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I WELCOME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORWARD THE GREAT ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT PLAN TO THE METRO, AS A SOLUTION TO THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS OF THE GREATER DUBLIN AREA. I HAVE WORKED IN TRANSPORT FOR OVER FORTY YEARS. DURING THAT TIME ELEVEN TRANSPORT PLANS HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY THE TRANSPORT PLANNERS AND THEY HAVE ALL FAILED BECAUSE THEY WERE FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED.THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY. BELOW, I SET OUT MY SOLUTION TO THE TRANSPORT PROBLEMS.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT HAS ONE MAJOR PROBLEM THE RADIAL SYSTEM (I.E. LIKE THE SPOKES OF A WHEEL ALL LEADING TO THE CENTRE). THIS SYSTEM LEADS TO FOUR OTHER PROBLEMS:

1. NULLIFICATION OF ANY BENEFITS TO USERS AS IT DRAWS EVERYONE TO THE SAME LOCATION.

2. PLANNING IN ISOLATION (PIECEMEAL PLANNING LEADING TO DIFFERENT STAGES OF PROGRESS).

3. MASSIVE WASTE OF RESOURCES CAUSED BY DUPLICATION.

4. OVERLOADING OF THE CITY CENTRE.

THIS RADIAL SYSTEM IS VERY COSTLY AND INEFFECTIVE, NOT ALONE COSTING MILLIONS IN DUBLIN BUT COSTING TRILLIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE INEFFICIENCIES REQUIRING MASSIVE SUBSIDIES.DUBLIN IS, IN RELATIVE TERMS, A SMALL CITY AND IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO BRING EVERYONE INTO THE CITY WHO DON'T REQUIRE ENTERING THE CITY TO GET TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION. TOURIST AND LEISURE GROWTH OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS WILL INCREASE THUS MAINTAINING GROWTH TO THE CITY CENTRE ANYWAY.

THE LAYOUT OF DUBLIN IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT SOLUTION. THE ABUNDANCE OF EXISTING TRANSPORT FACILITIES JUST REQUIRES THEM TO BE LINKED UP IN AN INTEGRATED WAY. HENCE THE FOLLOWING:

BUS

THE BUS SYSTEM WILL ALWAYS REMAIN THE MAIN PLAYER AND WITH THE CONTRA-FLOW SYSTEM I'VE DEVISED (SEE ALSO ANIMATED TRANSPORT PAGE); IT BECOMES FULLY INTEGRATED WITH ALL OTHER ROUTES AND ALL OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORT IN THE CITY CENTRE. BY FULLY COMPLETING THE THREE PARTS OF THE BUS CORRIDORS IT CAN REACH MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.

LUAS

THIS FORM OF TRANSPORT IS VITAL FOR THE CITY OF DUBLIN. IT IS EASY TO GET INTO DUBLIN BUT DIFFICULT TO GET AROUND.THE LUAS CITY ORBITAL PLAN IS THE IDEAL ACCESS SOLUTION FOR THE CITY BECAUSE:

1. IT MAKES IT EASY TO GET AROUND THE CITY.

2. IT DISPERSES THE LARGE NUMBERS COMING INTO THE CITY ON OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORT.

3. IT ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO DEAL WITH OUR INDIFFERENT WEATHER CONDITIONS BY ALLOWING CUSTOMERS TO SEE THE CITY IN COMFORT.

RAIL/RAIL GAUGE

THE ABUNDANCE OF EXISTING RAIL LINES USED AND UNUSED JUST NEED TO BE LINKED UP (SEE THE THREE RAIL LINKS ON ANOTHER WEB PAGE ON THIS SITE). RAIL IS VERY COSTLY AND THE CIRCLE PLAN MAKES IT MORE EFFECTIVE. STANDARD RAIL GAUGE IS ESSENTIAL FOR INTEGRATING, FOR DOUBLING UP, FOR THREE-IN-ONE SYSTEM, MEDIUM RAIL AND THE ONE-WAY SYSTEM.

LAND USE

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN ANY TRANSPORT SOLUTION. THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF LAND ON THE CITY OUTSKIRTS THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE FULLY UTILIZED. (SEE THE SEPARATE WEB PAGE ON LAND USE).

