Changes to the Rail Fares have reduced the cost to Wicklow Town commuters which is welcome. However the rail service is the worst in the Greater Dublin Area with only 2 trains at rush hour. I produced a Plan 6 years ago to provide 3 longer trains at rush hour from Gorey as well as more Greystones DARTs but nothing has happened to implement this. We need to provide an alternative to commuters using cars on the N11.
Mitchell demands Rail Strategy is revised to improve Wicklow Rail Service The draft All Island Rail Strategy ignored improvements needed to the Wicklow Rail Service. Cllr Derek Mitchell said ‘I have made a submission demanding improvements as the Wicklow Rail line has the worst service and is the only single track one in the Greater Dublin Area. The Council has also made a submission of similar points following my request. I hope the strategy is improved as the population is expanding rapidly ’. My 2018 rail plan provided a 3km…
The N11 Interim Bus Priority Scheme is open for Public Display on the web. This provides for bus lanes from Loughlinstown to Fassaroe on both sides and from the Glenview to Kilmacanoge, Northbound. Also a more complex Central Section from Fassaroe to Kilmacanoge on both sides of the road. A detailed look at it shows it is much more extensive than initially appears. It involves closing the Enniskerry and Kilcroney turnoffs from the N11 to all traffic. I think this will divert a lot of traffic back into Bray and…
The Council has agreed to sell the long prepared site and part of the slipway at Greystones Harbour. The site is sold to the Office of Public Works who will build the station. Minister Simon Harris has contacted the OPW in detail and they hope to be ready to go to tender this year. This station has been planned for many years and the slipway was built for the purpose15 years ago and it is long past time to finish it. When completed it will allow the Garda station to…
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…
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. I see that a Strategic Plan is to come before Cabinet, I am urging that a proper Plan is produced for these fast expanding towns. It makes more sense to get existing lines to work than to dream about lots of new lines in less populated places. There has been publicity about battery operated DARTs but no suggested Plan or…
Cllr Derek Mitchell asked Wicklow County Council to get experts to do a Seaview Visual Impact Assessment on the detailed plans of the windfarm operators. The proposers will have to do one when they apply for permission to Bord Pleanala. However the visual impact will be worse in Greystones than any other place in Ireland because it will cover most of the horizon. An independent assessment, on behalf of the public, is vital with suggestions of how to reduce the impact while still generating carbon free electricity. This was supported…
Wicklow Council spends the 3rd lowest amount per person of all Councils. Partly this is because Councils with the fastest expanding population get little extra funds, However there is a complex calculation which effectively has taken the Property Tax from the new homes and paid it to Central Government. This Baseline calculation is being reviewed now and Cllr Derek Mitchell has made a submission to adjust the calculation so Wicklow gets to keep all the LPT. Much more funding is needed to support the new residents who are living at…
Minister for Transport Eatmon Ryan postponed work on the N11 upgrade for 2022 & 2023. This would have provided a proper priority for buses, doubling the public transport mode share from Arklow & other Wicklow places. An Interim Bus only priority scheme was then pursued expecting it just needed painting white lines on the road. This has been worked on by consultants and even a partial bus lane is now projected to cost €112m! Also the Interim plan will hinder the proper separation of crossing traffic, buses, cycles & cars…
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 &…
© 2024 Councillor Derek Mitchell.
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