Line B2 (Cherrywood to the Bray Area)
Contents
Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Line B2?Q: What is the process to acquire land and other property on the route?Q: What is the risk of damage to property during construction? Q: Will there be much disruption due to noise and vibration from construction?Q: Are you proposing to demolish any buildings? Q: What are the existing ground conditions like?Q: Will Luas services be interrupted when Line B2 is being built?Q: What will traffic disruption be like during construction?Q: What will the hours of construction be?Q: Will mature trees be felled along the route?Q: How big are the stops likely to be?Q: Will I be able to hear and feel the Line B2 during operations? Q: Where will interchange with DART services be located?Q: Where will interchange with bus be provided?Q: Will Park & Ride be charged or free? Q: What are the risks associated with emissions during operations?Q: How often will Line B2 run?Q: Will there be disruption to traffic when Line B2 is operational?Q: Is there a risk of damage to property during operations?Q: What will the fares be on Line B2?Q: Can I take my bike on Line B2?Q: Will there be good security and safety arrangements at stops? Q: Will the stops be manned?Q: Will Line B2 run 24 hours per day?Q: What is the journey time to the City Centre from Bray?Q: How many people can Line B2 carry?Q: Is Line B2 the same gauge as Luas?Q: How will people cross Line B2 if it runs on the surface?Q: Will an EIS be prepared for the project?Q: What will the stops look like? Q: What will access be like to stops for people with impaired mobility? Q: What will the Line B2 trams look like?Q: How does Line B2 represent value for money?Q: Is Line B2 subject to a cost benefit analysis?Q: Will Line B2 require an operating subvention?Q: How long will it take to build Line B2?Q: When will B2 be open?Q: Why is the alignment going to Old Connaught and Fasseroe when no-one lives there?Q: Surely this is too far out from the City Centre for Luas?Q: The Green Line is already over-crowded. Won't this make things even worse?Q: Why not build this as a Metro from Day One?Q: Where do I get more information?Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Line B2?
Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Line B2?
A: Experience from Luas, and other cities where similar systems have been built, suggests that the value of properties close to Line B2 will actually increase in value once Line B2 is operational as a direct result of the improvement in the public transport system. This effect is likely to be at its greatest for those properties that are closest to stations.
Q: What is the process to acquire land and other property on the route?
A: Full market value is paid for any property required to be acquired for the line, plus additional compensation.
Compulsory purchase orders are only used as a last resort. Generally, we try to negotiate with landowners.
In the past where we have had to acquire land for Luas land owners have been very satisfied with the compensation received.
Q: What is the risk of damage to property during construction?
A: The risk of significant damage to property during construction is extremely low. Surveys will be undertaken, protective measures will be developed for those structures likely to be affected and buildings will be monitored during and for a period after construction.
Q: Will there be much disruption due to noise and vibration from construction?
A: There may be some noise and vibration experienced when construction is taking place. This will however be kept to a minimum and work will generally not be undertaken late at night.
Throughout the consultation process, RPA will be listening to and taking into consideration the genuine concerns of residents and businesses and other institutions that may be affected by construction.
Q: Are you proposing to demolish any buildings?
A: The design of the project and route selection has minimised the need for property acquisition and demolition. There will ,however, be some land and property acquisition to facilitate the development of Line B2 and this is being discussed with the affected property owners.
Q: What are the existing ground conditions like?
A: Although there is a considerable amount of information on the ground conditions along the route, detailed investigation will be carried out to identify the conditions on the line at specific locations, particularly where structures are proposed. No issues are foreseen.
Q: Will Luas services be interrupted when Line B2 is being built?
A: It is not expected the construction of Line B2 will impact upon the rest of the Green Line other than for a short period of time at Bride's Glen where the new line is linked in to the existing line.
Q: What will traffic disruption be like during construction?
A: A key aspect of the track construction is the installation of tracks across road junctions. Good traffic management is essential to this process and detailed construction sequencing and traffic management plans will be discussed with the Roads Authority in advance of the construction works. RPA will be working closely with the relevant local authorities, An GardaÃ, the Dublin Transport Office, Emergency Services and bus transport companies. We will be consulting with local residents and business to develop traffic management plans aimed at minimising this disruption.
