Dublin Bus says routes 13 and 13a will be merged into the 13. Route 19a will be renamed the 19 and the current 19 will be merged with the 83.

It says that the 11/a/b will also operate as the 19, but it appears that this effectively means that the route will no longer operate as the 19 only serves a small portion of the 11 routes.

The new 19 will extend to serve Charlestown Shopping Centre, and Route 140 will be extended cross city to Rathmines, Terenure, Tallaght (The Square) and Kiltipper.

Some streets and areas will no longer be covered, see dublinbus.ie for details.

Dublin Bus continues to list the cuts in the no 4 bus as an “improvement”; it said it is including the no 4 to inform customers for changes already made. However, it would not answer in what context it sees a frequency cut of 30% on weekdays and 66% on Sundays as an improvement.

The following buses (some routes part of previous changes) at the below frequencies are due to serve the areas covered by the above mentioned buses:

Route/Peak/Off Peak
4         15          15
13       10          15
17a     10          20
19       10          20
83       15          30
140     10         20

MORE: Finglas, Glasnevin, Drumcondra changes on dublinbus.ie
MORE: Dublin Bus Network Review on Boards.ie

The route — due to open in July if not sooner – goes from Portobello to the north Docklands. It passes areas and roads such as Rathmines, Ranelagh, Leeson Street (N11), Baggot Street, Grand Canal Street / Shelburne Road, Pearse Street / Ringsend Road, and the north and south Docklands (see map below).

It’s likely to be used as part of a route by those who are travelling even further. And it should be attractive to families with children and make commuter cycling more attractive to those who prefer not to share roads with cars.

That’s notwithstanding its problems which will see it opening shorter, less connected and less effective than planned. As we reported, the city may also lose out on €4 million in funding because councillors went along with objections. The route still seems firmly part of a wider plan — it will just take longer now for the jigsaw to take shape.

This first image is the start of the route at Richmond Row, just off Richmond Street / the Lower Rathmines Road. Here it is on Google Street View before the changes.

Below is the crossing from Richmond Row to Charlemont Mail — the bridge links Richmond Street and the Lower Rathmines Road. This part of Richmond Row was two-way, but is now reduced to one-way for all but cyclists.

The traffic lights showed are some of the first installed. The sequencing for bicycles (ie how slow or fast the lights change) is likely to be a key factor in how successful the route is.

This photo is of Charlemont Mail looking back towards Richmond Row. It shows one of the thinnest sections of the route, lucky it’s only for a short stretch before widening again. Charlemont Mail was previously one-way and will remain this way for all but cyclists who can use the cycle route. Car parking along the canal was removed to make way for the project, see the Street View of what it previously looked like.

Just after the location in the last photograph, the route goes from Charlemont Mail to Charlemont Place, crossing Charlemont Street / Ranelagh Road. It then goes past the Dublin Bikes stand and under the Luas Red Line to get to the location shown in the below image. It’s the main pinch point along the route which requires a boardwalk. Notice here, there is extensive work being done on dredging the canal. After this the route crosses Leeson Street (the N11) and on to Wilton Terrace.

Along the route there is also footpath and pedestrian improvement works. We previously mentioned some of the non-cycling spending on the project here.

Unlike many off-road cycle tracks, lower kerbs are provided along the route to enter or exit (as shown below). It may sound like a strange thing to be pointing out but these kind of basic elements have been left out of older routes, even on reasonable routes such as the track along Dublin Bay at Clontarf.

Here’s the route at one of its widest sections at Wilton Terrace, it narrows somewhat in the background beside the construction barriers.

On Wilton Terrace people walking seem to think the new tarmac is for them, cyclists will be hoping its not a sign of things to come:

There may also be some conflict spots at crossings, as here at the junction crossing Baggot Street to Herbert Place:

The contractors’ cars show how wide the route is at Herbert Place. As pictured in Street View, parking has been removed along this road and the roadway narrowed slightly.

Warrington Place is similar to Herbert Place. Given that a footpath and tow-path are left for walkers and joggers, there’s more room for everbody compared to Wilton Terrace.

