Preferred option for Liffey Cycle Route to be confirmed in February 2016

Consultants working on the Liffey Cycle Route should have an “emerging preferred option” for the project by the February meeting of the city’s transport committee.

Such an option would not be set in stone but would be the strongly preferred option based on extensive research, stakeholder input and public consultation.

Delays, objections, and, even, an apartment block has slowed the progress on the project. Looking to “provide a continuous cycleway connecting the Phoenix Park and Heuston Station to the proposed S2S route along the city’s quay”  a was adopted in 2010 as council policy in the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017. Then, nearly exactly four years ago in 2011, Dublin City Council hosted a “blue-sky” workshop looking at concepts for a Dutch-style segregated routes along the river.

Now, in a memo to the Dublin City Council’s transport committee last month, a senior council official said that the route will have account of a number of other projects, including the Dublin City City Centre transport plan, the River Liffey flood protection works, Luas Cross City tram project, the Blanchardstown to UCD Bus Rapid Transit route, and proposed new Liffey bridges in the Docklands.

“Aecom Limited are currently reviewing the submissions received (over 1,200) during the public consultation on the Liffey Cycle Route. As well as considering any new constraints identified as part of the consultation process,” said Alec Dundon, an executive engineer with the traffic management and control at Dublin City Council.

Dundon wrote: “They will also be taking into consideration the effects of proposals contained in various on-going plans and projects including among others, the Dublin City Transport Plan, the River Liffey flood protection works, Luas Cross City, the Blanchardstown to UCD Bus Rapid Transit, and proposed new Liffey Bridges.”

“It is intended that a report including the identification of an emerging preferred option will be completed for inclusion on the agenda of the Transportation SPC in February 2016,” said Dundon.

Many of the route options will also have to manage 27 tram movements per hour through the Smithfield and up to 80 buses per hour during peak hours.

He added: “In relation to the figures requested for the number of buses and trams potentially using the Smithfield route, at present there are 27 tram movements per hour through the Smithfield area during peak hours. There are 47 Dublin Bus buses using Arran Quay per hour during peak hours which could potentially be diverted through the Smithfield area route (under options 2 and 3 of the 4 route options). In addition, there will be private coaches and Bus Eireann coaches to be considered. An estimated total would be 80 buses per hour during peak hours.”