The National Transport Authority (NTA) has released its final plans for the creation of 16 continuous bus corridors and a large number of safely segregated cycle lanes across the city. Dubliners will have already seen that flexible bollards have been installed to protect cycle lanes in several parts of Dublin already.
The bus corridors will comprise 230 kilometres of uninterrupted bus lanes which will criss-cross the greater Dublin area. Over 3,000 trees will need to be cut down to make way for the bus lanes. More than 700 gardens will be, at least, partially acquired.
The felling of trees, some of them very old, has caused controversy in areas like Glasnevin and Fairview. Ribbons have been tied around the trees by local campign groups hoping to stop their destruction. The NTA says, however, that the majority of the trees marked for felling are immature and will be replanted elsewhere.
“Places where trees are a cornerstone of the area’s Urban Realm like Baggot Street, St Mobhi Road and the Rathgar Road among many others, will largely remain untouched”. the NTA spokesperson said.
The cutting down of trees is, in the majority of cases, to faciltate the construction of safe cycle lanes.
The public consultation period on the plans runs from today until December 16th. So, if you want to have your say on the plans, get busy, Dubs.
