Mr. Michael Nolan:

I thank the Chairman and the members of the committee for their invitation to attend. I am joined by my colleagues, Pat Maher, director of network management, and Nigel O'Neill, director of commercial operations. I understand that the committee wishes to focus on traffic congestion in the Dublin area, the proposed College Green civic plaza, Luas and related matters.

I will start with growing M50 congestion. With a return to economic growth, the national roads network serving the greater Dublin area has experienced significant levels of growth and, in turn, is handling record volumes of traffic. There has been continuous growth on the M50 since the completion of the upgrade in 2010. As the economic recovery accelerated, so did traffic growth on the M50. The overall level of increase in traffic on the M50 in the five years from 2012 to this year exceeds 30%. We have seen significant increases in commuting to the city from 2014 along the M1, M2, M3, M4 and N7 and M7, with associated follow-on trips on the M50 and inside the M50 box. Year-on-year growth on the Dublin radial routes has averaged 4.3% per annum over the past three years, while growth across all sections of the M50 has averaged 4.7% per annum. The increase in traffic volumes has resulted in the return of traffic congestion to the M50, particularly during the morning and evening peaks. Peak time duration has also expanded. Typically, weekday morning peaks extend from 6.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and evening peaks extend from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

These increases have impacted negatively on the safe and efficient operation of the M50. Increasing traffic congestion leads to peak-hour delays and an increase in incidents such as minor rear-end collisions. Each such collision results in significant further congestion, so there is a need for incidents to be dealt with quickly.

TII has undertaken a range of initiatives to mitigate the impacts of increased traffic volumes and resultant congestion at peak times. We have significantly improved the incident response regime on the M50 in recent years. In 2015, we initiated the interagency incident co-ordination group, which includes the principal stakeholders involved in the management of the M50 and its approach roads. The members include An Garda Síochána, the Dublin Fire Brigade, the four Dublin local authorities, the motorway traffic control centre and TII. The co-ordination group meets as required but not less than once per quarter to consider and address issues arising in the operation of the M50. Four incident support unit vehicles operate on the M50 during morning and evening peaks, available to assist at incidents ranging from broken down vehicles to rear-end impacts to more significant incidents. At present, the average incident response time is 13 minutes. We have located three tow-away vehicles strategically around the M50 at peak times to allow rapid response and early removal of broken down vehicles. In 2017, the median time to clear an incident on the M50 was 29 minutes. This is a significant improvement which has been achieved year on year.

TII has implemented further measures to manage major incidents and congestion at junctions. We have instigated a new system of emergency diversion route signage, whereby in the event of a prolonged incident or closure on a section of the M50, alternative routes are signed. The diversion routes have been signposted using route-specific symbols on the M50 from the M1 to the M7. These have been agreed with the emergency services and local authorities. These routes are typically on roads parallel to the M50. However, these routes offer limited capacity in their own right. The operational plan for their use includes the setting of variable message signs on the M50 mainline and direction by gardaí and motorway contractors. The signage is continuous from start to finish along the diversion route. In addition, we have implemented changes to the lining and lane marking layout at the mainline merge points at some M50 junctions. This has given increased priority to traffic on the mainline and has helped to reduce the impact of merging traffic on the mainline flows. However, such measures simply "sweat the asset" rather than bringing significant capacity improvements to the operation of the M50.

We are currently in the design and procurement phase for a new mandatory variable speed limit and lane control system on the M50, with the intention of commencing operations in late 2019 or early 2020. The purpose of this initiative is to smooth the flow on the M50 by regulating speeds. This measure reduces the amount of flow breakdown and improves journey reliability. Drivers speeding up when a gap appears and braking suddenly, together with jumping from lane to lane, are factors leading to flow breakdown and increased congestion. Mandatory variable speed limits work by triggering a reduction in permissible speeds before congestion reaches a critical level. If appropriate speed limits are obeyed, traffic flow will be smoother with a greater volume of traffic being accommodated. The effect of the variable speed limits and the smoother traffic flow is to limit the amount of rear-end collisions. This reduces the significant disruption and delay caused by minor collisions. Unfortunately, an incident in one direction causes almost equivalent delays in the opposite direction due to "rubbernecking".

