Green Party

Transport Policy Paper

29 January 2020 General Election 2020

Overview Ireland’s transport system suffers from chronic under-investment in public transport and decades of car- centric urban sprawl. Congestion is costing millions of euros every year and this is projected to rise to over €2bn per year. Because of our dysfunctional housing policy, huge numbers of people are forced to live further and further away from their places of work or education, which creates more congestion as well as social inequality and isolation. If we are to address the challenge of decarbonising our economy while improving the lives of our citizens, we need to dramatically alter the direction of national transport policy.

Our approach emphasises public transport for the public good and shared transport options that use less energy than individual cars or other vehicles and improve the well-being of commuters. The availability of public transport for activities not connected with work also serves to create stronger, vibrant local communities.

Investing in our transport system is the opportunity of a generation to deliver quality of life and tackle climate change. The Green Party will overhaul Ireland’s fragmented transport system, making public transport a real option for the vast majority of people, in both urban and rural settings, and ending our reliance on fossil fuels.

1. Rethinking how we invest in transport to car-centric urban sprawl. We need to reverse the growing trend of ever-longer car dependent Our public transport system is currently not fit commutes to city centres from housing estates for purpose. Every day, we know that commuters built without requisite services. cannot make their journey to or from work or school at the time they want because our trains, The next 10 years presents an opportunity to buses and ’s are full. The demand is there, deliver affordable, high-quality homes close to and growing, the capacity is not. Commuters are public transport, to rebalance development away deterred from using public or active transport from , and to create the kinds of villages, options through frustration at delays and long towns and cities where people look forward to journey times, or in the case of cycling through coming home in the evening. To do this, we need personal safety concerns, and are pushed back to review Ireland’s spatial planning framework to into private car use. make it fit for a vibrant, growing country that will achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by The only way to do this is to redress the imbalance 2050. in how we spend our transport budget. The current National Development Plan (Project Ireland The governance and management of our transport 2040) commits a staggering €5.7 billion being systems also needs to be overhauled to mirror the spent on national road schemes, including the reprioritisation in investment. €0.9 billion to motorway as well a further €4.5 billion on local and regional roads. Reform the Department of Transport, A spend of this magnitude on further expanding Tourism and Sport our motorways at the expense of improving and Emissions from road transport have trebled expanding public transport options completely in the last thirty years. The Department of counterintuitive when we consider the significant Transport, Tourism and Sport is simply incapable cost of the penalties we are already incurring as a of addressing the issue. We will reform the direct result of our failure to reduce our emissions Department to ensure an Assistant Secretary in line with international agreements. General is in charge of implementing walking, cycling and carbon reduction measures and puts The Green Party will: sustainable transport and travel centre-stage. › Radically overhaul how we budget for by doubling investment in public Reform of the National Transport transport, securing 10% of the capital transport Authority budget for walking, 10% for cycling When the National Transport Authority was formed they absorbed professional staff from the National Roads Authority and the Rail Procurement 2. Transport and Planning Agency. These were great at delivering roads The Green Party will tackle the dysfunction at the and tram lines, but need continued professional heart of Ireland’s planning system that has led development to roll out walking and cycling infrastructure in a timely manner. Urban walking

2 and cycling projects require multi-disciplinary Cork City to Carrigtwohill / Midleton greenway/ teams that are good at planning, community cycle super-highway, a Ballincollig Riverside involvement, communications, and project Greenway, a Blarney/Tower Greenway, a management. Let’s ensure that there’s a delivery Macroom Greenway unit located within the National Transport Authority to coordinate action across all local : authorities, and ensure the timely delivery of › Greenway from Galway to Connemara via projects. We will ensure that someone is in charge NUIG and crossing and alongside the Corrib. of a Cycling Unit that has the staff and the cash to Additional priority projects in Galway including roll out new walking and cycling routes in Greater making hostile junctions pedestrian and cycle Dublin, and deliver on the Greater Dublin Cycling friendly. Network Plan that has been gathering cobwebs since it was published. Limerick: › University of Limerick route to extend to 3. Cycling Annacotty Further stages along the Shannon We recognise that the huge investment we are proposing in active and public transport options will take some time to translate into real tangible In Government, the Green Party will: improvements in the system for commuters. But › Allocate 10% of the capital budget in transport one way in which we can reduce overcrowding to cycling infrastructure in a relatively short space of time is to front load investment in cycling infrastructure to enable a › Mandate that every County and City Council large number of people to make cycling their has a high quality cycling policy and implements primary mode of transport, knowing that they will best practice infrastructure around housing and be safe in doing so. school projects.

