Sir, In a letter (May 14th) referring to LUAS, Mr Gorman of Dublin 4 asks: ". . . why the capital city of the emerald tiger can afford an underground"? The question, surely. is not so much the affordability of an underground but rather what should be put underground.
Mr Gorman mentions London, Paris, Madrid, Moscow and Vienna as examples of major cities with underground railway systems, Each of these is a vast metropolis with millions of citizens, Dublin does not come anywhere near their requirements in mass transit.
One of these cities, however, offers an insight into what may well be the answer to Dublin's problems, In the northern suburbs of Paris, where the traffic volume is more in line with that of Dublin, a new street tramway was opened in 1992 using modern trams similar to those proposed for Dublin, At certain locations on the route where street width is limited the space for road vehicles has been reduced to one lane only, precisely as depicted in the photo-montage of your issue of May 6th referred to by your correspondent.
Furthermore, the temporary terminus at St Denis (the tramway is being extended) is constructed over an underground road tunnel along which an endless stream of cars make their way unhindered by the "obstructing trams.
So, if Dublin needs tunnels, we should have them for cars. Not only could, there be several tunnels criss-crossing the city as required but large underground car parks could be constructed.
With appropriate fees for the use of these facilities - as in the case of the East-Link and West-Link bridges - there would be no charge on public funds. This should undoubtedly please those members of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce who are very keen on tunnelling.
Meanwhile, on the surface, the working city could get on with its business in car-free streets using smooth-running, almost silent, user-friendly trams, with limited road access for necessary delivery and service vehicles.
I too am old enough to remember the Dublin trams of former years. They provided a competent and reliable service along uncluttered streets. It was only with the arrival of the private motor-car that traffic problems arose. The cars, not the trams, created the chaos. If the trams had been the culprits, then their removal from the streets in 1949 would have solved the problem. The fact that, 48 years later, the authorities are being forced to plan their re-introduction in an effort to reduce the traumatising gridlock on Dublin streets must throw some doubt on the wisdom of our city planners of that era. - Yours, etc.,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.