Transport authorities are seeking to develop an 800-space car park close to the M1 motorway in north county Dublin to encourage commuters to leave their vehicles and take buses into the city.
It is envisaged the new park-and-ride facility at Lissenhall near Swords would be replaced by a separate and considerably larger car park nearby when the planned Dublin metro system is built in the 2030s.
A multistorey park-and-ride facility is planned to be developed adjacent to the proposed Estuary stop on the MetroLink system in Swords.
The new surface car park is scheduled for Lissenhall at junction four on the M1 motorway.
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The National Transport Authority (NTA) said the Lissenhall park-and-ride facility was seen as a short-term interim solution that could be delivered relatively quickly.
“The piece of land is in the ownership of Fingal County Council, which simplifies matters. The proposed facility will provide a surface car park and will accommodate approximately 830 spaces to include electric vehicle charging,” it said.
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It confirmed it would be submitting a planning application to Fingal County Council in relation to the planned park-and-ride facility within the next two months.
“By contrast the proposed MetroLink facility will be a multi-storey structure capable of accommodating some 3,500 vehicles. That will take a number of years to complete.
“The Lissenhall facility will be well served by buses, and NTA is considering a range of options as to precisely what that service offering will be,” it added.
Details of the Lissenhall park-and-ride facility were set out in a written answer given to former Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd and published by the NTA.
“Park and ride can intercept car trips where people are reliant on private cars at an early viable point in their journeys thereby reducing the distances travelled by private car with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions congestion.
“The NTA is currently progressing a project to develop a bus-based park and ride at Junction 4 of the M1at Lissenhall. This park and ride will be located close to the northern extent of the MetroLink line (Estuary station) and is planned to act as an interim solution to reduce vehicles entering the city before the commencement of operation of the Metrolink, at which point the Lissenhall bus-based park and ride would be superseded by the Metrolink park and ride at Estuary station,” the NTA said.
A decision by An Bord Pleanála in relation to MetroLink is awaited. However, even if approval is granted, it could be two years before construction on the project begins.