For example, the Liffey Cycle route along the › Accelerate the development of a network of Quays in Dublin City has the potential to reduce pedestrian and cycling greenways across the congestion and ease capacity issues on public country which will work for leisure, tourism and transport coming into the City by providing a commuting needs. safe, segregated cycling route for thousands of Dubliners. There are many projects in Dublin and › Introduce a programme of bicycle maintenance other cities across the country that would have a and safe cycling education in schools to similar impact. improve cycling behaviour and the safety of bicycles on the road. In Government we will prioritise the fast tracking of the following cycling infrastrastructure projects: › Implement the cycle bus initiative around the country. This initiative is actively supported by Dublin: local authorities. › Liffey Cycle Route, Dublin › Identify and retrofit the 50 most dangerous › Completion of the Cycleway junctions in the country to the standards set out in the National Transport Authority’s › Cycleway (Portobello to Inchicore) National Cycle Manual and the Department of Liffey Cycleway Transport’s ‘Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets’ at a minimum. › Heuston to Chapelizod cycle route

› Retrofit junctions with priority traffic lights for › Dodder Greenway cyclists and convex mirrors that allow truck drivers to see cyclists on their near-side, where › S2S southside appropriate. › East Coast Trail to Balbriggan › Ensure that all road upgrades and new roads include provision for cycling built to standards consistent with best practice in the Netherlands. Cork: › Ensure that cycle safety becomes a core part of › Extending/upgrading the Blackrock to Passage the driving test, particularly for HGV and LPSV West greenway to Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy and drivers. Crosshaven, a Cork City to Kinsale greenway, a

3 › Allow contra-flow cycling in one-way streets on › Create a role within local authorities of Street specifically signed roads with low volumes of Officers who may issue both parking and traffic, as is the norm in many European cities. dog-fouling fines and who actively patrol communities to ensure that streets and › Allow cyclists to make a left turn when traffic neighbourhoods are accessible to all. lights are red, but giving way to pedestrians walking on a green man, as is the case in many › Introduce new regulations to reduce the European countries. waiting time to a maximum of 30 seconds for pedestrian signal times and ensure that all › Have traffic lights programmed to give cyclists pedestrians have adequate time to cross the a head start, where appropriate, and ‘green road. waves’ provided for cyclists on heavily cycled routes. › Create a ‘safe routes to school’ programme to make it safer for children to make their own › Ensure that new HGVs are required to meet way to school and implement school clean air design standards such as the Direct Vision zones that will restrict car access. Standard which ensure their drivers can see other road users and in the meantime. › Improve the public realm in our cities, towns and villages by providing wider footpaths with › Require all trucks to be fit by law with sensors, quality materials and design that make it easier audible turning alarms, extra mirrors and side- for people to walk instead of driving short safety bars to improve safety for cyclists and distances. pedestrians. › Provide more zebra crossings to prioritise › Review the operation, priorities and aims of the walking as a way of getting around. We Road Safety Authority. will amend national legislation so that zebra crossings can be put in place without expensive › Introduce bike transport facilities on all Irish Belisha beacons on minor roads. Rail trains. This measure will support bike commuters and bike tourism in Ireland. Every › Carry out a review of the Design Manual for train should have dedicated bike holding Urban Roads and Streets. facilities. › Provide national guidance for ‘Play Streets’.