In addition to the display of variable speed limits, the new electronic signs will display lane control signals - red X and green arrow - that will allow lanes to be closed off in advance of an incident location, thereby protecting the people involved in the incident and our colleague emergency services and motorway operators attending the incident. I have sent around some photographs of this layout to the committee. Current Irish legislation does not allow for the setting of variable speed limits in response to traffic conditions or the enforcement of red X lane control. Accordingly, new road traffic legislation will be required to give effect to these provisions. Sophisticated monitoring, control and enforcement technology will be required to operate a variable speed limit system, all of which will be conducted at our motorway operations centre. This system will be in place at the end of 2019 and in operation when the legislative changes are effected.

The overall cost will be in the region of €50 million. I stress that these measures will only marginally improve the carrying capacity of the M50. The primary benefit from these initiatives will be a safer and more reliable journey. More fundamentally, traffic growth on the M50 quickly erodes all minor improvements in the capacity of the motorway. Given the current rate of growth, the need to address the management of traffic demand on the route is becoming acute. Unless demand management measures as set out in the M50 demand management report are introduced, complemented by additional public transport investments, the level of traffic growth will ultimately result in an intolerable level of congestion and economic loss and the failure of the motorway to adequately fulfil its strategic functions. Without demand management in the form of multipoint tolling, M50 customers will continue to pay in terms of lost time and productivity. Ultimately, the decision to proceed with these demand management measures is a matter for Government and not one that TII is currently pursuing.

TII continually monitors the performance of the national roads network and collects data relating to traffic volumes, average speeds, journey times and peak hour spreading. TII publishes its annual national roads network Indicators, which give information on transport trends. A copy of these indicators has been circulated to the committee for information. This information informs the development of short, medium and long-term schemes aimed at addressing the impacts of congestion and maximising the efficient use of the current infrastructure. A number of schemes identified by TII to address congestion in the Dublin area have been included in the National Development Plan 2018-2027 either for delivery or for further development within the lifetime of the plan. Details of these proposals are included in the supplementary information accompanying this presentation.

The Luas cross city extension to the green line came into passenger service at 2 p.m. on Saturday, 9 December 2017. That day marked the return, after 68 years, of electric trams in passenger service on O'Connell Street and other places between St. Stephen's Green and Broombridge. The Luas attracts high passenger demand. Growth in numbers since the extension of the green line came into service has been high – 28% increase on the green line and 5% increase on the red line between January 2017 and January 2018. At times, Luas has not provided a full service to customers, with problems compounded in mid-March following the impact of Storm Emma and an electrical fault with the new trams. The reliability of Luas services has been improving progressively since mid-March. The electrical problem that affected the new Alstom trams has been resolved with five of these trams now incorporated into the fleet for passenger service on the green line. The sixth tram is undergoing testing and commissioning and is due to enter passenger service in the next week or so. The seventh tram is due to be delivered on 25 May and will soon enter passenger service after a commissioning period. The five new trams currently in service have greatly improved the tram availability situation. Transdev, the operator of the Luas, has been operating a full peak service on both the red and green lines for several weeks. Several additional services in the morning peak have been provided since April making use of the new trams.

Further improvements to passenger services will be made over the summer, after all the new trams have entered passenger service, with the following enhancements: on the red line, Monday to Saturday, two out of three trams will operate to and from the Point and one out of three trams will operate to and from Connolly, compared to the existing 50:50 split between the Point and Connolly while, on the green line, the Luas cross city section will have a journey time of between 23 and 25 minutes compared with 27 minutes currently. There will be an improved service between Parnell and Broombridge, and southbound services from Parnell between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. will operate every four minutes compared with every five minutes at present. I thank our colleagues in Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority, NTA, for working with us to improve these journey times across the city.

