Dublin Bus announce proposals for Rathfarnham area services

As you may know, Dublin Bus is currently undertaking a review of their services across the city under the banner of ‘Network Direct’.

This week, Dublin Bus announced proposals that will affect services in the local area, including changes to the 15, 15a, 15b, 15e, 15f, 16, 16a, 74, 74a, 161.

The aim, management say, is to have quicker, more punctual services. Locals will have an opportunity to have their say at a drop-in briefing session at St Joseph’s Parish Hall, Terenure on Wednesday 22 June between 3pm and 8pm.

Amongst the proposals:
• Route 16 will be a high frequency service operating at least every 10 minutes during peak times from Ballinteer (Kingston) to Dublin Airport.
• Route 16a will be replaced on the Southside by route 61 and on the Northside by Route 3 and Route 16. Route 16 will now serve Dublin Airport.
• Route 3a will now provide a service from Shanard Road to the City Centre via Dorset Street, terminating on Parnell Square. This will replace route 16 on the Northside.
• Route 15, 74 and 128 will be amalgamated and renamed route 15. This high frequency service, operating every 10 minutes at peak times, will provide increased cross city penetration providing direct connections to Connolly Rail Station, Fairview and the Malahide Road. Route 15 will be extended to Stocking Avenue via St. Colmcille’s Way and Ballycullen Road.
• Route 15a will operate its current alignment to the city centre. Timetables will be adjusted to meet customer demand and provide improved integration on the common alignment between current services 15, 15a and 15b.
• Route 15b and 74a will be amalgamated and called route 15b. This service will operate from Stocking Avenue to the city centre via Stocking Lane, Scholarstown Road, Ballyboden Way, Ballyroan Road, Marian Road and Templeogue Road.
• Route 15e and 15f will no longer operate.
• Route 61 will operate from Whitechurch to the city centre via Grange Road, Nutgrove Avenue, Churchtown Road Lower, Rathmines and St. Stephen’s Green.
• Route 140, operating a high frequency service with a departure every 10 minutes at peak times, will be extended from its current terminus Leeson Street (Wilton Terrace) to Rathmines (Palmerston Park). This will replace route 128 in this area and on Rathmines Road Upper.
• Route 161 will continue to provide a connection from Rockbrook now serving Ballyboden Road, Grange Road, Nutgrove Avenue, Churctown Road Lower and Dundrum (Luas).
• Route 3 will continue to provide a direct connection from Larkhill to the City Centre (Parnell Square) operating via Dorset Street.
• Route 3a will continue to provide a service from Shanard Road to the City Centre via Dorset Street, terminating on Parnell Square. This will replace route 16a on the Northside.

For more information on the changes, click here.

Update on new Nitelink service for Dundrum and Ballinteer

As you may be aware, Dublin Bus confirmed that, following correspondence with local residents and public representatives, they had decided to reroute the 46N Nitelink service. This was in response to the withdrawal of the 48N Nitelink that served Dundrum and Ballinteer. Dublin Bus have confirmed to me that it will be implementing a revised route 46N which will serve Brehon Field Road, Stone Masons Way, Ballinteer and Dundrum.

It will operate as follows:

Current route to Kilgobbin Road then right at junction Leopardstown Road and left onto M50 parallel road from Sandyford to Junction 13 (M50) then right and left onto Brehon Field Road, right to Stone Masons Way, right to Broadford Road, left to Ballinteer Avenue, Wyckham Way, left to Ballinteer Road, right and then left onto Main Street Dundrum and last stop at Luas Interchange (Taney Road), Dundrum.

It will operate every 30 minutes. Implementation will take place Friday 3rd June 2011.

Jobs Boost For Dundrum Is Vote Of Confidence In Local Economy

Labour TD for Dublin South Alex White has called today’s announcement of 300 new jobs for Dundrum Town Centre “highly significant”.

