12.2. Bus
BusConnects Network Redesign
The rollout of the current BusConnects routes providing improved radial routes (C-Spine) and the provision of local routes is welcomed and will assist in the promotion of public transport for residents of commuter towns like Celbridge. To further promote public transport in commuter towns like Celbridge the implementation of the BusConnects Orbital routes connecting to employment areas to the north (i.e Blanchardstown) and south (i.e Citywest) need to be a priority for implementation. The provision of Orbital routes would have a dramatic impact in terms of encouraging residents to use public transport rather than driving to work due to a more comparable or potentially reduced journey time.
Celbridge Community Council looks forward to the delivery of the W6 Orbital route connecting Tallaght to Maynooth via Celbridge but the Draft GDA Transport Strategy fails to address enhancments or adaptations to services after initial rollout (C-Spine and related routes were introduced in November 2021 for North Kildare). The GDA Transport Strategy needs to outline the mechanism by which the NTA will seek public feedback regarding the delivered bus services and understand the needs of each area to effectuate enhancements to services to best meet the needs of each area. The BusConnects Network Redesign is based on a broad-stroke analysis of the whole of the Dublin Metropolitan Area and dated intelligence (Census 2011).
Enhancements to the C4, L58, L59 and W6 services can be identified from passengers’ experiences with the new services, from the area based transport assessment for North Kildare already completed for this review of the GDA Transport Strategy and from local transport strategies developed in tandem with development plans.
Examples of enhancements that might be considered amongst others
- By serving Leixlip Louisa Bridge rather than Leixlip Confey station, the L59 would be an attractive option for commuters from the north of Celbridge who take the train from Louisa Bridge
- If a local bus route from Celbridge served Intel in Leixlip, then the number of buses running between Celbridge and Leixlip might be reduced and the long-term viability of the bus connection between the two towns would be better secured - as it stands, a private bus company runs buses between Celbridge and Intel on a limited timetable that does not offer employees any flexibility in their working hours and Dublin Bus runs the L59 but this which passes over 1km from Intel - Intel is the destination for a large number of workers who live in Celbridge
- By routing through Hazelhatch Park, Callenders Mill, Simmonstown Manor, Ardclough Road, and passing alongside the River Liffey, the L58 would serve more residents of Celbridge. It currently only passes by lightly populated areas so opportunities to serve more populous areas need to be explored.
- The challenge of how to cater for travel to trip generators identified by the Area Based Study for North Kildare should be addressed specifically for Celbridge - these include Maynooth University, Intel, Liffey Park Business Campus (former HP), Backweston, Maynooth Business Campus, Blanchardstown and other locations in West Dublin
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The Area Based Study for North Kildare’s proposals for the following should be further explored
- Connectivity between North Kildare and Blanchardstown (Options 3 & 4) so that residents of Celbridge have reliable public transport options with competitive journey times for getting to TU Dublin, James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and employment locations in the Blanchardstown area.
- Changes to the C3, C4 & W6 routes (Options 5, 6 & 7) - if the C4 is to continue serving Maynooth and if it extends to Maynooth University, then it may make sense for the W6 to take a different route to Maynooth (Ballygoran Road via Maynooth Business Campus) before heading to Meadowbrook Road and approaching Maynooth town centre on the R408.
BusConnects Lucan CBC
Celbridge Community Council supports the introduction of a bus lane on the M50 overpass at Palmerstown to alleviate the bottleneck for buses but is concerned that convenient public transport alternatives may not be provided in a timely manner thereby ensuring that drivers have credible options before the replacement of the second traffic lane (inbound from the N4) with a bus lane. Park & Rides that serve the needs of drivers on the N4 corridor from Kildare, Meath, and beyond are essential to prevent gridlock on the approach to the M50 once the Lucan CBC is implemented.
12.4. DART+ and Rail
12.4.3 DART+ West & 12.4.4 DART+ South West
Celbridge Community Council welcomes the DART+ South West and DART+ West projects as both the Maynooth and Kildare train lines are used by commuters from Celbridge and the increased frequency of services and capacity should make travel by rail an extremely attractive alternative to driving.
Consideration should however be given to prioritising cycle infrastructure connecting Celbridge to Hazelhatch training station and to enhancing the routing of the L58 and L59 local bus routes that serve train Hazelhatch and Confey train stations. See comments in Cycling and BusConnects sections.
12.4.8. DART+ Tunnel
Celbridge Community Council is disappointed that the only measures proposed at this time relating to DART+ Tunnel are the preservation and protection of an alignment to allow its future delivery subsequent to the strategy period.
Quantifying the merits of proceeding with DART+ Tunnel solely based on a belief “that the net increase of people using public transport as a result of the tunnel would only be in the order of 10,000 a day” (https://www.nationaltransport.ie/nta-clarifies-gda-strategy-proposals ) disregards the onerous commutes of existing users of the Kildare line. It is the NTA's strategy to maximise rail travel from North Kildare but, given how far Hazelhatch train station is from the majority of Celbridge's population, the simplicity of the journey to the city centre for commuters, once they get to Hazelhatch, is key. Proceeding with DART+ Tunnel will get more people to more places to which they need to go without requiring further interchange. DART+ Tunnel would make a huge contribution to attracting passengers from Celbridge, Lucan, and many other places within 3-4 km of a train station where getting to and from the train station is a little awkward.
DART+ Tunnel must remain prominently in the roadmap for the Dublin rail network. The routing via Christchurch and St. Stephen’s Green will get more south Dublin-bound commuters closer to their destinations faster. It currently takes about 30 minutes to travel from Park West to Pearse Station and DART Underground should see a reduction of 10-15 minutes from this so would be a real game-changer for the wellbeing of people living close to the Kildare rail line. In light of development plans in North Kildare, Adamstown, and Clonburris, the DART+ Tunnel has got to be a top priority for the NTA. Waiting for transport patterns to emerge before progressing the DART+ Tunnel is counterintuitive as delivery of this project promises to be a real driver for changes in transport patterns and, given the timeframe required to deliver a project of this scale, it should be progressed as a matter of urgency. This is a clear example of where supply would drive demand.
The number of passengers who would benefit from the DART+ Tunnel would far exceed 10,000 per day. This project would make a hugely positive contribution towards improving health and wellbeing among the people and communities that it would serve (Strategy Challenge 3.9).