— Cycling access will be maintained, as was the case with the traffic-free trials last year.
— Two-way cycling on Capel Street to be formally provided for, although it’s unclear when.
Dublin City Council has published detailed plans of how Capel Street is to be made motor traffic-free 7 days a week after weekend trials last year.
The council said that the initial street improvements will include access arrangements, seating and greening. A total redesign of the street is not planned straight away.
A public consultation process that had around 7,000 submissions from the public and businesses found that 96% of respondents said the traffic-free street improved their experience of it and 89% wanted the measure made permanent.
The council said that since then it has explored “how to achieve this whilst facilitating the needs of residents, businesses and all users of the street” and that it intends to make Capel Street traffic-free from May this year.
Further public consultation is now open on the details of the changes, including routes for delivery access times between 6am and 11am, new loading bays off Capel Street for other times, changing the flow of a number of streets.
The flow of Mary’s Abbey, a sidestreet west of Capel Street, is to be reversed to allow residents who are driving from a car park on Abbey St just east of Capel Street to exit via Mary’s Abbey.
The flow of Mary Street between Capel Street and Jervis Lane will also be reversed at delivery times.
The council said that Strand Street Little and Strand Street Great will remain open to traffic all day, and traffic from Strand Street Great will be able to turn into the short section of Capel Street to the quays.
Like other traffic-free streets, emergency access will also be maintained at all times.
The council added: “This is an important North-South cycle route with a contraflow section on Ryders Row/ Capel Street allowing access from Bolton Street. Therefore it is proposed cycling will still be allowed on the street and in time the option of contraflow cycling will also be explored.”
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