Sir, - To add to Earthwatch's well-researched point (January 15th) that orbital motorways generate extra car traffic. I submit two more concerns about the Eastern Bypass.
Firstly, the EU will not fund the required £500 million to £1,000 million, and, while public transport is under-resourced, neither will any responsible government.
Public transport has a superior carrying capacity to individual cars; note that, even with the current bus shortage crisis, 56 per cent of all commuters on the Malahide corridor are bus passengers. Until we have an adequate bus service and Luas, the Eastern Bypass, which is not even NRA policy, is hardly a spending priority.
Secondly, since neither an environmental impact assessment nor a thorough geological survey has been carried out, there is no guarantee that a deep-bore tunnel is feasible. Certainly, the more affordable surface or above-surface versions - or cut-and-cover tunnel, as described by Mr Tighe (January 12th) - is not an option, since Sandymount strand is protected under EU legislation due to its importance as a scarce and valuable mudlfat habitat.
Enter a nightmare scenario for the good people of Dublin 4: becoming reliant on a Godot-style road. I understand only too well how popular (especially with local elections coming) is the promise of traffic relief from a hypothetical Eastern Bypass. But instead of raising false hopes, would it not be more honest to acknowledge that the Eastern Bypass is a non-runner, and focus instead on reducing traffic? It is appalling that the planned Northern Port Tunnel will exacerbate traffic in this area. If Luas can be U-turned to go underground, is it really too late for the Port Tunnel to emerge somewhere west of Heuston Station rather than north of Whitehall?
Cllr Lacey's vicious attack (January 12th) on the Green movement's consistent and sustainable transport policy smacks of shooting the messenger. I only hope that anyone with an opinion about the Eastern Bypass will write not only to The Irish Times but also to Dublin Corporation, where the revised Draft Development Plan is on public display until February 11th. - Yours, etc., Cllr Claire Wheeler, (Green Party),
Oaklands Park, Dublin 4.