Agenda and minutes

Venue: Hybrid Meeting Online Via Zoom and in Council Chamber, City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2.

Contact: Email: mary.boyle@dublincity.ie 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of Traffic and Transport Meeting of 7th September 2022 pdf icon PDF 220 KB

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Minutes:

1–1D - Agreed.    

 

The Chair updated the Members that it was agreed at Corporate Policy Group that an invite would be issued to all Councillors to apply for 3 current vacancies for membership of the Public Transport Sub Committee.

 

Noted

1a

Minutes of Public Transport Sub-Committee held on 9th June, 2022 pdf icon PDF 555 KB

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1b

Minutes of Walking and Cycling Sub-Committee Meeting held 20th June, 2022 pdf icon PDF 613 KB

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1c

Minutes of Zebra Crossing Working Group Meeting held 7th July, 2022 pdf icon PDF 463 KB

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1d

Minutes of 30KPH Working Group Meeting held 3rd June, 2022 pdf icon PDF 471 KB

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2.

Report from the 30KPH Working Group on proposed recommendations for changes to the guidelines for setting speed limits in Ireland pdf icon PDF 219 KB

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Minutes:

Mr Brendan O’Brien outlined the contents of the report and Chair of the Working Group Councillor Carolyn Moore urged the Members to support the recommendations. 

 

There was broad support of the recommendations by the Members of the SPC.

Mr O’Brien said the Council would also Support a Slowdown Campaign raised by Councillor Mannix Flynn and are in discussions with An Garda Síochána on this issue.

 

It was agreed to refer the Report and Recommendations to City Council for approval to submit to Department of Transport

 

3.

Report on Motion that DCC examine mechanisms to reduce the presence of oversized and emissions intensive vehicles. pdf icon PDF 89 KB

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Minutes:

Mr Brendan O’Brien outlined the contents of the report and informed the Committee his department propose to bring a reports to the Traffic and Transport SPC in 2023.

·         differential parking charge based on the emission class of the vehicle, through the Parking App

·         HGV management strategy to determine if the issuing of permits can be linked to the emissions class of the vehicle

Members mooted using congestion charges and installing low emission zones, Mr O’Brien replied that Local Authorities do not currently have powers to put in low emission zones. 

 

Noted

 

4.

Report on Traffic Cameras in the City pdf icon PDF 91 KB

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Minutes:

Mr Brendan O’Brien outlined the contents of the report.

 

Noted

 

5.

Proposed Dates for Traffic and Transport SPC Meetings 2023/24

Wednesday 8th February, 2023

Wednesday 7th June, 2023

Wednesday 6th September, 2023

Wednesday 8th November, 2023

Wednesday 7th February, 2024

 

All meetings to start at 3pm

 

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Minutes:

Agreed

6.

Motion in the name of Councillor Cieran Perry

That this SPC notes with concern the BusConnects Blanchardstown to City Centre Core Bus Corridor Scheme was submitted to An Bord Pleanála without an opportunity for a proper public consultation on changes introduced since the final preferred route documents was published in March 2022.  Given the importance and impact of the BusConnects project, at a minimum, a report should be presented to the Traffic & Transport SPC prior to progress on any of the major phases of the project.  

 

This SPC will write to the NTA highlighting these concerns.

 

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Minutes:

Deferred to the next SPC February, 2023

 

7.

Motion in the name of Councillor Damian O'Farrell

That this Traffic and Transport SPC supports the Road Safety Authority’s ‘Be Safe, Be Seen Campaign as we enter into the darker winter months. 

 

This is an inclusive safety campaign encouraging all road users’ pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to do everything they can to keep everyone in our community safe. Pedestrians are advised to wear light material or reflective clothing at dusk and at night. Similarly cyclists are required to have a white light to the front and a red light to the rear of their bicycles and additionally are advised to wear a reflective vest or armband. Motorists are required to use their dipped lights at lighting up time and at night as well as making sure their lights, indicators and reflectors are in good working order. Motorists in particular need to be aware of slowing down at night and in poor light conditions. 

 

We all need to be doing everything we can to be more visible at night time, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. The RSA campaign is a common sense community effort to keep everyone safe and is mindful of the different categories, ages and abilities of all road users.  We and/or members of our family are all pedestrians, cyclists or motorists at some point. 

 

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Minutes:

Councillor Carolyn Moore said that she was not against a road safety campaign. However, she would not endorse putting the onus on vulnerable road users, i.e. those not protected by being in a vehicle, to protect themselves from dangerous drivers, and this was echoed by Councillor Janet Horner.

 

The essence of the motion was broadly supported by the Members

 

Motion agreed

 

8.

Motion in the name of Councillor Noeleen Reilly

Given the urgent crisis in the Bus Service in Dublin that this special policy committee arranges a special meeting with the Minister for Transport to discuss the current service.  Passengers of both Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead are being affected by route cancellation, buses turning up late and overcrowding.  This is effecting people going to work and children going to school.  The bus service is losing confidence from its customers meaning people are turning back to their private cars.

 

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Minutes:

Councillor Reilly outlined her reasons for the motion and her personal experience of service issues in the Finglas area.

 

Members debated the motion, some asked that the National Transport Authority (NTA), Dublin Bus and Go Ahead be added to the Special Meeting invitation.

Colm Ryder felt that the issues would be best dealt with by the NTA and Dublin Bus /Go Ahead as the operators of the system, not the Minister. As did Councillor Carolyn Moore.

 

Councillor Horner said it would be more efficient to write to all the companies involved for an update/ progress report on how they are dealing with the service issues.

 

Councillor Flynn seconded the motion and said that the Minister or a representative from this office and the NTA should be invited to the SPC.

 

Amended Motion agreed to write to the Minister for Transport, NTA, Dublin Bus and Go Ahead seeking an update on how they are dealing with the current service problems and an invitation to be issued to same to attend a Special Meeting of the Traffic and Transport SPC on Public Bus Services in the City

9.

Motion in the name of Councillor Dermot Lacey

In each street convert say 10% of car park parking spaces to secure bicycle spaces. Each of these locations would have bicycle stands for chaining the bike and cctv recording. Technology is very cheap. The cctv system could be solar powered, and wireless. The bicycle parking bays could have a prominent sign giving a number for citizens to contact if they see suspicious behaviour related to possible theft. All of this would be a great deterrent to would be thieves.

 

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Minutes:

Mr Brendan O’Brien said that a report will be brought to the SPC next year on Parking Charges, and would include proposals for residents to be given an option to remove car parking and replace with bike parking spaces. 

 

Agreed – Report to SPC to follow

10.

Motion in the name of Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy, Councillor Janet Horner, Councillor Carolyn Moore, and Colm Ryder, Dublin Cycling Campaign

The Road Safety Authority last year published a Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 (RSS) which, among a range of objectives, includes a "Vision Zero" for road deaths, a review of speed limit legislation, and the availability of up to date data to enable Local Authorities, such as Dublin City Council to better monitor traffic incidents and plan for safer roads. Despite these ambitions we have already seen road fatalities increasing this year and latest available data showing large increases in Pedestrian and cyclist serious injuries in urban areas.

 

The RSS is a comprehensive strategy, which has an initial 3 year (2021-24) phase, with many actions already due to be completed, many of which have a direct bearing on actions in Dublin City.

 

This Traffic and Transport SPC requests the RSA to present an update on this Strategy, and achievements so far, related to stated targets; and in particular the progress on updated collision and casualty data availability, and on the review framework for setting of speed limits.

 

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Minutes:

Motion agreed to write to the RSA requesting a presentation to the SPC in 2023 on the Road Safety Strategy