COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 22, 2014

QUESTION NO.35

QUESTION: Councillor L. O'Toole

To ask the Chief Executive to provide a report on bus lanes which are currently not been used by a regular bus service and to confirm why they are currently not in use and to ask if due consideration could be given to opening up these unused bus lanes to general traffic?

REPLY:

In recent years a substantial investment has been made in the provision of Bus Lanes. Many of these bus lanes were provided in line with the QBN office programme. Of which some were provided where major upgrade or new road construction was occurring. Such provision was made to facilitate future bus services to yet to be developed areas. In essence an attempt was made to insure good infrastructure was provided as opportunity arose in advance of the future growth of the urban area in South Dublin County. This has led to sections of bus lane awaiting long term development and consequential commencement of bus services.

The use of the bus lanes in the meantime cannot be easily be turned into increased capacity across the South Dublin County Council road network. This is because the capacity on the road network is limited by the configuration of junctions in the network. Two possible uses could be considered for currently dormant bus lanes.

1. Identify which bus lanes are unduly constraining the capacity of a road and identify how general traffic lanes can then be provided.
2. Improve the safety of road venerable road users and create attractive facilities for cycling and walking.

It is intended that proposals on a pilot study will be carried out on a suitable section of dormant bus lane will be presented to a meeting of the Transportation SPC.