'Less traffic, more McDonald's - no chuggers'

“CAN YOU help us design a better Grafton Street quarter?” This was the question being asked yesterday at various locations in and around Dublin’s Grafton Street area.

A number of people from the Designing Dublin learning initiative project had been commissioned by Dublin City Council to ask the public to answer questions about what they’d like to see retained or changed about the area.

They were expecting 400 responses, and the feedback from these will be incorporated into the council’s future plans for the area.

One of the questions was: “If you could change three things about the area, what would they be and why?”

“I’d get rid of the fast food joints. They’re ugly and they cause litter in the area,” said Marcella Hynes (50).

Seven-year-old Alex “would like more McDonald’s”, while Rosie (19) said: “The amount of traffic is ridiculous. It’s so noisy and it’s not the right kind of noise. More space for pedestrians and bikes.”

“The Molly Malone statue is embarrassing. I’d remove it,” said an anonymous respondent.

“I hate the video screen in front of Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre,” said Cecilia Jane (28). “It’s intrusive and they didn’t ask us if we wanted it. Replace the bike racks they took when the Dublin Bikes were put in.”

Sixty-five-year-old Frances would like “smaller and cheaper coffee shops. I would like to see public toilets. I wouldn’t mind paying for them, if that makes us more responsible.” Greg Jackson (50), on the other hand, would like to see “less mobile phone shops”.

“More pedestration. Some cafes that open late on Grafton Street,” suggested Alice (31).

Paul (38), said his dream would be that “the area would be totally pedestrianised, with more trees”. He’d also like it if there were “no chuggers and being stopped”.