Weekly Covid Mobility Update

4 December 2020

To the Lord Mayor and Elected Members of the City Council

1. Introduction

Implementation of the COVID Mobility Programme for the City Council area continues with an emphasis on schools and safe zones. 

A report on progress to date under the COVID Mobility Programme, plans for 2021 together with proposals to restart the TAG service, has been circulated and is on the Agenda for the December City Council meeting.

1.1 Pedestrian Volumes

The footfall counters count continuously and provide 24 hourdata. These counters are located between Stephen’s Green and Henry St. These show that footfall in this core area had reached a high of around 60% of pre-COVID levels. Footfall dropped whenLevel 5 restrictions were introduced, however, it has increased since the Level 3 restrictions came into effect on 1 December.

A comparison of footfall between 2019 and 2020 is shown on the next page. Footfall in November 2020 was just 35% of its 2019 level.

he footfall figures for Grafton St and Henry St for the last month are shown below. Thre was a significant increase in footfall on Henry St on 1 Decemeber 2020 compared to 1 December 2019.

1.2 Cycling Volumes

Cycling volumes, which are continuously monitored by City Council’s counters (located at Grove Road, North Strand Road, Charleville Mall and Guild Street), show overall cycling numbers at approximately 80% of pre-COVID numbers with this levelholding steady since the start of June. Numbers had begun to increase again in September. As with the pedestrian figures, the numbers dropped when Level 5 restrictions came into force. They have recovered slightly over the past two weeks.

During the peak morning time, 7am to 10am, cycling numbers are at approx. 35% of pre-COVID levels. Comparing February to November of this year, to last year, we can see that the morning commuter cycling numbers remain significantly reduced. Incontrast, the off peak cycling figures are still exceeding 2019 figures.

1.3 Bus Passenger Numbers

Bus passenger numbers increased slightly in the past week.

1.4 General Traffic Volumes

Traffic levels, which remained at around 70% of pre-COVIDlevels since the introduction of Level 5 restrictions, have shown a slight increase in the past week.

2. Implementation of Measures

2.1 Grafton Street Area – Proposed Pedestrianisation of a Number of Streets in the Grafton Street Area

An online survey for the proposed pedestrianisation of a number of streets in the Grafton Street area has been available on our Consultation Hub since 6 November. We have received 410submissions to date. Only 11 of these submissions were from businesses. Our Business Liaison Officer has been in touch with Dublin Chamber, Dublin Town and ‘Dublin can be Heaven’highlighting the consultation process. To provide an opportunity for more businesses to take part in the consultation we have extended the deadline for submissions until 11 December.

2.2 Footpath Extensions

A footpath extension has been completed on South William Streetallowing for extra space for pedestrians and space for outdoor dining.

2.2 Protected Cycle Facilities, Contra-Flow Facilities, Cycle Parking and ‘Filtered Permeability’

Strand Road Cycle Route

The Consultative Forum chaired by the Lord Mayor held its first meeting on 3 December.

Griffith Avenue Cycle Route

Proposals for Section 5 of the scheme, between Turlough Parade and Malahide Road, were published on the Consultation Hub this week.  

If residents have particular concerns or suggestions regarding any of these proposals we would invite them to send them to us at covidmobility@dublincity.ie (with Griffith Ave in the subject bar).

Resurfacing Works

Resurfacing works are now complete on Drury Street and South William Street.

Cycle Parking

A further 14 cycle stands were installed in the past week bringing the total installed this year to 689 stands at 140 locations.

2.3 School Mobility Programme

We received one application for a School Zone in the past week, bringing the total to 96. The COVID Mobility Technical Team are assessing all submissions for suitability and schools will be contacted with timelines, if it is deemed an appropriate intervention at the particular location.

Schools with works completed:

• Drimnagh Castle National School, Walkinstown, Dublin 12.
• Shellybanks ETNS, Roslyn Park, Newgrove Ave, Sandymount, Dublin 4.

The next Schools Zones will be implemented at:

• Scoil Úna Naofa, Armagh Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12.
• Scoil Tereasa Naofa, Petrie Road, Dublin 8.
• Christ the King NS, Annaly Road, Cabra, Dublin 7.
• Marian School, St Catherine’s and Casa Caterina, Dominican Campus, Ratoath Road, Cabra, Dublin 7.
• Scoil Fhursa, Cromcastle Green, Kilmore West, Dublin 5.
• Scoil Íde, GNS, Cromcastle Green, Kilmore West, Dublin 5.
• Harrold’s Cross National School, Clareville Road, Dublin 6.
• St. Clares Primary School, Harrold’s Cross Road, Dublin.
• Harrold’s Cross Educate Together, Harrold’s Cross Road Dublin.

