submission on the plans for College Green.

See the rough plan overview in the public consultation doc:
http://www.dublincity.ie/college-green
http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/Planning/Documents/CollegeGreenConsultationDocument.pdf

I would like to make a submission on the plans for College Green.
Hopefully to give positive input and offset negative input by lobby groups like the Dublin parking lobby.
Send your submissions to: traffic@dublincity.ie

I very much welcome the plans for College Green.
These aspects of the plans I think are the right things to do:
 simplify traffic, public transport links for bus and luas
 free up space for civic plaza (safe and pleasant area for pedestrian/tourist/shoppers/students/workers/...)
 safer segregated bike lanes

My family live in the Leopardstown area.
I commute daily to Pearse St. for work. I primarily use bike, also use Luas and Dublin bike scheme.
We all visit town regularly (public transport and car and bike).
We have children who are becoming teenagers and are now starting to use bus and Luas and cycle to visit city centre.
I am also a scout leader and we use public transport to visit the city with youth groups.

So, speaking as bike, public transport and car users:
 we welcome anything done to make Dublin a safer and more family friendly city with less car traffic.

Events like culture night where the city is much more pedestrian friendly show what a pleasant place the city can be and how easy it can be to get around without traffic.

Pedestrian and traffic crossings
=========================
On the outskirts of scheme and for crossings for public transport corridors:
In general in many areas of the city more pedestrian friendly crossings would be nice.
Traffic calming and raised ~pedestrianised zone~ Zebra crossings are good:
  safer for pedestrian users
  do not waste time with red traffic lights and nobody crossing
  many (able bodied) pedestrians will cross roads at any point anyway as there are too few traffic light crossings
Very wide pedestrian crossing areas would be appropriate in the plaza area.

Pedestrian and bike shared space, Education of road/space users
====================================================
Cyclists and pedestrians can work really well together if everyone plays nicely.
Also design of the pedestrian space and cycle track can help people to play nicely together.
Visual cues and good design connecting cyclists and pedestrians to routes in scheme and on outskirts of scheme is important.
There is loads of space so hopefully it can be used and there will not be any problem sharing.
I am talking in childish terms here a little bit as a small few pedestrians, bike users (and vehicle drivers) do not seem to have learned how to share.

It would be nice if this could be a mixed bike and pedestrian area.
Maybe bikes can flow through the space no problem.
Design allowing moving pedestrians and bikes to manoeuver freely around slower or stopped plaza users would make the space work well.

Width of bike lanes ?
=================
Note that there is a good volume of bike traffic through the area already.
Traffic generally moves slowly or is stuck in the area.
Bikes make use of the full road (all lanes) in the area currently due to passing obstacles.
Cycle lanes joining on to or moving through the civic area should not be made too narrow.
The usual width of cycle lanes around the city is just about sufficient for one cyclist to pass another (if both squeeze in to either side of lane).
It would be great if consideration is given to this.

Encourage walking and cycling
========================
I can access any area in city centre in 10 or 15 mins - by bike.
I am an experienced bike user though.
More safe bike routes are needed to make this possible for all users.
More bike use will reduce the danger from traffic (and allow traffic to flow better!)
So please take opportunity to provide more Dublin bike scheme stations and more bike parking where possible.