Q: What will the hours of construction be?
A: Some work may continue around the clock over a short duration. This will be in order to reduce possible impact on traffic, to achieve efficiencies and to keep the work safe at all times.
The exact duration of works will be considered during the construction phase in consultation with the local residents, local authorities and other stakeholders.
Q: Will mature trees be felled along the route?
A: A small number of mature trees may have to be removed at various locations along the route. These have not been identified as being significant or rare species. Where appropriate and possible, replanting will take place.
Q: How big are the stops likely to be?
A: The stops will initially be approximately 55 metres long. Each platform will be approximately 3.3 metres wide and in some cases these will be 4.1 m wide. These stops are designed on straight track so that they can be extended to 90m if required.
Q: Will I be able to hear and feel the Line B2 during operations?
A: Line B2 will create generally the same minimal noise and vibration as existing Luas. Vibration can be mitigated by various damping mechanisms. These include seating the rail on resilient pads and in more sensitive locations (e.g. beside hospitals, houses and public buildings) placing the concrete rail bed on a resilient mat or pads.
Q: Where will interchange with DART services be located?
A: Bray DART station.
Q: Where will interchange with bus be provided?
A: Provisions will be made for bus interchange at various locations along the route Luas B2 in conjunction with the local authorities and bus companies.
Q: Will Park & Ride be charged or free?
A: The proposed Park & Ride at Fassaroe will be charged for, just like other Luas car parks. Although the charge has not yet been decided it is likely to be similar to the current charging on Luas.
Q: What are the risks associated with emissions during operations?
A: There should be no risk of emissions during normal operation. The trams will be electrically powered as will most maintenance equipment.
Q: How often will Line B2 run?
A: Although the operating timetable for the extended line has not yet been finalized, it is likely that there will be at least 5 services per hour providing a direct connection between both Fassaroe and Bray and the city centre.
Q: Will there be disruption to traffic when Line B2 is operational?
A: Where Line B2 crosses roads at grade, traffic signal control will be used to minimise delays for both modes. The impact is likely to be minimal, similar to Luas.
Q: Is there a risk of damage to property during operations?
A: Once all civil engineering construction works are complete and the railway is in operation the risks to adjacent properties, structures and utilities is insignificant.
Q: What will the fares be on Line B2?
A: Line B2 fares will be set much closer to the time of opening. A full range of products including period passes for regular commuters will be available. Fare levels will reflect the commercial requirements of the system and may attract a small premium over similar journeys on other modes of public transport to reflect the faster journey times and other additional benefits.
Q: Can I take my bike on Line B2?
A: No. It is a policy of RPA that all capacity on Luas and Metro is for passengers and not taken up by bicycles. This is the same on DART and suburban rail. Bike racks will be provided at stops however.
Q: Will there be good security and safety arrangements at stops?
A: Line B2 will be a very secure system for the passengers. The stops will be extensively monitored by means of CCTV and the vehicles will also have on-board cameras to deter unruly behaviour. In both cases the output will be recorded and retained for a while so that it can be used as evidence if required.
In addition all vehicles and stops will be patrolled on a regular basis by uniformed staff.
Q: Will the stops be manned?
A: Like Luas, stops will be extensively monitored by CCTV and by other means from a central control room. They will also be visited on a regular basis by mobile staff.
Q: Will Line B2 run 24 hours per day?
A: Line B2 will not run for 24 hours per day although it is designed to do so. It will run from early in the morning until late at night similar to the existing Luas. Luas operates from 05:30 to 00:30 each weekday.
Q: What is the journey time to the City Centre from Bray?
A: The journey time from Bray/Fassaroe to St. Stephen's Green is expected to be approximately 55 minutes.
Q: How many people can Line B2 carry?
A: Line B2 will be designed to carry similar volumes of passengers as existing Luas. (up to about 9,000 persons per direction per hour).