Preliminary designs have been completed for the following schools:

• Glasnevin Educate Together National School, Griffith Ave, Glasnevin, Dublin 11
• St Vincent’s Primary School , St Philomena’s Road, Glasnevin Dublin 11
• St Joseph’s Senior National School, Balbutcher Lane, Ballymun
• Broombridge Educate Together, Bannow Road, CabraDublin 7.
• Scoil Mhuire GNS, Gilford Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4

Initial school liaison visits involving consultation with school principals, parents and residents as well as observations of travel to school behavior have been conducted at:

• Scoil Mológa, Bóthar Thigh Chláir BÁC 6w, Clareville Road, Dublin 6
• St Louise De Marillac National School , Drumfinn Rd, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10
• Mary Queen of Angels, Gureteen Rd, Drumfinn Rd, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10

Visits are planned for:

• Scoil Áine, Girls School Raheny, Dublin 5
• Nai-Scoil Íde, Raheny, Dublin 5
• Scoil Assaim, Boys National School , All Saints Drive, Raheny Dublin 5

The interviews and observations during these visits will facilitate the co-design of supports and resource material with schools, communities and An Taisce Green-Schools. Schools within a proposed or completed school zone location will be encouraged to work together on community initiatives.

Note the works being undertaken on the Schools Zones are funded from the Government stimulus package for 2020. We are putting additional resources into this project at the moment to ensure maximum draw down of Government funding by year end.

School Cycle Parking

Delivery of the next batch of cycle parking to schools is now complete. We have to date provided 1,530 cycle parking spaces to 71 schools across the city.

3. Communications

3.1. Website

The COVID Mobility webpage, www.dublincity.ie/COVID-19mobilityprogramme is being updated regularly to keep the general public informed of COVID-19 mobility interventions. As previously advised we will be making more extensive use of the Consultation Hub in order to provide more information on measures.

3.2 DCC Consultation Hub/Citizen Space

Details of schemes on the Consultation Hub at present include:

Strand Road Cycle Route Trial,https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/strand-road-trial-cycle-route/

Griffith Avenue, https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/griffith-avenue-protected-cycle-track/

Grafton Street Area Pedestrianisation, https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/pedestrianisation-of-grafton-street-area/

College Green, https://consultation.dublincity.ie/traffic-and-transport/proposed-extension-of-the-civic-plaza-at-college-g/

Each week we will alert Members to any new proposals, which are available to view on the Consultation Hub and aim to have a more dynamic process for ensuring that support for projects, suggestions on how to improve them and concerns and issues,which may need to be addressed, can be better handled. Any feedback on this approach is welcome. 

3.3 Dedicated COVID-19 Mobility Measure Request Form

In the past week, we have received 21 new requests for COVID Mobility Measures. This brings the total number of COVID Mobility requests to 5,069. A breakdown of these requests is given below.

3.4 COVID-19 Mobility E-Mail

The dedicated e-mail address continues as the primary channel to contact the COVID Mobility Team. It is attracting huge volumes of queries and feedback. The intention is that the e-mail is for general queries and the COVID-19 Mobility Request Form should be used for specific requests at specific locations.

3.5 Councillor Updates

Updates on COVID-19 mobility measures are issued on a weekly basis to Elected Members. Updates via e-mail are also being issued to stakeholders via the Transport SPC and the NTA accessibility network.

3.6 Business Liaison

The Business Liaison Officer continues to engage and consultwith businesses on a number of COVID Mobility Measures citywide and provides advice to cafés, restaurants and bars, on the process for street furniture (tables and chairs) applications.

3.7 Active Travel Promotion

We are continuing to utilise Dublin City Council Social Media Channels:

• to highlight COVID-19 mobility measures that have beenimplemented;
• to encourage the public to walk or cycle, where possible;
• to encourage social distancing as people move around the city and
• to encourage more respect for vulnerable road users

We also continue to evolve our Active Travel Campaign in collaboration with key strategic partners (e.g. NTA Smarter Travel, Healthy Ireland, Green- Schools and third level institutions).

Owen P Keegan

Chief Executive