Light rail would cause traffic chaos in city, councillor says

The planned light rail system between Tallaght and Middle Abbey Street in Dublin would cause traffic chaos in the city, the public inquiry into the light rail system was told yesterday.

Opposing the LRT route between Heuston Station and the city-centre, Ms Sheila Terry, a member of Fingal County Council, said the route would cut across the N7, N4, N3 and N2 roads out of the capital and would obstruct bus services to the north city suburbs.

At peak times some 1,200 vehicles using the main road through Phoenix Park, as well as the 37 and 39 bus routes serving greater Blanchardstown, would also be obstructed. The result would be traffic chaos from the city-centre as far out as Mulhuddart in north Co Dublin.

Ms Terry told the inquiry that the Blanchardstown area contained some 600 hectares of land zoned for industry, of which just 11 per cent had been developed. Fingal County Council is also planning to rezone 271 hectares of land for industry and 214 for housing. This would introduce an additional 30,000 cars on to the roads in the area.

"It is sad, in fact it is pathetic, that I should have to object to the Tallaght line because it will further exacerbate the traffic congestion for commuters [from the north side] who have no alternative but to use the car," she concluded.

The inquiry also heard submissions from residents' associations under the umbrella of the Dublin 15 Community Council, which supported Ms Terry's viewpoint. Mr Charlie Kurtz, of the Luttrels town Wood Residents' Association, said the Dublin 15 district was the fastest-growing region in Ireland and one of the fastest in the EU in terms of house-building and commercial start-ups.

Mr Kurtz said the Dublin 15 Community Council had campaigned since the late 1970s for investment in rail services for the region. The council feared scarce finances would be pumped into light rail at the expense of more effective and equally deserving projects.

"For less than 6 per cent of the costs of the revised Luas projections, we can have a first-class Arrow service serving the Maynooth Q Dublin corridor."

Mr John Todd, of the Dublin 15 Community Council, told the inquiry that the problem of obstruction on the N7, N4, N3 and N2 routes could be overcome by directing the route along Thomas Street, with a link to Heuston Station, High Street, Cornmarket Street, towards Dame Street, College Green and on to O'Connell Street.

"The roads along this section are also wider than those on the north quays and in our opinion have the capacity to take Luas," Mr Todd said.

Summing up the benefits of the route change, he said it would utilise road space on the south of the city, thereby encouraging motorists in that area to use the light rail system, and allow commuters on the north side to use the roads where they have no alternative means of transport.