At the northern end of Warrington Place it reaches Grand Canal Street, leaves the canal side, and crosses over to Grand Canal Quay. From between here and the north Docklands work has yet to start. On Grand Canal Quay it will include non-segregated on street cycle lanes, then it will cross Pearse Street to Grand Canal Plaza. On the plaza it will be based on shared use. After the square it will also have non-segregated on street cycle lanes on short distances of Forbes Street.

It will cross onto the quay side of Sir John Rogerson’s Quay where it will return to being a segregated two-way cycle track. This method will continue over Beckett Bridge, and up to the north end of Guild Street where the route will end for now. It had been due to link up with the current route along the bay at Fairview Park.

Here’s a map of the route. Zoom out to see the wider network, both planned and built:

View Dublin’s canals and bay cycle routes in a larger map

MAP KEY:
Yellow: Under construction (as above)
Purple: Plans not confirmed
Red: Planned
Orange: Problematic / sometimes passable. No plans to upgrade to date.
Green: Passable (some with gates)

MORE: Millions for strategic cycle route suspended due to objections
MORE: How does a 5km cycle route cost €10m?
MORE: Petition against cycle route goes missing

These are the schools in Dublin which were evaluated, and what subjects were looked at. WSE = whole-school evaluations. Other recent reports can be found via here.

Published February 22, 2011

National Primary Schools

IMAGE: Work on footpath improvements along the route

How does a cycle lane cost so much? It seems mainly because of junction crossing, boardwalks, CCTV, bridges and street water drainage upgrades. Many of which are not directly linked with cycling.

People trying to walk along the canal will see major improvements — the main one being able to cross junctions without having to dodge cars and buses.

The cost of the route from Portobello to Guild Street will come in at around €6m says Ciarán Fallon, the cycling officer at Dublin City Council. The full cost was originally estimated to be around €10. The funding is ring-fenced only for this project by the Department of Transport.

Fallon said: “Nine major junctions are being re-signalised to provide for pedestrians and cyclists. Drainage and public lighting is being upgraded along route. A traffic communications fibre optic cable in being laid and a CCTV system is being installed.”

Pedestrians will see benefits with the installation of toucan crossings (designed for both cyclists and pedestrians) at busy junctions along the Grand Canal from Portobello to the Docklands. Currently much of the route is not signalled for pedestrians. Visual and mobility impaired users should also find the upgraded crossing easer to use.

He continued: “Pinch points on Charlemont Place are being widened by the construction of a retaining wall and a canal boardwalk.” The section between Charlemont Place and Leeson Street Bridge is a pinch point because houses back on to the canal, leaving only a small and heavily used walkway.

Fallon also notes: “There are substantial costs associated with working in proximity with underground services – 10 bar gas distribution main and 220kV electricity.”

Although, it is now unclear what options will be used on the cycle route between the Dockland and Fairview Park, it is understood that bridges made up a substantial cost of up to €4m for the short section. Plans included a tall bridge needed to cross the Royal Canal and railway tracks. Between West Road and Fairview Park there was also planned to be a bridge crossing the River Tolka.

The route is seen as a key part of creating strategic cycle routes along Dublin’s canals and Dublin Bay. Large sections of these routes are already built but are unconnected. The current project from Portobello to Fairview is seen as one of the most expensive sections because it crosses a large number of busy junctions.

The route’s traffic light sequencing between Portobello and the north Docklands will be a deciding factor for many – if travel times are worse than the adjacent roads, faster cyclists will likely avoid the route. But it will provide a friendlier environment for families, newcomers and those not in such a hurry. Fallon says that discussion on the sequencing is ongoing and due to be tested. If all goes well sections could be open before July.

MORE: Millions for strategic cycle route suspended due to objections (includes map)

Major Dublin city cycle routes will remain unconnected as a key section is delayed following what was described as intensive lobbying.

Four million euro of funding for the project was suspended by the Department of Transport pending a review of options on a strategic cycling route after residents in East Wall objected to it.

