destinations.
A traffic system needs sufficient arteries to function but to remove from use the widest artery in a city which has no spare traffic artery capacity nor suitable alternative is a retrograde step.
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In this regard, I understand that Dublin Bus has recently indicated it will not agree to the council’s proposals unless they have at least two-way access to Parliament Street, involving greater bus concentration in a much shorter and narrower street causing delay and more emissions – not a satisfactory alternative.
In contrast to the bus users, those people who are fortunate enough to live along the Luas line will have unrestricted access through the Plaza.
The plans will also have implications for Dublin business which pays much of the commercial rates on which the council depends. One would hope that it would not result in further diversion of retail trade from the city centre to out-of-town shopping centres, a development which has caused deterioration in the centres of many provincial towns.
It seems to me that there is no joined-up thinking in relation to transport policy otherwise aesthetic objectives should not be allowed to prevail at the expense of more important transport ones. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK HOWARD,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Regarding the proposed route of the new Metro Link, why can it not be put up on “stilts”, like some other modern cities, eg Miami? – Yours, etc,
ANN YOUNG,
Newcastle,
Co Wicklow.