TECHNOLOGY

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS IN ANY TRANSPORT SOLUTION ARE 'LAND USE' AND 'TECHNOLOGY'. LAND USE CAN ONLY REACH ITS MAXIMUM POTENTIAL WITH THE AID OF TECHNOLOGY. THE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES MAKES THIS POSSIBLE, SO MUCH SO, THAT BUSINESS CAN BE LOCATED ALMOST ANYWHERE. FIRSTLY, IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME ON A FULL TIME OR PART TIME BASIS. SECONDLY, IT ALLOWS BUSINESS TO LOCATE ON THE ABUNDANCE OF LAND ON THE OUTSKIRTS. WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS CAN BE SIDE BY SIDE (NEXT ROOM) OR MILES APART. AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS WORKS IS VEHICLE TAXATION - THE COMPUTER DOES THE RUNNING.

THE MAIN AIM IN ANY TRANSPORT SOLUTION IS TO REDUCE THE DISTANCE PEOPLE HAVE TO TRAVEL. UNFORTUNATELY, PRESENT PLANNING IGNORE THIS BY FOLLOWING THE FLAWED RADIAL SYSTEM, WHICH MAINLY BENEFITS BIG BUSINESS AND THE CITY CENTRE; EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENT HAS TAKEN PLACE ON THE OUTSKIRTS WITH AMPLE SPACE IN THAT AREA FOR ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME EVEN GREATER WITH THE PROPERTY BOOM WITH NOW ALMOST 150,000 PEOPLE COMMUTING FROM ADJOINING COUNTIES (BEFORE RECESSION). LAND USE ON THE OUTSKIRTS IS NOW OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO MEET THE AIMS OF A TRANSPORT SOLUTION, I.E. LESS TRAVEL. THE AMOUNT OF LAND AVAILABLE ON THE OUTSKIRTS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ACCOMMODATE ONE MILLION ACTIVITIES INCLUDING THOSE THERE ALREADY. THIS LAND USE ALSO GREATLY REDUCES TRAVEL DISTANCES FOR LOCALS. PROVINCIAL BUSES CAN NOW PLAY AN EVEN GREATER ROLE FOR COUNTRY USERS IF THE CITY TRANSPORT PLAN IS DESIGNED FOR DIRECT ACCESS TO ALL AREAS, THUS AVOIDING ALL GOING THROUGH THE CITY CENTRE.

TECHNOLOGY AND LAND USE MAKES THIS POSSIBLE EVEN IF MOST DO NOT CHANGE OVER TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT AS IT WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS TO THE CITY CENTRE, GIVING THE VITAL BALANCE FOR ANY TRANSPORT SOLUTION TO SUCCEED. A TRANSPORT PLAN THAT MAXIMIZES TECHNOLOGY AND LAND USE IS THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR A LOW DENSITY CITY LIKE DUBLIN.

COUNTRY USERS

WITH SO MANY PEOPLE NOW LIVING IN THE COUNTRY AND COMMUTING TO THE CAPITAL, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT MORE JOBS ARE RELOCATED ON THE OUTSKIRTS TO REDUCE THEM HAVING TO GO INTO THE CITY CENTRE AND ADDING TO THE CONGESTION AND MAKING THEIR DAY EVEN LONGER.

MOVEMENT

THE PRINCIPLE OF MOVEMENT IS DIRECT. THAT IS, DIRECT MEANS TRANSPORT STRAIGHT TO THEIR WORKPLACE. TRANSPORT TO SUIT THE USER IS ESSENTIAL.

TUNNELS

TUNNELS ARE VERY COSTLY THUS SHOULD BE MULTI-PURPOSE FOR BETTER EFFICIENCY.

DISRUPTION

THIS SHOULD BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM. WITH THE CIRCLE PLAN THERE IS VERY LITTLE STREET DISRUPTION. FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY CIRCLE RAIL PLAN, THERE ARE ONLY THREE MILES REQUIRED TO KEEP OUR STREET RAIL AWAY FROM BUSY AREAS. SEE MY CIRCLE RAIL PLAN.

COSTS

THE TOTAL COST OF MY PLANS WORKS OUT AT JUST A FRACTION OF TRANSPORT 21. MY PLAN ALSO COVERS A BIGGER AREA.

CONCLUSION

THIS PLAN HAS BEEN WORKED ON AND COSTED OVER SEVERAL YEARS AND CAN BE SEEN IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THIS WEBSITE.

CONTACT DETAILS: TOM NEWTON @ 086 3127364.