4. Walking › Prioritise pedestrian movement at junctions Recent reductions in pedestrian numbers is a cause giving them right-of-way as is common on the for concern. We clearly need more investment continent. in pedestrian infrastructure to make our cities, towns and rural areas safe and comfortable to 5. E-Mobility get around on foot. Seemingly small changes can have a big impact on pedestrians and their sense E-mobility has a key role to play as we decarbonise of comfort and safety in getting around - for our transport system. We want to make it easier example, we need to give pedestrians more time for those who use electric scooters and similar at crossings to cross. Currently our guidance from devices to get mobile. We will do this by putting the National Transport Authority suggests that in place updated Traffic Regulations that don’t pedestrians travel at 1.2 metres per second. That’s smother new technologies with red tape, while quick enough for able-bodied adults, but too ensuring safety for pedestrians and other road fast for older people, parents with children and users. those with disabilities. We will review the Design › Exempt lightweight Mechanically Propelled Manual for Urban Roads and Streets to better Vehicles (< 50kg) that don’t exceed 24 kp/h promote walking and cycling and revisit the use of from the need to be registered. ‘shared space’ to ensure the needs of people with disabilities including those blind or partially sighted › Ensure that Local Authorities encourage low- are addressed. We will also provide national carbon vehicles and sharing schemes similar to guidance for ‘Play Streets’ allowing communities . to close off streets to allow for safe play space for children. › Ensuring that incentives for electric vehicles include and favour electric bicycles, velomobiles › Allocate 10% of the capital budget in transport and other innovative lightweight EVs. We to walking infrastructure. recognise that electric bicycles are the

4 fastest growing sector of the electric vehicle current regional boundaries to develop a truly industry and have the potential to massively integrated national travel service that would complement investment in cycling facilities. offer regular commuters significant savings on travel. › Increase the €1,000 spend limit on the Bike to Work Scheme to provide adequate support for the purchase of e-bikes. 7. Buses The majority of public transport journeys in this country are taken by bus. The ability of buses to 6. Accessibility and Connectivity offer an attractive alternative to private car use A great public transport system only works if it depends on the priority we give them on our works for all of the people, all of the time. Too roads. often our transport networks let the travelling public down through lack of connectivity and We will continue to support the BusConnects accessibility. We will make sure that these project and its ongoing work with communities considerations are at the heart of all future to optimise the layout of the proposal, ensuring transport planning and implementation. In that facilitating walking and cycling and creating particular, we will ensure that our train stations a quality environment are primary goals of the are fully accessible to people with disabilities and project. mobility issues and parents with small children › Continue to support the BusConnects project in prams and buggies. This means ensuring that and its ongoing work with communities to all our train stations are manned and that lifts at optimise the layout of the proposal, ensuring stations are maintained regularly and repaired in a that facilitating walking and cycling and timely manner when out of order. creating a quality environment are primary › Make public transport free for all students goals of the project. and pilot a €365 public transport annual pass modelled on the fare structure first introduced › Increase the priority of buses on roads (thereby in Vienna in 2013. reducing journey times for passengers). This would be achieved by expanding the Quality › Provide increased capacity on public transport Bus Corridor network, constructing Bus Rapid routes to allow for fare reduction without Transit and implementing priority traffic excessive over-crowding at peak times. signalling for buses.

› Allow accompanied children to travel free on › Require that all new urban buses should be public transport at weekends. 100% electric or low emission hybrid.

› Introduce a ‘one tag’ scheme for multi leg › Free up underused bus station lands on city journeys to allow users to take any number of centre sites for mixed-use development, trips in any direction on any form of local public principally public housing transport for two hours after use of the LEAP card. › Build a new electric bus depot on lands adjacent to the M50 in west Dublin › Revise rail and bus connections, to provide better timetabling, particularly outside of Dublin Rural Bus Networks to provide better public transport connections A lack of public transport coupled with virtually to towns and villages no cycling or walking infrastructure means that people living in towns and villages across rural › Provide secure and sheltered waiting spaces in Ireland are left with no other option than the public transport hubs. private car. We believe that it is possible to create a Rural Bus Network which would provide an › Increase the provision of cycling parking at all affordable, reliable way to get around in rural transport nodes and facilitate cycling storage Ireland. The recently introduced bus network in on both coach and rail lines. Kilkenny CIty is a great example of such a route, with two bus routes running every 30 minutes › Ensure that all train stations are fully accessible Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays. by ringfencing funding for lift repairs and This service could be replicated in cities and large station maintenance and by ending the practice towns across the country with the right planning of leaving stations unmanned. and investment. › Extend the LEAP card provisions beyond its

