Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I am sorry that he has not found the written responses adequate but I will try to elaborate on them. Before I address the matter specifically, the Deputy should realise that the problem of traffic congestion in Dublin is extraordinarily difficult because of the volatility of what has been happening with traffic congestion, traffic numbers and traffic speeds in recent times. The variation in traffic patterns, speeds and numbers is mainly a product of the economic changes which have occurred. By any standards, they have been unpredictable. The Deputy is seeking comfort regarding what is going to happen in the near to medium-term future. I will try to give him some indication of that within the powers of prophecy that I have about what will happen to Dublin traffic in the years to come.

The advent of Ireland's economic downturn in 2008 significantly affected transport patterns and levels of transport usage. Largely reflecting the growth in unemployment, public transport usage and car usage in the Dublin region dropped significantly during the downturn and in subsequent years. This also applied to the west Dublin region.

The period from 2008 to 2015 can be characterised as a period of reduced transport usage and suppressed transport growth. Focusing solely on road-based transport, levels of congestion fell from 2008 and journey times reduced for many people. It is fair to say that traffic congestion was not a major issue during this period. However, I fully recognise that, as the Deputy has pointed out, a growing body of evidence is emerging of increased travel demand across the Dublin region in particular, with growing traffic levels on many of the region's roads and streets. Indeed, 2014 saw the start of a reversal of the trend of reduced travel demand. Public transport usage in 2014 increased for all modes, including bus, Luas and commuter rail services.

While the welcome increase in the numbers in employment affected transport through the beginning of a recovery in public transport numbers, it has also manifested itself through increased car use and the re-emergence of peak period congestion. As a key indicator of recent trends, in 2014 users of the M50 motorway began to experience significant increases in journey times for the first time since the completion of the M50 upgrade. In terms of traffic flows, average daily traffic at the tolling point on the motorway was almost 18% higher in 2016 than in 2014. The effect of this growth can be seen on a daily basis, with slower speeds and longer journey times evident on the M50. Similar patterns, though not as pronounced, are emerging elsewhere on the road network. As Dublin city is the target destination of many of the journeys being undertaken in the region, there is a substantial degree of congestion evident at many locations on the road network approaching the city.

Insofar as congestion issues in Dublin are concerned, the National Transport Authority, NTA, has overall responsibility for the implementation of its transport strategy. My Department is working closely with the NTA with a view to intensifying efforts to combat congestion in the short to medium term through greater use of bus priority, demand management and other alleviating measures. The NTA’s approach to managing congestion for the period 2015-18 focuses on public transport provision on key routes to the city centre, supported by adequate traffic management arrangements, measures to protect the efficiency of national roads in the region and measures to address local travel delay locations.

The bus network is the backbone of the public transport system in Dublin. While a small number of corridors have enough patronage to justify development of light rail, metro or heavy rail lines, the bus system has to serve the majority of the Dublin area. With this in mind, in its approach to tackling congestion in the Dublin region, subject to the availability of funding, the NTA will focus on transforming the bus system to deliver a step change in performance across the region and complementing that improved public transport system with a network of park and ride sites.

I will detail more specific measures in my supplementary reply.

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