Madam, – Frank McDonald is continuing his long-running crusade against underground rail in Dublin (Home News, August 4th). Having already tried to argue last week that there is insufficient socio-economic benefit to be accrued from the underground rail lines planned by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) and CIÉ, he now changes tack in an attempt to whip up a storm about the impact on St Stephen’s Green.
There are strong arguments in favour of both lines and against other options.
First, no studies are required to conclude that Dublin’s roads are too narrow, congested, and overcrowded with buses to be able to significantly increase bus traffic.
Second, an above-ground Luas line from the city centre to the airport would be too slow, due to competition with other road traffic on almost the entire route.
Third, we should plan for the medium and long-term and not avoid investment just because the number of commuters from the northeastern suburbs of Dublin may not match predictions made during boom-times. We must take account of the long lead-in times for public transport system delivery in this country.
Fourth, it is inevitable that some temporary disruption would take place, in particular at locations near proposed underground stations, such as St Stephen’s Green.
As the article itself points out, most changes will be temporary, with the exception of the felling of mature trees and the construction of a ventilation shaft.
While the felling of any mature trees is a great pity, it is ridiculous to imply that this should be grounds for opposing the construction. St Stephen’s Green is the obvious choice for a station from a transport planner’s point of view, linking together, as it will, the existing Green Luas line, Metro North and the Dart interconnector, and situated near key shopping and office districts.
With some ingenious planting by the excellent OPW, I’m sure the current sense of seclusion can be restored to that small corner of the Green which will be affected during the construction phase.
As for the ventilation shaft, we should employ an artist to make it a talking point, a new example of city art, like the Hundertwasser waste incinerator slap-bang in the heart of a mixed residential district in Vienna (but that’s another story).
Let’s start building as soon as possible and create thousands of badly-needed jobs and a public transport system for the 21st century. – Yours etc.
PAUL O’CARR,
Trinity Square,
Townsend Street, Dublin 2.
Madam, – It was with great interest and abject horror that I read Frank McDonald’s article and realised that St Stephen’s Green would be “the principle casualty of Metro North and Dart Underground.” I have absolute sympathy now with its residents of ducks, swans and water hens whose habitats are under threat and can only presume that I had overlooked their plight through my own selfishness.
There was I, thinking: surely the human residents of East Wall, another casualty of Dart Underground, would have a much more serious plight on their hands! – Yours, etc,