CASE STUDY F Luas Passenger Numbers 2004–13 35.00
30.00 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00
0 Luas Passenger Numbers 2004–2013
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year
: Fig. 6.11 Number of Luas passengers
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Traffic Congestion in Dublin Dublin is a primate city with a population in excess of 1 million living within its city boundaries. As Dublin is the core economic region of the country, it is the focal point of all major road and rail links. All motorways (M1–M11) connect to Dublin, meaning traffic from all other major urban centres converges in Dublin, which leads to congestion. Te Celtic Tiger era saw a significant increase in the level of car usage in or around the city. Today, almost one-third of all new cars registered in Ireland each year are registered in the Greater Dublin Area. As Dublin’s transport infrastructure was poorly developed, it was unable to cope with such high volumes of traffic. Tis led to increasing levels of traffic congestion and a government decision to invest in the development of a more modern transport system:
Red line
Green line Total
Te DART commuter rail line was extended with increased services and upgraded trains and carriages.
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Intercity train services were improved to make them more time-efficient than travelling on motorway.
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In 2004 two Luas tram lines were built to connect Dublin’s suburbs to the city centre. In September 2013, work began on the extension of the Luas lines to include 13 new stops, eight of which are in city centre locations. Te government is investing €368 million in the project and the aim is to have it fully completed and in operation by 2017. On average, 80,000 people use the Luas to travel around the city each day.
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Te M50 was upgraded to a six-lane motorway with an automated toll bridge, which helps traffic to move faster.
: Fig. 6.12 The M50 now has barrier-free tolling, which allows for free-flowing traffic.
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Heavy goods vehicles no longer have to enter the city, as they can use the Port Tunnel. It is connected to the M50 and, therefore, to all other major routes in Ireland.
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Despite government investment, Dublin is the tenth most congested city in the world.
Quality bus corridors (QBCs) were introduced, which have reduced travel times on Dublin Bus. Dublin Bus now carries 120 million passengers per year, although numbers are falling due to the increasing popularity of the Luas.
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Te bike rental scheme was introduced in 2009, which allows people to use a bicycle to travel around the city. Registered users have to pay a fee of just €20 to avail of the scheme, while the rental of the bicycle costs 50c per hour.
164 ELECTIVE 5 PATTERNS AND PROCESSES IN THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
Millions
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