Greater Dublin Area Draft Transport Strategy 2011-2030 2030 vision April 2012 Contents executive summary Part a: Background and oPtions Chapter 1: Introduction and overview Chapter 2: Context Chapter 3: Strategy vision and objectives Chapter 4: Travel in the Greater Dublin Area Chapter 5: Transport challenges Chapter 6: Strategy options and assembling the Strategy Part B: The strategy Chapter 7: Overview of the Strategy Chapter 8: Planning for sustainable living Chapter 9: Walking and cycling Chapter 10: Public transport Chapter 11: Roads, freight and travel demand management Part c: Outcomes and next stePs Chapter 12: Expected outcomes Chapter 13: Next steps glossary of terms Executive Summary The National Transport Authority (the The Strategy is not a standalone document – it “Authority”) is a statutory body established is the top level in a hierarchy of transport plans by the Minister for Transport on 1 December for the GDA that will include an Implementation 2009. One of its obligations is the preparation Plan1 and Strategic Traffic Management Plan2, of a Strategic Transport Plan for the Greater both of which will be published by the Authority Dublin Area (GDA), which comprises the city and after the adoption of this Strategy. county of Dublin, and counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. The Strategic Transport Plan for the The Strategy vision and objectives and the Greater Dublin Area for the period up to 2030 preparation of the Strategy itself were guided (the “Strategy”) is set out in full in this document. and informed by extensive stakeholder and public consultation. The Strategy preparation was also The Strategy’s role is to establish appropriate informed by the outcome of the appraisal of policies and transport measures that will support the merits of various potential measures and the Greater Dublin Area in meeting its potential alternative strategy options that were developed as a competitive, sustainable city region with a and assessed. good quality of life for all. 1 Section 13 (1) of DTA Act 2008 2 Section 64 of DTA Act 2008 Executive Summary: page 1 www.2030vision.ie The Greater Dublin Area Executive Summary: page 2 www.2030vision.ie context The unprecedented economic circumstances prevailing in Ireland at the time of the adoption of This Strategy has been prepared following the this Strategy, mean that the level of investment in publication of the Regional Planning Guidelines transport provision will be significantly curtailed (RPGs) for the Greater Dublin Area and the relevant from that anticipated under prior investment plans legislation requires that the Strategy and the RPGs and programmes. Accordingly, the delivery of many are aligned in their objectives and intent. The RPGs of the capital intensive projects in the Strategy is in turn were prepared to be consistent with the unlikely to occur in the short-term and the level National Spatial Strategy (NSS), published by the of the development and population growth may Government in 2002. The NSS provides the policy fluctuate from current predictions. framework for all regional plans, including this Strategy and the RPGs. It is recognised that the Strategy cannot rely on high levels of investment in its early years. In The RPGs break the GDA down into two distinct addition, it also needs to be sufficiently flexible to parts; the Metropolitan area and the Hinterland accommodate varying levels of funding availability area. A key policy of the RPGs is the consolidation and to react to changing circumstances during the of development into the Metropolitan area. In the period of the plan. That is reflected in the spectrum Hinterland, development is to be consolidated into of measures set out in the Strategy – while it identified key Growth Towns. includes some necessary capital intensive projects, it also focuses on providing a range of lower Smarter Travel – A Sustainable Transport Future, cost measures delivering significant benefits for published in 2009 by the Department of Transport, transport throughout the region. includes a number of key goals and national targets for 2020, including a reduction in Green House Gas strategy vision and objectives emissions from the transport sector from 2005 levels, a reduction in the share of journeys to work The Strategy vision for the Greater Dublin Area in by car to 45% of total journeys to work, and a 10% 2030 is for “a competitive, sustainable city-region share of all journeys to be by cycling. with a good quality of life for all.” The National Cycle Planning Policy Framework, The five overarching objectives for the Strategy to also published in 2009, reiterates the target for support this vision are: cycling journeys in Ireland and sets out a series of actions, including improving facilities for cycling, Objective 1: reducing traffic volumes in towns and near schools Build and strengthen communities and improving the integration of public transport and cycling. Objective 2: Improve economic competitiveness Several other key national policy documents Objective 3: