GRIDLOCK and growth were the main themes of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce review of 1996, launched by the chamber's president, Mary Finan. The report was as packed as a city centre street at rush hour with projections for the economic growth of the city, which is set to exceed that of, any other western European capital between now and the end of the century. There were figures on the record numbers at work, the ongoing growth in tourism, and the record amount of retail space now in existence in the capital. The only, downside was gridlock. * The chamber is worried about the plans for a light rail system. The LUAS project requires more study, and the chamber is lukewarm on the idea for an above ground system in the city centre. "An LKT system which is surface based in the suburbs but underground in the city centre could well be `part of' an optimum solution."

The chamber is enthusiastic about the idea of a fast rail link between the city centre and the airport, with a connection to the Belfast Dublin railway. While the planners continue to dither over how to solve the port access problem, heavy goods traffic continues to make its way through the city centre, the report pointed out.