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Circle Bus, Rail and Luas Plans are the initiatives of a Senior Driver and long time colleague Tom Newton with the cooperation
of ACRA (The National Body for Residents Associations). Tom has for many years been involved with public transport planning
and changes in public transport working arrangements for drivers and was instrumental in having the Quality Bus Corridors
(QBC's) implemented. Contribution also from Inspector Peter Casey for his graphics of the Bus, Rail and Luas Networks.
Mr.TOM NEWTON
The man who started it all...
'"On behalf of ACRA I take great pleasure in making this presentation to Mr. Tom Newton of the National Transport
Users Association for his continual effort to address the transport and traffic problems of Dublin and the country areas.
I first came across Tom in the early nineties when he was presenting the Circle Transport Plan. It was a simple cost effective
integrated plan maximising existing transport and fully utilizing land use. One part of that plan that stood out, overlooked
by the planners was the missing rail link, a short rail line of half a mile linking Connelly station to Spencer Dock, now
the Dockland Station. This will revolutionize rail in Dublin. Other parts of his plan that impressed me were the bus corridor
plan particularly the Quay bus contraflow, the three in one rail, with four lines three operate in at morning peak and three
out at evening peak; median rail on the centre of motor way where most of the cost is borne by the road; the U-bridge a traffic
regulator on major roads ideal for the M50; the CELL, a housing plan in a cluster to solve housing problems; the Ten Planning
Guidelines to ensure best planning practice and the DOT plan where public and private bus operators can work together. Tom
maintains that the cost of the proposed Dublin Transport and Metro plan may overspend by almost ten billion for very little
benefit when everything is taken into account due to routing and not maximising land use. I call on Authority to examine this
as no country can afford waste of this magnitude when funding is needed in so many other areas throughout the State. I wish
Tom well in his campaign and I know this one man can make a difference." His latest idea is the Safe Driving Card (suitable
apparatus facilitation enforcement).
Speech made by Noel Merrigan, Chairman of ACRA at a
presentation to Tom Newton at the Transport Seminar in Wynns Hotel on Sat. 29 Sept 2007.
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