Dublin City Council had planning permission for the full €10m route between Portobello to East Wall Road at the end of West Road, via the Docklands, but it is now revaluating the section between the north Docklands and Fairview Park. It has said it will consult with residents before going ahead with the East Wall section.

The route in the short term will now only be completed between Portobello and Guild Street in the north Docklands, which is due to open by July. “[This section was] delayed one month due to harsh weather in December,” said Ciarán Fallon, the cycling officer at Dublin City Council.

The project is part of the city’s plan to allow commuters, leisure cyclists and tourists to travel along a network made up of the Dublin sections of the Grand and Royal canals and along Dublin Bay from Sutton to Sandycove, or even further along the coast.

If the project had gone ahead uninterrupted, it would have created the largest completed section to date – 8.6km from Portobello at the Lower Rathmines Road to Bull Island at Dollymount.

A petition signed by residents of East Wall objecting to the cycle route “went missing,” as Dublin Observer previously reported.

The petition was signed by hundreds of residents but was submitted with the wrong reference number. And although it mainly referred to the cycle route, it was only submitted against a small section of the project – a pedestrian and cycle bridge crossing the River Tolka, from West Road to Fairview Park. There is currently no permission for this bridge.

The city council has since admitted that it should have returned the submission or informed the residents of the error.

Council officials and councillors also disagreed on what public consultation had happened with residents in East Wall. Last year Cllr Emer Costello (Labour) told the council’s central area committee meeting of the large amount of confusion around the project and warned that there must be serious consultation with residents to rebuild trust. Cllr Marie Metcalfe (Ind) said an independent facilitator would be needed.

The council originally planned a two-way off-road cycle track on West Road. Residents’ complaints centred on the loss of parking spaces, however a council survey showed little demand for parking on the street.

“Options for the route north of Guild Street are currently being investigated,” said Ciarán Fallon. He said there is now no completion date set for the section between Guild Street in the Docklands and Fairview Park via East Wall.

Late last year one councillor heavily criticised the delay and he confirmed to Dublin Observer this week that his still holds this view.

Cllr Naoise Ó Muirí (Fine Gael) said that the plans for the cycle route in the East Wall area were “withdrawn by City Council officials because of intensive pressure / lobbying by East Wall residents and some of their “local” politicians. In my view this is a short-sighted decision. DCC officials certainly didn’t cover themselves in glory on this occasion but the rationale for the strident opposition from within East Wall seemed pretty flimsy at best.”

He added: “The only real alternative being proposed seemed to be to send cyclists down the East Wall Road, an area still ruled by dangerous HGVs. So the strategic interests of the City are set aside once again and the associated millions of funding may well be on its way back to the Department of Transport already.”

His party colleague Cllr Mary O Shea, at the central area meeting last month, said that “we should all hang our heads in shame” if the funding is lost.

While the council confirmed the funding was suspended by the Department of Transport, the department did not respond to a request for further comment.

MORE: How does a 5km cycle route cost €10m?
MORE: Petition against cycle route goes missing

Planned Dublin canals and bay cycle network

View Dublin’s canals and bay cycle routes in a larger map

MAP KEY
Purple: Plans not confirmed
Red: Planned
Orange: Problematic / sometimes passable. No plans to upgrade to date.
Yellow: Under construction
Green: Passable (some with gates)

St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, are receiving €30 million for a new facility and the refurbishment of current building. The work is to include lecture theatres, libraries and offices. It is expected to be finished in 2012.

Enrolment at St Patrick’s College, owned by Dublin City University, has doubling over the past decade from 1,024 for 1999/2000 to 2,500 for 2009/2010. The project is designed by architects RMJM Scotland in partnership with Taylor Architects of Castlebar, Co Mayo.

Meanwhile, €5 million will go to a new National Film School at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Work is expected to start next week.

The film school will be designed to accommodate 385 students, with courses in film, television and radio in the one building.

The Tanaiste also approved funding for what was described as “health and safety works” at the Church of Ireland College of Education, Rathmines, Dublin.