Transport 21 farce

[MVOR]

FF spent a fortune of taxpayers money on the launch of transport 21 saying it would solve all our problems. Of course they expected nobody would ever read the document and that people would just say yes thats great and vote them back in. For those who did bother to read it, it was a total farce. The amount of money was astronomical and nothing was going to be done until 2015 at the earliest. Their plan was to put in place a transport system that is needed today but only have it in place in 2015. They never considered the fact that they were continually inviting more foreiners into the country and that they needed to plan for increased capacity. Transport 21 was a complete farce just like the government that introduced it.

[Schuhart]

I'm not disagreeing with your broad thrust - Transport 21 was basically a media event aimed at persuading people in Dublin that something was finally being done to deliver a public transport system for the city after years of neglect as Dubliners watched resources being stripped from the city and spent elsewhere - culminating in Dublin Airport getting lumbered with more than half of Cork Airport's debt and all of Shannon's while its own terminal is crammed beyond capacity.

However, I think your comment about 'nothing delivered until 2015' relates specifically to the delivery of the 'Interconnector' tunnel. This is the crucial piece of infrastructure needed to increase the capacity of the rail network to hand more services. Put simply, if someone want to add an extra train from Maynooth or Mullingar it can only be done at the expense of one less train from, say, Dundalk or Malahide. This is why the extra Clonsilla services were dependent on the opening of the new Docklands station.

What is ludicrous is the way that the Western Rail Corridor is given a higher profile than the Interconnector, despite the Interconnector having a far greater impact on people's lives. But, as I've pointed out in another thread, this ludicrous attachment to the Western Rail Corridor is shared by Fine Gael.

[MVOR]

At this stage you will agree that nothing delivered until 2015 was being optimistic. At this stage it's nothing will ever be delivered. Another bucket load of cash down the drain.

[Ecoguy]

The amount of money wasted during the boom on pork barrel road projects is another scandal. A classic example was the 70m euro Charlestown bypass. I travel the Dublin - Castlebar route quiet often, yet the one place i was never held up in was Charlestown. Always flew through the place(and that was during the Celtic tiger years!!) . Plenty of other examples too around the country but particulary in West and NW. What makes this worse is that other towns that did have major traffic problems were ignored!!!!

[thegreenview]

At this stage you will agree that nothing delivered until 2015 was being optimistic. At this stage it's nothing will ever be delivered. Another bucket load of cash down the drain.

I would agree with you that much money has been spent and some it poorly sepnt. However there is some visible signs of progress take the Kildare route project.

Irish rail have confirmed that laying of the additional 2 - track between Cherry Orchard and Hazelhatch will be completed by the end of October 09.

Following trials and testing it’s expected that the new lines would be fully operational by the end of this year. This will allow two dedicated tracks for intercity and regional services and two tracks for commuter services.

When operational up to 4 trains per hour can stop at commuter stations such as Hazelhatch, Adamstown, Park West. This is good news for commuters giving a better choice of services and increased capacity on the line.

On Thursday night I had a public meeting on Luas Line F for Lucan at which 3 members of the RPA attended.

Mr Carbone,Project Manager for Luas Line F stated that there was a particular strong case why this line should proceed - with the potential to generate more the 25 million trips on a yearly basis. At present the busiest line is the Green line to Sandyford it carried 15 million passengers in 2008

Again delivery of this project is towards the end of 2015 and of there is every possibility that it will be delayed even further due to current financial situation.

I would also agree with Schuhart on the delivery of the interconnector.

[orbit]

The amount of money wasted during the boom on pork barrel road projects is another scandal. A classic example was the 70m euro Charlestown bypass. I travel the Dublin - Castlebar route quiet often, yet the one place i was never held up in was Charlestown. Always flew through the place(and that was during the Celtic tiger years!!) . Plenty of other examples too around the country but particulary in West and NW. What makes this worse is that other towns that did have major traffic problems were ignored!!!!

Yes, that road was the worst designed bypass in the country. The new road is not a lot better than the old one. It is narrow, and for much of it, there is a continuous white line, which prevents overtaking.