Transport Archives - Councillor Derek Mitchell

Green Party Minister reduces Wicklow Rail Plans and is not funding the N/M11 Upgrade

Posted by | Local Work, Press Release, Transport, Wicklow | No Comments

The Wicklow Rail line to Kilcoole and Wicklow Town provides the worst service of any in the Greater Dublin Area. There are only 2 trains at rush hour, both short. The recent All Ireland Strategic Rail Review does not provide much improvement. It says the direct Commuter Services will be maintained and there will be an hourly shuttle from Wexford to Greystones. It says that passing loops were considered but rejected. €30Bn spending is proposed but NONE in Wicklow. The Minister of Transport Eamonn Ryan has also stopped work on…

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Chapel Road, Greystones upgrade taking too long, since 1989!

Posted by | Bus/Train, Greystones, Local Work, Press Release, Transport | No Comments

This upgrade will provide a better road, with a cycle & foot path on either side from Delgany to Blacklion. It will join 5 schools with the many new houses in that area. This important link was put on the plans in 1989 and I have been pressing for completion for a decade. Sections have been done as part of housing developments but the Council remainder section seems to be taking forever. I asked for it to be on the agenda recently and was told it still had to be…

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Bus times to Dublin Airport from Greystones as long as from Belfast!

Posted by | Bus/Train, Greystones, Local Work, Press Release, Transport | No Comments

We need to encourage people to take Aircoach to Dublin Airport instead of the car. The TFI app shows that it takes 1hr 39 mins from Greystones. Also as it goes through very congested parts of Dublin so one has to allow extra time when catching a plane. The bus used to be much quicker & more reliable when it went across the Toll bridge directly to the Airport Tunnel. Many have transferred from the bus to the car because of this, the opposite of what needs to be achieved. Dublin…

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New Transport Plan lists improved transport for Wicklow

Posted by | Bus/Train, Local Work, Press Release, Transport, Wicklow | No Comments

The Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy has been published after much consultation by the National Transport Authority. The main Wicklow items with target dates are: Enhancing the level of DART service to Greystones as part of DART+ South. This is to be done by partially double tracking the line as recommended in my plan of 2018 and validated by a subsequent Jacobs Study. Consultation was to have been done in 2022 but has been delayed to 2023. Implementation is before 2030. Providing electrified train services to Wicklow Town, Nass/Sallins &…

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Mitchell criticises NTA cancelling the 133 bus service to Airport, thus encouraging cars

Posted by | Bus/Train, Local Work, Press Release, Transport | No Comments

Prior to the pandemic the 133 bus served much of Wicklow and went to Dublin centre and on to the airport. The airport part of the service was cancelled during the lockdown but the NTA has now decided that it will permanently end in Busarus. Passengers, with cases, will have to transfer to the infrequent 101 there. The journey time is listed as 98 minutes, from Willow Grove, which is far too long and uncertain compared to driving at 45 minutes. The Aircoach from Greystones takes 83 minutes. These bus…

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N/M11 Cancellation hinders improving Public Transport

Posted by | Local Work, Press Release, Transport | No Comments

The project to improve the N/M11 also included a number of new long distance bus routes increasing the public transport share along the whole route to Rosslare, for example, doubling the Public Transport share in Arklow to 19%. Cancelling it is a serious blow to all transport in Wicklow. The central, and most expensive, part is improving the ‘Bray Bypass’ to allow more ‘persons’ rather than ‘vehicles’ through. Public Transport South of Greystones has always been very poor, this was to let the buses through. The Interim Bus Priority Scheme,…

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Dublin Area Transport Submission to NTA

Posted by | Local Work, Press Release, Transport | No Comments

Submission to NTA Consultation on Greater Dublin AreaTransport Strategy 2022-2042 The inclusion of Greystones in the DART+ is welcomed and also the Bus priority on the N11 to the Glenview Junction and the Park n’ Rides locations. These will help persuade people to use Public Transport. Also the longer term commitments to the LUAS to Bray though this should be advanced. 8. Planning for Sustainable Transport There needs to be a greater dispersion of jobs to the periphery of the Metropolitan Region in order to reduce commuting demand. The expansion…

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Mitchell pleased Greystones finally gets EV Charge Points

Posted by | Greystones, Transport | No Comments

An objective of my year as Cathaoirleach of Greystones Municipal District was to get some Electric Vehicle charging points in the area. It was unusual as there were none. Pleased that a pair has now been installed in Tesco and at the harbour. The Council has agreed to install some in Shoreline Leisure car park as well. More are needed but at least its a start.

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Progress on Delgany to Blacklion Road

Posted by | Delgany, Transport | No Comments

Significant Government funding, €280,000, has been allocated to producing a safer road at Delgany Wood Avenue and Blacklion Manor as there have been many complaints about speeding downhill. This will reduce the width to 6m from 8m in places which will slow drivers and raise the cycle tracks off the road. At the Delgany end there will be a signalised pedestrian crossing and better junctions as people have complained about them for a long time. This is to be completed by year end. A builder is completing the central section…

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Mitchell against Plan to end direct trains from Wicklow

Posted by | Bus/Train, Transport, Wicklow | No Comments

The plans for DART+ to Maynooth involve stopping the peak hour diesel trains from Arklow, Rathdrum, Wicklow & Kilcoole in Greystones and making the passengers transfer to the 2 DARTs per hour there. This is being done to allow 13 DARTs from Maynooth onto the North South line in the peak. ‘I am totally opposed to this as it will mean more people will use their cars, clog up the N11and be bad for Climate Change ‘said Cllr Derek Mitchell who is Chair of the Wicklow Transport Committee. Now there…

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