The first core bus corridor under the BusConnects plan in Dublin has been approved by An Bord Pleanála.
The Liffey Valley to City Centre corridor, the first of 12 due to be rolled out, has received planning approval, the Department of Transport and National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed on Friday.
The BusConnects programme, which plans to overhaul the bus system in Dublin, has two main components: creating 230km of dedicated bus lanes in tandem with 200km of cycle tracks, as well as redesigning the bus network.
Applications for the 11 other corridors have been submitted to An Bord Pleanála by the NTA for its consideration.
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The new infrastructure will result in the loss of some trees and parking spaces along the corridors, and some properties will be impacted.
The NTA said full details of construction timelines for BusConnects core bus corridors are not yet available.
“However, it is expected that all twelve corridors will be completed in 2030 with the first construction contracts to be awarded at the end of 2024, subject to the receipt of full planning consents,” a spokesman for the NTA said.
“The construction of the corridors will be delivered on a phased basis in order to reduce the traffic impacts that could arise should all twelve be constructed concurrently. It is likely that the Liffey Valley to City Centre core bus corridor scheme will be implemented in the first half of the overall core bus corridor construction programme.”
Meanwhile, the network redesign has already begun to be implemented in the capital. The H spine, covering areas such as Howth, Donaghmede, Raheny, Malahide, Portmarnock and Howth has been rolled out.
The C spine, covering Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Lucan and Adamstown and the G spine, which includes Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Cherry Orchard and Islandbridge have been implemented as have some orbital routes around the city.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said he welcomed the decision from An Bord Pleanála and the “careful consideration” that had been given to the proposals.
“The receipt of this decision today, the first to be received for a core bus corridor, will allow the introduction of this important piece of infrastructure in the west of Dublin city that will provide a step-change in bus services, provide for significantly enhanced cycle facilities and introduce high quality public realm upgrades,” he said.
Anne Graham, chief executive of the NTA said: “We look forward to moving into the implementation phase of the Liffey Valley to City Centre Core Bus Corridor scheme with the continued support of the Department of Transport, our local authority partners in Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council and continued engagement with all of our stakeholders.”
BusConnects is a key part of the Government’s policy to improve public transport and address climate change in the country’s major urban centres.
The aim of BusConnects is to increase the level of bus services and provide a more coherent service that will eliminate overlapping routes and improve journey times.
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