BusConnects is a transport infrastructure program, managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA), focused on the

bus network A bus network is a network topology in which nodes are directly connected to a common half-duplex link called a bus. A host on a bus network is called a ''station''. In a bus network, every station will receive all network traffic, and the ...

s in several cities in Ireland. Described by the NTA as intended to "improve bus services across the country", as of mid-2022 the program was in "implementation" phase in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, "

consultation Consultation may refer to: * Public consultation, a process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought * Consultation (Texas), the 1835 Texas meeting of colonists on a proposed rebellion against the Republic of Mexico * Consu ...

" phase in

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, with the

Minister for Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...

projecting similar initiatives in Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Aspects of the plans proved controversial with local politicians, residents and unions in both Dublin and Cork.

Background

A 2017 report, commissioned by the NTA and published by US-based consulting firm Jarrett Walker + Associates (previously involved in similar projects in New Zealand), set out a number of redesign options for Dublin's bus transport network. The proposed purpose of the redesign was to improve network functionality and increase bus ridership in the Dublin area. The report noted that the existing network focused on radial routes (from the suburbs into the city centre) and had limited orbital routes (from suburb to suburb). Arising from this report, an initial network proposal was released for

public consultation Public consultation (Commonwealth countries and European Union), public comment (US), or simply consultation, is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, ...

in mid-2018. According to a press release issued by the

Department of Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The ...

in March 2022, it was noted that that, while a "final budget and delivery schedule for BusConnects Dublin" had not been established, the proposed budget was then projected to be €4 billion and work speculated to "be substantially complete by 2030".

Initiatives

Dublin

The BusConnects program in Dublin was split into phases, for which the main consultation initiatives concluded in 2020. The NTA began implementing the new network in stages, starting in 2021. These included: * Phase 1 (H-Spine) - initially rolled out in June 2021, when routes 29a, 31/a/b and 32 were replaced by routes H1, H2 and H3. * Phase 2 (C-Spine) - launched in November 2021 in West Dublin and East Kildare, this involved the introduction of several routes operated by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland, including the C-Spine (C1, C2, C3, C4), route 52, a number of peak-only and local routes and two night-time routes. * Phase 3 (N-Orbital) - launched in May 2022 with the N4 and N6 north Dublin orbitals. * Phase 4 (G-Spine) - launched in October 2022 with routes G1, G2 and 60. During both the implementation and consultation phases, the BusConnects projects in Dublin attracted significant controversy and criticism, including from service users, residents, politicians, and transport unions. Regarding the suburb of

Finglas Finglas (; ) is a northwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It lies close to Junction 5 of the M50 motorway, and the N2 road. Nearby suburbs include Glasnevin and Ballymun; Dublin Airport is to the north. Finglas lies mainly in the p ...

, independent Dublin City Councillor Noeleen Reilly has noted that overall, BusConnects has had an adverse effect on the area rather than providing residents with greater service. Similar sentiments have been expressed in

Ballyfermot Ballyfermot () is a suburb town nw of the city aside Dublin, Ireland. It is located, seven kilometres (5 miles) west of the city centre, south of Phoenix Park, it is bordered on the north by Chapelizod, on the south by Bluebell; on the east ...

Cork

The consultation phase for the proposed BusConnects project in Cork was opened in 2022. The published proposals attracted significant controversy and complaint from home-owners, politicians, transport unions, and other stakeholders. According to reports from mid-2022, concerns were raised in particular about the proposed demolition of old stone walls, the potential for nearly 1000 properties to lose parts of their gardens through

compulsory purchase order A compulsory purchase order (CPO; , ) is a legal function in the United Kingdom and Ireland that allows certain bodies to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for p ...

s, the loss of sections of Ballybrack Woods in Douglas, and the felling of 1,400 mature trees along proposed routes.

Other cities

As of March 2022, the then Minister of Transport proposed "acceleration" and a rollout of BusConnects initiatives to Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

References

External links

* * {{Twitter, BusConnects Bus transport in the Republic of Ireland