5 › Expand the Rural Transport Programme and —The northern commuter line from the existing supplement it with more scheduled bus services end of the DART network in Malahide past Drogheda › Put in place a new bus station for rural services on CIE lands adjacent to Heuston Station —The line from Heuston past Hazelhatch and completion of this line between Inchicore › Reverse the policy to charge families for the and Park West Primary and Post-Primary School Transport Schemes and seek to expand them and improve —The line from Connolly past Maynooth. ease of access. —Prioritise the completion of the Kildare Route Propose a proactive approach to licensing local › Project Phase 2 and the Navan Railway Line bus services by the licensing authority and the (extension from M3 Parkway station to direct support of existing routes, to include Navan). school schemes, to provide capacity based on demand. The basis of contracts to transport › Reconsider the case for advancing the planning providers, including those for school transport, for the Interconnector (DART Underground) should require that bus capacity is appropriate between Spencer dock and Inchicore. to route requirements › Commence construction of Metro North from North of Swords to the South of Ranelagh Luas 8. Rail station and initiate an immediate review of the Our bus and rail networks have such a three options for extending the Metro further crucial role to play in terms of meeting our South from there. emissions reduction commitments, but years of underinvestment and poor management mean › Prioritise progression of planning and design that they are not making the contribution they of the Luas to Bray, Lucan, Poolbeg, and should be. We will address this by radically Blanchardstown via Finglas, with park and ride changing the way we invest in bus and rail in this facilities at the M50. country, and in doing so unlock the real potential for public transport in all parts of Ireland - a system › Support the development of a light rail system that is reliable, affordable and accessible to all. for Cork and Galway cities and devise new urban rail plans for Limerick and › Increase the government subvention to public cities. transport operators. › Review derelict train lines throughout the › Maximise connectivity between and within country with a view to revitalising and different modes of transport by setting up reopening some of the routeways as a regional more Park and Ride facilities and Bike and infrastructural resource where appropriate. Ride facilities on routes into cities that are not adequately served by public transport. › Restore and expand rail freight capacity to promote it over truck haulage and aviation. › Ensure that all train stations are fully accessible by ringfencing funding for lift repairs and › Consider a new mainline rail station at Park station maintenance and by ending the practice West with access to the M50 of leaving stations unmanned.

› Expand rural bus links to improve public 9. Electric Cars transport connections between rural towns and The Green Party advocates for shared, public villages. transport options over individual usage. We do see a beneficial role for the electric vehicle as we › Set out a timetable and work programme move to decarbonise our transport system. The for commuter rail improvements in Galway, Green Party advocates for shared, public transport Limerick, Cork and Waterford City. services over individual usage. However, we also support the increase in usage of electric powered › Focus on increasing train speeds on all inter-city cars and would undertake the following policy rail routes to better compete with car journeys. items.

› Progress the full electrification of the rail › Requiring that all new public buildings include network and upgrading/expanding the EV charging points and overseeing a national following:

6 rollout of charging stations at every operational petrol station,

› Promoting new e-mobility solutions including car-sharing, car pooling, ride sharing and municipal e-bike and e-scooter schemes.

10. Aviation The Green Party shall advocate for a level playing field for different transport modes. We shall work to reduce disparities in taxation that discourage more sustainable modes of travel. We recognise the importance of international connectivity for an island nation; the importance of employment in the aviation sector; and Ireland’s place as a hub for aviation leasing.

We recognise the role that aviation plays in transport policy and acknowledge improvements in efficiency and loading in recent years. We support the move towards finalising the EU Single European Sky regulations provided that measures are put in place to discourage induced demand. Nonetheless we want to end harmful subsidies that prioritise flying over other means of transport and improve sail-rail connectivity through the UK and on to mainland Europe. › The Green Party want to see aviation planning in Ireland which takes into account international climate action measures, such as EU action on fuel levies and other measures such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which will have an impact on passenger numbers.

› We see opportunities for Ireland to pioneer lower emission flying by supporting research in lower emission commercial aircraft design and synthetic fuels.

7