2019 submission on Bus Connects

Some of the items here may be of assistance when compiling your submission to An Bord Pleanala

24^th March 2019.

Dear Sir/Madam,

We, the Navan Road Community Council wish to make the following submission on BusConnects Core Bus Corridor 5: Blanchardstown to City Centre.

The Navan Road Community Council is an umbrella organisation for resident’s associations, clubs and other groups in our area. The Navan Road Community Council, represents the residential areas between the Phoenix Park and the Royal Canal, and extending from Skreen Road to Ashtown Road, including both sides of Navan Road.

While we would be generally in favour of the plan to improve bus services there are real concerns about some aspects of Phase Two and the impact on our area. 

Overall, the proposed plan will have an adverse effect on our community and living environment: 

1. We object to the proposed reduction in footpath widths, removal of trees and grass margins, reduction in private gardens and increased number of traffic lanes i.e. an extra right turning lane into Baggot Road inbound. 

• Traffic entering the City will be channeled down the Cabra Road and through Phibsborough.  This would not be a viable route.  At present the Cabra Road and North Circular Road traffic comes to a complete standstill, with Phibsborough being the bottle neck.  This is at its worst during the morning and evening peak hours but also outside these times.

• Traffic leaving the City will again be channeled through Phibsborough and onto the Cabra Road.  It is proposed that traffic will also be diverted from Prussia Street onto Blackhorse Avenue, and then ‘directed’ onto the Navan Road via Nephin Road.  We feel that Nephin Road would not be able to contend with the amount of increased traffic.  This will result in extra traffic using Skreen Road, Croagh Patrick Road and Baggot Road as rat runs. The direct effect of this will be to seriously damage the quality of life of residents in the affected areas.  Noise, air pollution and safety would be detrimentally affected.

•  We would also question the ability of any of the above mentioned roads to handle such an increase in traffic. Skreen Road, Croaghpatrick Road and Nephin Road are    two lane thoroughfares with very poor road surfaces and on street parking.

• While there has been some up grading of Blackhorse Avenue in recent times, there are some obvious problems with the proposal to increase traffic.  Firstly, the road is liable to flooding in heaving rain conditions. In fact,  during severe rainfall, sections of the road can become impassable. Secondly, the section of Blackhorse Avenue from the Baggot Road junction outbound to past the Hole in the Wall pub is basically still a country lane and is in extremely poor condition. It includes a dangerous bend with traffic regularly forced across the centre of the road due to the poor condition of the surface. 

• The junction of Blackhorse Avenue,  Ashtown Gate and Castleknock Road is very hazardous and is particularly dangerous for pedestrians. Navan Road Community Council have been trying for at least twenty years to get Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council to talk to each other with a view to putting some infrastructure in place to make this area safer.

• From what we can ascertain on looking at the maps provided in the BusConnects brochure, it would appear that a considerable number of trees along the Navan Road in our area would be removed.  We were disappointed to see how little attention is given (Page 17, 3.2.4) to this issue. There is absolutely no explanation of how trees will be replaced.  Trees are the green lung of the city and are especially important where there is a lot of traffic.  The majority of the trees along our section of the Navan Road are there in excess of 40 years and we object to their removal. Where removal is absolutely necessary we demand that they would be replaced with mature trees and not saplings.  Consultation with the Navan Road Community Council and our residents on this matter before replanting would be essential.

• The Ashtown Roundabout denotes the entrance to Dublin City and is an important, distinctive feature of our area. We are totally opposed to its removal. We propose traffic and pedestrian signalling of the Ashtown Roundabout and retention of the trees.

• We object to the removal of the 122 bus service from Ashington to Drimnagh. This would significantly impact on those travelling to work, the infirm, the elderly and those travelling with young children.  It would also remove the only service which stops at the new Mater Hospital and would also remove access from this side of the City to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. 

1. To encourage commuters to move from car to public transport, it is imperative that proper, free park and ride facilities are provided for the commuter belt and that shuttle services are provided to link to the proposed improved bus network.

In conclusion, the proposal is detrimental to the needs of the residents of this area.  It will result in having a negative impact on the green environment and the overall quality of life for our residents.  This is too high a price to pay for an improved bus service.

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Dunleavy,

Chairperson,

Navan Road Community Council,