More pedestrianised space & #carfree weekends this summer for #CapelStreet

This morning, following a meeting of local Councillors and senior management in Dublin City Council, plans to increase pedestrianisation along Capel Street were agreed.

Such agreement follows from an over-whelming positive response from the public consultation undertaken recently by the Council, where more than 4500 submissions were received. 84% of those who took part indicated their support for the Council’s plan. 59% of local businesses also backed the plan. As a result, the following plan will be actioned, starting from next Tuesday, May 25^th next;

The initial proposal included:

• The area of Capel Street between Ryders Row and Parnell Street will be traffic-free on a 24/7 basis.
• Removal of all on-street parking between Ormond Quay and Mary Street and introduction of temporary buildouts.
• Removal of a certain amount of parking spaces between Mary Street and Little Britain Street and introduction of temporary buildouts.
• Relocation of loading bays to better align with non-hospitality businesses.
• Relocation of disabled parking spaces to other areas in the immediate vicinity but no reduction in number.
• Introduction of temporary buildouts between Marys Abbey and Strand Street on the West side of Capel Street.
• Introduction of temporary buildouts on Strand Street.
• Introduction of temporary buildouts between Strand Street and Ormond Quay on the West side of Capel Street.

The following changes to the proposal will now also be implemented, including:

• Buildouts on the west side on Capel Street between Abbey Street and Ormond Quay to be increased to the size of a full lane of traffic.
• 6 car parking spaces to be retained between Mary Street and Abbey Street to assist non-hospitality businesses.

Furthermore, and in my view, more importantly, I have secured agreement from Dublin City Council that from June 25^th next, car-free weekends along Capel Street will be trialed. Since Easter, I have been working with businesses along Capel Street to establish whether there was sufficient support for the trialing of car-free weekends during the summer. Those businesses have engaged directly with the Council and further the work I have done on their behalf, I am pleased that the Council has agreed to adopt these trials.

While the agreement to the trials along all of Capel Street is welcome, I will be even happier once we see the trials in place and Dubliners taking the opportunity to enjoy all that Capel Street has to offer across  the summer months. This also, in my views, highlights the start of the conversation about the future of Capel Street, how it is to be managed in the future and what steps the Council needs to take in terms of consideration of the other 9-5 economy and the opportunities that may lie ahead for Capel Street within that context.