Transport planning is an art, the key is to put vehicles where needed in a balanced way. The three main ingredients are, where people live, where they work, where they shop and go for leisure activities. These three main ingredients are accommodated in Newton Transport Plan.
We know where people live, work and where they go for entertainment, visiting or shopping etc. The main area for entertainment outside the city centre is in the Docklands area, Board Gas, Aviva, Point Depot and Croke Park. These are inadequately served by public transport especially by rail and difficult to access by car due to motor vehicle restrictions through city centre.
Docklands already has rail, but it is very ineffective as it comes to a dead end. It must be linked up to the full rail network, to maximise rail use, to suit the user (vital in public transport), for direct access to all areas, and direct access to Dublin Airport via Metro Dart (7A on Map 3).
All this can be done by building a New Rail Dart Corridor from the Docklands to M50 via UCD. (an extra river crossing by rail). Space for this transport corridor is already reserved. This is vital, as all Dublin rail lines access Docklands. This links up the whole rail network in Dublin serving the main transport ingredients with direct access to all areas, benefiting all Ireland now and in the future. It facilitates M50 Dart line creating a vital rail orbital around Dublin for direct access.
This new corridor will also contain a road beside New Dart, converting M50 into a full circle. This is very important as M50 at present is a death trap, one accident can bring city to a standstill, causing panic to trapped motorists and no facilities etc. overloads adjoining roads. This new corridor link greatly reduces this problem. It creates balance for M50 use, avoiding too many having to go all the way around. Provide better and safer access to entertainment area.
Luas G-Link in Newton Plan Map 2 links up Luas and rail network in city centre and disperses, all users arriving at existing rail stations upgraded to Dart, Links Spencer Dock rail station to Stephen’s Green and around Dublin, addressing overloaded Connolly rail station problem.
Efficiency.
This NEW plan serves all areas of Dublin benefiting most of Ireland, not all to centre, which will be very well serviced by public transport. It maximises rail efficiency, by using existing lines with less dead-end stations. Allows Bus, Rail, Luas to blend in and link each other, less duplication. Uses Island platform concept in rail stations for efficiency, easy changing and for connections. It addresses the main flaw for long distance commuters by taking them direct, with M50 public transport use (Dart and bus). At present users accessing outskirts of Dublin take up to an extra two hours per day. When they reach the centre, it takes an extra hour to reach outskirt. It also reduces the large number of users who must go via the city centre unnecessary. M50 Dart can reach a fourfold seat efficiency, as the M50 is accessible to most activities around Dublin. It creates reverse efficiency; Users on Malahide line can go direct to Airport instead of via centre.
This NEW plan provides for future growth, in population, work and entertainment etc. Its main aim is to make public transport as good as the car, to encourage all kinds of cycling and walking. Makes Dublin B.E.S.T. for Business, Entertainment, Shopping, Tourism. Metro link 7A Glasnevin to Donabate more than doubles trains on Dundalk line, no need to double track Malahide line. Key in this plan is New Dart Corridor. It is essential that standard rail gauge is used for linking up. Newton Transport Plan stands for National. Environmental. Web. Transport. Orbital. Network. METRO stands for Merging Existing Transport Radial Orbital. (Plan not set in stone).