Passengers facing longer walks under city plan
PASSENGERS will have to walk up to five minutes longer to get to a bus stop under plans to ban buses, taxis and private cars from College Green.
Dublin City Council has told An Bord Pleanála that while more people will be within walking distance of a bus stop if a proposed civic plaza is created, there will be some “negative impacts” as a result of diverting buses and changing stops.
The council wants to develop College Green as a “pedestrian priority civic space” to provide improved walking facilities for an estimated 75,000 pedestrians a day, and create a 7,300 square metre space for public gatherings and events.
However, the plans have been opposed by a number of groups, including Dublin Bus, which says they are “premature”.
The council has sought planning permission for the project, but it requested additional information in relation to the effects the proposed civic plaza would have on the wider environment, and its impact on traffic.
It has now told the council to re-open a public consultation process into the plans, which will begin on Thursday, for three weeks.
In its response, the council says that bus journey times will fall by up to 10 minutes at peak times in some cases, and that pedestrian and cyclist numbers will rise.
But it admits that bus passengers will have to walk longer distances to reach their stop.
“The additional walk time will be offset by the improvements to journey times in and out of the city via the quays,” it says.