Today is the first day where the city’s College Green will be completely closed off to traffic as a trial run on the pedestrianised civic plaza gets under way.
Cars, buses and taxis will be banned from the gates of Trinity College up as far as the junction of George’s Street from 7am until 7pm.
The test-run is the first since Dublin City Council plans for a completely traffic-free civic plaza were rejected by An Bord Pleanala late last year.
The local authority’s €10m plaza project in November due to “significant negative impacts” that the scheme would have on traffic and in particular bus transport.
The council is expected to make a new application to ABP later in the year - and council bosses have decided to test the water by shutting off College Green to all traffic .
They hope that by making the area pedestrianised for 12 hours from 7am on those three days, they can test how the idea is received by the public, and also identify any logistical issues that arise.
The following travel information will be in place over the next three Sundays:
Pedestrians
Pedestrian access to footpaths and crossings between Church Lane and Georges Street will be maintained.
The footpath to the southern side of College Green will be maintained.
Cyclists
Access to cycle lanes between Church Lane and Georges Street will be maintained
A temporary two-way cycle lane will be in operation on the southern side of College Green.
Cycle parking will be provided on Same Street adjacent to the Summer Sundays event space.
Buses
Buses normally travelling easterly onto College Green will be diverted onto Winetavern Street and westerly buses will be diverted onto the South Quays and up to Georges Street. Information on Bus diversions and stops can be found here.
Luas
Luas will operate a normal Sunday service.
Cars
Car traffic will be diverted to the South Quays and Upper Dame Street.
Cars coming from the Christchurch direction will be permitted to turn right at junction of Georges Street/Dame Street. Access to car parks will be from Georges Street.
Taxis
The taxi rank at Foster’s Place and at College Green will be closed for the duration of the each event.
A temporary extended taxi rank will be available on D’Olier Street.
Dublin Chamber, which represents 1,300 businesses in the Dublin region, said it welcomed the initiative.
Spokesman Greame McQueen said: “We put the idea out to our members and about three quarter thought the trial was a good idea.
"It’s a good move and hopefully it will educate the process and educate the next stage of the plaza.”
A Chamber survey in 2018 carried out amongst 400 companies found that 72% were in favour of College Green Plaza being trialled.
The group said then that a successful trial would help alleviate the fears of businesses and workers in the city and get more people on board with the potentially exciting Plaza proposal.
