COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

MOTION NO. 21

MOTION: Councillor L. O'Toole

Given the statistics released in a recent report whereby Lucan area is the most likely place to be involved in an incident and given the high volume of traffic along the N4 which creates gridlock within the road network around the Lucan area, this committee seeks to revisit the matter of Exit 8 on the M50 that was removed from the original plans, and now asks that the Chief Executive agrees to re-examining this exit and prepares a report of the benefits of reinstating the exit to be brought before the members at a future date, as we continue to progress with Clonburris SDZ, discuss various plans including the City Edge plans.

REPORT:

The management of the M50 and the connecting roads to the M50 are jointly a matter for the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.  They are charged with the safe and efficient operation of the vast majority of National and Motorway roads. In the current GDA Transport Strategy, there is no proposal to create an Exit 8 onto the M50.   Our policy must be aligned to all the higher National transport policy objectives. Therefore, although it was included in the previous County Development Plan it was not included as a proposal in our current County Development Plan.

The NTA have done the analysis on an Exit 8 and have decided it is not feasible to create an additional M50 connection.  I will ask if I can get any documentation on this analysis from the NTA and TII.

SDCC do not propose to do a report on the benefits of an exit 8 because we do not have access to the data relating to the management of the M50 traffic flows.  This is a specialised task which is in hands of the NTA and TII. SDCC saying it would benefit Lucan traffic and not factoring in a full analysis of what would happen on the M50 would be poor engineering practice.

The Clonburris SDZ planning scheme, and in particular the traffic network requirements, has been designed on the basis that there would be no change to connections onto the M50.

The current congestion experienced on the N4 is due in part to an over reliance on the car. There are continued efforts to improve pedestrian, cycling and Public Transport infrastructure (Bus Connects) in this area.  There is continued effort at designing more accessible locations with schools, shops and community facilities closer to the residential (Adamstown and Clonburris) leading to less need for cars. As these improvements are created and as public attitudes change, car usage will decrease allowing the existing road capacity to suffice in most locations.  This is the agreed national transport strategy and we must focus on sustainable transport movement and not on improvements for the car which experience has taught leads to greater car numbers and not the reverse.