Deputy White said: “This is a vote of confidence not only in Dundrum Town Centre, but in the local economy and in the surrounding area.  Dublin South, like everywhere else, has been hit hard by the downturn.  Between 2006 and 2010, the live register had tripled in size in the locality.  I thoroughly welcome this investment from both international and Irish companies.

“This government’s priority is to achieve growth and create jobs. I will continue to support and encourage what is necessary to create the right business environment, so that announcements like these will become a more frequent occurrence.

Good news for Nitelink users

There was great disappointment in the Dundrum and Ballinteer recently when Dublin Bus ceased operation of the 48N Nitelink, cutting off a vital night-time transport service for local commuters.

I have been told today by Dublin Bus that, taking into account feedback from public representatives and the public, they now plan to re-route the existing 46N to cater for customers from Broadford, Ballinteer and Dundrum.

The new routing will be as follows:

Current routing to Kilgobbin Road in Sandyford and then Brehon Field Road, Stone Masons Way, Broadford Road, Ballinteer Avenue, Wyckham Way, Ballinteer Road, Main Street Dundrum and last stop at Luas Interchange (Taney Road), Dundrum.

This service will operate every 30 minutes from 12.00am to 4.00am.

Dublin Bus has applied to the National Transport Authority to operate the above route with commencement during May.

Future of Dublin Bus Services

One of the many things raised by constituents during the recent election was the future of bus services in the area. As you may be aware, Dublin Bus is currently in the middle of redesigning the city’s bus network under the banner of ‘Network Direct’.

On Wednesday next, May 4th, Dublin Bus will bring their ‘Network Direct Roadshow’ to St John’s GAA Club, Ballinteer to hear from locals concerning changes for the Kilmacud, Goatstown, Ballinteer and Dundrum areas. The doors are open between 2pm and 8pm and I would encourage anyone wishing to have their voice heard to drop in and meet the members of Dublin Bus management. Commuters using routes 11, 11a, 11b, 14, 14a, 44, 44b and 48a will be particularly interested in the changes.

Among the proposed changes are:
• Route 14 and 14a will be amalgamated and will offer cross city options with direct connections to Connolly Rail Station, Fairview, Donnycarney and Beaumont Hospital
• Route 11 will operate as one service with all trips starting in Sandyford Industrial Estate (Beacon area) and serving Dublin City University (DCU) via Ranelagh and St Stephen’s Green
• Route 44 will continue to provide a direct connection from Enniskerry and Stepaside to the City Centre

Route Changes
Route 14 and 14a will be amalgamated and operate as route 14. The service will operate to Beaumont offering improved travel options for our customers. The route will operate from Dundrum Luas Station via Ballinteer Road, Ballinteer Avenue, Broadford Road, Barton Road East, Beaumont Avenue, Breamor Road, Braemor Park, Orwell Road, Highfield Road, Rathmines Road Upper, Rathmines Road Lower, Richmond Street South, Earlsfort Terrace, St. Stephen’s Green, O’Connell Bridge, Eden Quay, Connolly Rail Station, Fairview, Malahide Road, Collins Avenue, Beaumont Avenue, Beaumont Hospital and terminate opposite Artane Castle Shopping Centre (Ardlea Road/Maryfield Road).
Route 11/a/b will be amalgamated and operate as route 11. It will enhance the connections to Sandyford Industrial Estate from Ballymun, Finglas, Drumcondra, City Centre, Leeson Street, Ranelagh, Clonskeagh and Goatstown with all journeys terminating in Sandyford Industrial Estate (Beacon area). The revised services will be simplified with one route number operating the same alignment at all times.
Route 11a to Mather Road North and Route 11B to Wynnsward Drive (Belfield) will no longer operate.
Route 44 will continue to operate from Enniskerry to City Centre via Dundrum. The timetables will be simplified reflecting the customer demands on the route. Departures will be redesigned so they will operate at consistent intervals at all times.
Route 44b – no changes to route 44b are proposed.
Route 48a will no longer operate.

If you can’t make it and you still wish to comment on any proposed changes, you can email networkdirect@dublinbus.ie or feel free to contact my own office. Consultation closes on Saturday 14 May.