such as the National Development Plan, the Improve the built environment Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016 plan, Retail Planning Guidelines, National Climate Objective 4: Change Strategy played a major role in shaping the Respect and sustain the natural environment Strategy objectives and targets. Objective 5: The Strategy is subject to Strategic Environmental Reduce personal stress Assessment and a Habitats Directive Assessment in accordance with national and European legislation. A set of transport specific sub-objectives were identified associated with each of these higher level objectives. Executive Summary: page 3 www.2030vision.ie Travel in the Greater Dublin Area Transport challenges The population of the Greater Dublin Area grew by The GDA generates just under half of Ireland’s 19% in the ten year period between 1996 and 2006 output (in terms of Gross Value Added), and and 8.3% between 2006 and 2011. Employment contains Ireland’s foremost city of international grew by 40% between 1996 and 2006. Both scale. Its economic well-being is of vital importance population and employment are expected to grow to the wider Irish economy. by 39% in the period from 2006 to 2030. Because much of the recent population, Travel patterns in the GDA are related to employment and retail growth in the GDA has development locations, in particular the location of taken place at locations remote from public housing relative to jobs, schools, shops and other transport, a large share of the associated growth in facilities. travel has been by car. This, coupled with increased car ownership and use in established areas, has led Dublin city’s footprint increased dramatically from to a substantial increase in road congestion over the early twentieth century onwards as people most of the Greater Dublin Area. moved out of the old city (which was largely contained within the Grand and Royal Canals) to Recent major road construction and public more spacious accommodation and in response to transport improvements, coupled with the easier mobility brought about by the advent of the economic downturn, have resulted in some motor car. improvements in congestion. However, forecasts indicate that this alleviation is temporary and Population growth also contributed to the growth without further transport interventions, severe in the size of Dublin. In the last fifteen years the congestion can be expected to return throughout rate of population growth accelerated, particularly much of the Greater Dublin Area. This has in the Hinterland area. In many cases this growth serious implications for businesses and the wider has taken place in smaller towns or villages and economic competitiveness of the GDA, as well as rural areas, away from public transport. Forecasts imposing serious social costs on those caught up in up to 2030 assume 24% of the GDA population congestion. will be located in the Hinterland area, but future Hinterland growth is expected to focus much more Challenges include how to lock in the economic on larger towns, where public transport is more benefits of new transport infrastructure, the readily available. identification of network improvements to tackle road congestion and overcrowding on public Whereas job growth has also taken place in the transport services, and how to encourage some of Hinterland, most jobs are still located within the those using the network at busy times to use more Metropolitan area of Dublin, with office based jobs appropriate means of travel or to travel at less particularly focussed in or close to the city centre. congested times. Forecasts up to 2030 assume the large majority of GDA jobs (85%) will continue to be located in From a public transport viewpoint, Dublin city the Metropolitan area, with a particularly strong centre is the most accessible location in the growth in jobs anticipated in the Dublin city centre. Greater Dublin Area, as it is where a large number public transport services converge. Improvements The growth in population and employment in the to public transport and restrictions in city centre last fifteen years, and the larger distances between parking have seen the share of travel by public houses jobs, shops and schools has led to a huge transport, cycling and walking to central Dublin in increase in demand for travel. the morning travel to work period grow from 50% in the late 1990s to 65% in 2007. More information is contained in Chapter 4 of the Report. Executive Summary: page 4 www.2030vision.ie Challenges include how to free up road space for Very good progress has been made in reducing economically essential traffic by further increasing traffic accidents throughout the GDA in recent the share of travel by means other than the car, years. The Strategy needs to build on this further, particularly to the city centre and other employment placing a particular emphasis on improving centres. We need to consider how to target public safety, and perceptions of safety, for those who transport improvements to areas where access is walk and cycle.