LAST UPDATE | 27 Apr 2022
CAPEL STREET IN Dublin City Centre is to be pedestrianised starting next month after Dublin City Council (DCC) received an “overwhelming” response in favour of making the street traffic-free.
The proposal, which was supported by Dublin City councillors this morning, is set to come into effect within the next three to four weeks.
While the street will be traffic free for a majority of the day, delivery vehicles will still be able to access the street between 6am and 11am on a daily basis.
There were over 1,700 submissions sent to DCC on the proposed pedestrianisation, with 91% of these supporting the proposal. 97% of the submissions from the general public (1,311) were in favour of pedestrianisation.
Measures were put in place by DCC last summer to allow for temporary pedestrianisation of both Capel Street and Parliament Street to allow outdoor dining.
A three-week public consultation on the pedestrianisation followed, with 7,000 people responding to the survey sent out by DCC.
These measures were warmly welcomed, with eight in ten people supporting making the entire street traffic free.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the decision by councillors to approve the pedestrianisation, praising the public who engaged with the public consultation process.
Well done to everyone who engaged so enthusiastically with @DubCityCouncil in the proposals to make #CapelStreet Traffic Free.
— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) April 27, 2022
91% in favour, including residents and businesses. pic.twitter.com/c4ZH5Yfrr3
The street will be made traffic free through the use of temporary bollards and DCC has said that no permanent works will be required.
“To ensure smooth operation and to assist in people becoming familiar with the changed arrangements, traffic management personnel will be on site for the first two weeks of operation,” said DCC.
The council have also said that the pedestrianisation of the street will be monitored for the first several months of operation and a report will be created in September to assess the scheme and to examine whether changes are needed.
While the council has said that concerns were raised about the loss of the street as a “through route” for cars, the council believed that the correct route was to make the street traffic-free.
DCC has said that further details on when the plan will be implemented will be revealed in the coming days, with leaflets set to be distributed to businesses and local residents in the area.
Janet Horner, Green Party councillor for the North Inner City told The Journal that she was “delighted” to see the project go ahead.
“I’m really delighted that this project is going ahead. I think it has the potential to be transformative for the North Inner City and will let Capel Street live up to its potential as a thriving, vibrant hub on the Northside of the city,” said Horner.
“This transformation is exactly the direction we should be going in as a city, enhancing the public realm, calming traffic and making the city centre a beautiful and enjoyable place to spend time for everyone of all ages.”
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