Written answers

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Traffic Data

Photo of John LahartJohn Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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329. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the most recent data available to his Department on the cost of traffic congestion to the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17076/17]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​In recognition of the growing body of evidence emerging of increased travel demand across the Dublin region in particular, my Department's economic and financial evaluation unit has undertaken a research project to estimate the cost of aggravated congestion across Ireland's transport system. Aggravated congestion occurs when the number of vehicles on a part of the network is higher than the network can handle and the point at which serious traffic delays arise. The first phase of the project, which is currently being finalised estimates the annual value of time lost to road users due to aggravated congestion in the greater Dublin area. The study uses data from a variety of sources to estimate activity on the network including census travel to work data, NTA GDA surveys, car ownership data and CSO small area population statistics. The project has been carried out in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, NTA, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, and Dublin City Council, DCC, with particular support from the NTA's modelling team in producing the modelled outputs.

A final project report will be published on my Department's website in the coming weeks. However, I understand that the analysis undertaken for the report estimates that the cost of time lost due to aggravated congestion is currently €350 million per annum and is forecasted to rise to €2 billion per annum in 2033. This work is an important consideration in formulating my overall approach to tackling congestion in the short to medium term and forms a key part of the case for increased public transport investment, as part of the mid-term review of the Government's capital plan in 2017.

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