One Ireland: Jobs, Reform, Fairness

“The election that will take place two weeks from today will set the direction in Ireland for the next two decades. At this election, we must, all of us, ask the question: where do we want to take our country. It is a question for each of us, but one that we can only answer together. Le Cheile, as One Ireland.” Eamon Gilmore, Leader of the Labour Party

We launched our Manifesto at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin early this morning. The 89-page document is split into the three themes of our election campaign: Jobs, Reform and Fairness.

The party is committed to providing a detailed plan to get people back to work and to create a modern, outward looking economy. The manifesto sets out how we would fix what is a broken democratic and governmental system. It also commits the party to a basic threshold of decency – a bottom line below which nobodyshould fall.

If ever there was a time to adopt the 100+ proposals contained in the 2011 manifesto, now is the time. We cannot become an insular, conservative-thinking country. Labour believes that Ireland’s best days are yet to come.

To download and read the Manifesto, visit http://labr.ie/manifesto11

Alex White selected as Labour general election candidate in Dublin South

Senator Alex White will run for the Labour Party in Dublin South in the forthcoming General Election.

He was selected at a convention last Saturday in Ballyroan Community Centre, Rathfarnham.

Speaking afterwards, White said he was “pleased and deeply honoured” to have been selected.

“This is the most vital General Election in our lifetime. The recent budget, the four-year plan and the EU-IMF deal have been the bills for economic failure – bills that the public will have to pay off well into the future.

“In Labour we have a profound sense of fairness and social justice. We now need to marry those politics to a message of hope. Hope that we can begin a process of renewal that will transform our politics and economy for the collective good. Huge challenges face our country. But they are challenges that together we can overcome. Labour’s vision and politics must be at the heart of our recovery.

“In the coming months, I hope to bring that message to the doorsteps of Dublin South. I very much look forward to it.”

Update on Whitechurch Road

I received notice from Dublin Bus yesterday evening that they have decided to amend their contingency plan for the closure of Whitechurch Road.

After consultation with the council, a temporary bus terminus has been set up at the entrance to Pearse Brothers Park on Taylor’s Lane – between the petrol station and the junction with Whitechurch Road.

The 15B will now terminate at this new bus stop.

I understand that this has begun this morning.  I will continue to keep an eye on the situation.

More :: See where the new terminus is on Google Maps

Water Supply in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown moves from crisis to recovery

I am pleased to announce that DLR County Council have contacted me in relation to the water supply crisis. They have told me that due to significant progress in finding and fixing leaks throughout the County the Council will no longer have to impose countywide severe pressure reductions on a nightly basis.

However, they have also advised that due to ongoing local issues with water levels in Sandyford, Church Road and Rathmichael Reservoirs, less severe pressure restrictions will continue to be necessary in certain areas. The Council have confined these restrictions to times that will cause the least impact on residents in these areas. These times will be generally between the hours of 10pm and 6am. Crucially it is also not anticipated that these pressure restrictions will result in loss of water supply.

I know this will come as a great relief to all of you who have suffered from the shortage of water supply. The Council and I would also like to acknowledge the co-operation of households and businesses in reporting leaks and conserving the water supply over the last 2 months. This has greatly assisted the move from crisis to recovery.

The Council have also asked that I can convey the message that Water conservation efforts from all households and businesses I the County still remains critical to ensure that restrictions can continue to be eased incrementally.

If you have any other queries or you continue to have problems with your water supply please contact the Council at 2054800 between 9am and 5pm. For emergency calls only please ring 6778844.

Young Scientists Exhibition

Earlier this month, I met some young people from the constituency at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.  The projects were all very impressive.  Above, you see me trying out an exhibit from Andrej Pacher of Rockbrook Park School.  His exhibit was a ‘General Use Augmented Reality Project (GUARP)’.

Below, I meet Kate Lally and Lauren McCauley from St Colmcille’s Community School whose project was entitled ‘The Fear Factor: Who is more daring?’