While the extension to the green line is realising substantial benefits for customers and for the Dublin region, it has experienced a number of problems in its first few months of operations. All parties have worked hard to overcome these problems. I will now outline some of the key problems that have been addressed. The first longer tram was delivered to Dublin on 13 November 2017 and subjected to extensive testing as required by the Commission for Railway Regulation. The tram was put into passenger service for the first time on 7 February 2018. The new tram operated in passenger service in the morning peak on the Sandyford–Bride’s Glen–Parnell–Sandyford line. The second new tram came into passenger service on 20 February. These two new longer trams were in regular service during morning peak periods. On 12 March, the first of the new trams failed in service and the following day, the second new tram also failed in service with the same fault indicated. Alstom, the tram manufacturer, assembled and brought in a troubleshooting team from France on 14 March. Alstom traced the root cause of the electrical fault to the control board for the static converter. The first two new trams returned to passenger service on 4 and 5 April, respectively, and another was made available for passenger service on 13 April. The fourth was made available for service on 18 April, while the fifth new tram was delivered to Sandyford on 6 April and has been available for service from 2 May. The sixth is currently undergoing commissioning and the seventh and final new tram is scheduled for delivery on 25 May.

Many issues cam together on 13, 14 and 15 March. Tram availability on the green line was significantly below requirements for the morning peak period on each day. To deliver a full service on the line, we need 29 trams to be available, but on those days only 24 to 25 vehicles were available, which led to increased overcrowding of morning peak trams. Difficulties in managing a backlog of vehicle maintenance, and the need to take the two new longer trams out of passenger service because of the electrical fault contributed to the shortfall in tram availability. A mitigation measure had already been identified to address the maintenance backlog to secure sufficient tram availability in March by extending the overhaul date for some trams until the end of March. The maintenance resources freed up were scheduled to redeploy on 28 February to clearing the backlog of maintenance for the trams. However, Storm Emma struck on 1 and 2 March. This storm could not have come at a worse time. The storm exacerbated the situation by causing significant disruption to tram maintenance and availability. Virtually all maintenance resources were redeployed to clearing snow, fixing significant numbers of faults caused by the storm, restoring partial services over the weekend and recovering the entire Luas system for the Monday morning peak on 5 March. The temporary extension of the overhaul programme did improve tram availability, once the maintenance resources were switched from recovering from Storm Emma and full service was gradually restored from the week commencing 19 March. Tram availability required for peak times was stabilised and the delivery of services is operating at planned levels.

I would like to address the issue of the O'Connell Bridge-Burgh Quay junction, as the running of the new tram across the O'Connell Bridge was the focus of attention in February. The Luas system shares space with other traffic on several sections of the red and green lines; this is especially the case with the multiple junctions along the city centre section. The limitation in space at the O'Connell Bridge-quays junctions was a significant element of the advance design of the system to connect the two tram lines while, at the same time, improving the capacity of the green line. The challenges faced in enhancing the overall carrying capacity of the O'Connell Bridge junctions was considered in full when designing and developing the new signalling system on Luas cross city. In the normal course of events, the signals at the junction facilitate the tram clearing the quays in a single movement. However, if the progress of the tram is impeded by a blocking vehicle, the rear of the tram on O'Connell Bridge can overhang Burgh Quay. In this scenario, the traffic system will recognise that the tram has not cleared the bridge and will allow for additional time to be allocated to clear traffic from the bridge. On 8 February, the first new tram was blocked by a car waiting to make an illegal right turn onto Eden Quay. This was despite the provision of a dedicated right turn lane for Eden Quay being incorporated into the scheme design. The consequent traffic obstruction was resolved within minutes. There have been no significant issues with the passage of this longer tram through this junction since it entered service. In this regard, I acknowledge and am grateful to An Garda Síochána, which has supported the smooth functioning of this junction by regularly patrolling it in peak periods. I also acknowledge the continual improvements Dublin City Council make to the signalised junctions on the shared running sections of the system. Such fine-tuning of the signals is an essential ongoing support to the Luas system and traffic management in general.

The extension to the green line is realising substantial benefits for customers and for the Dublin region. Luas experienced a number of problems in its first few months of operations and I regret the delay and inconvenience caused to our customers. All parties have worked hard to overcome these problems and the reliability of Luas services has improved considerably in recent weeks. Further improvements to passenger services addressing increasing demand will be made over the summer when all seven of the new trams will have entered passenger service.

I hope that my opening statement has addressed the specific points raised by this committee that are relevant to our remit. We are happy to answer questions on any particular issue raised or, indeed, other matters of interest. If we do not have the information requested to hand we will supply a written response.