Q: Is Line B2 the same gauge as Luas?
A: Yes. All Metro and Luas lines will be the same gauge to allow future interoperability.
Q: How will people cross Line B2 if it runs on the surface?
A: Line B2 will operate on the surface in much the same manner as the existing Luas. This means that in some sections pedestrians will be able to cross the track when it is safe to do so. Such locations will be where specific crossing points are provided, at all stops, and where the track has been constructed through a pedestrian friendly area.
Q: Will an EIS be prepared for the project?
A: Yes.
Q: What will the stops look like?
A: The final look of the stops is the subject on ongoing detailed design work, but it is based on the existing Luas stop design. The stops will have a modern, bright, open, safe look to them much like the existing Luas.
Q: What will access be like to stops for people with impaired mobility?
A: Accessibility is an important operational feature of Luas. There will be full accessibility to all stops with such features as low level platforms, ramps, tactile paving, signage and low floor trams similar to existing Luas. Full consultation will take place to ensure that the best solution for mobility impaired passengers is used.
Q: What will the Line B2 trams look like?
A: The trams running on B2 will be the same as those running on the rest of the Green Line. We may be extending the current trams by another 10 metres to increase passenger-carrying capacity.
Q: How does Line B2 represent value for money?
A: RPA are working closely with the local authorities and other significant landowners in the catchment area of the proposed line. These landowners fully support the development of Luas B2 and plan to develop their property in an integrated way with light rail.
The arrangement is in line with RPA and Government policy as outlined above and by capturing part of the increase in development gain resulting from the Line represents good value for money for the Exchequer. This gain is risk free and is fully realised at a very early stage in the life of the project.
Q: Is Line B2 subject to a cost benefit analysis?
A: Line B2 will be subject to economic and financial appraisal that is required by, and consistent with, current appraisal guidelines on the methodology and parameters for cost-benefit analysis of transport projects by the Department of Finance and Transport. The economic benefits of Line B2 are substantial and far outweigh the economic cost of the scheme resulting in a project of significant economic and societal worth. In the financial appraisal, the additional forecast revenue that results from the operation of Luas Line B2 will exceed the operating and maintenance costs of the project. The results of both a financial and economic evaluation demonstrate a strongly positive case for the Line B2 project.
Overall, the implementation of Luas Line B2 is of considerable economic and societal worth. It represents a positive investment in economic terms. In addition, due to the part-private financing of construction, the project represents significant value for money for the Exchequer, and ultimately the tax-payer.
Q: Will Line B2 require an operating subvention?
A: It is expected that Luas Line B2 will cover its annual operating costs from revenues.
Q: How long will it take to build Line B2?
A: It is estimated that the construction of Line B2 will take approximately 3 years subject to an enforceable Railway Order being granted.
Q: When will B2 be open?
A: That depends on when an enforceable Railway Order is granted (the equivalent of planning permission) and is subject to funding. The current government Transport 21 programme does not envisage the line opening until 2015.
Q: Why is the alignment going to Old Connaught and Fasseroe when no-one lives there?
A: There are severe development pressures in the Bray area and these areas have been identified by the local authorities as appropriate locations for major new development.
It is policy at all levels for development to happen in a sustainable fashion, ie reducing the reliance on private cars.
The developers would have to pay a substantial amount towards the construction of the line which reduces the cost to the tax-payer.
The local authorities (Wicklow County Council, Bray Town Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council) commissioned a Land Use and Transport Study for the area which recommended Luas serve those areas.
Q: Surely this is too far out from the City Centre for Luas?
A: The journey time to the City Centre would be slightly slower than DART (around 55 minutes from Bray) but Luas would link the area with other key locations en-route such as Cherrywood, Dundrum and Sandyford as well as directly serve the St. Stephen's Green and O'Connell Street area rather than the Pearse/Connolly area.
Luas would provide a more frequent service than the DART.
Q: The Green Line is already over-crowded. Won't this make things even worse?
A: Capacity enhancements are planned for the Green Line including more frequent and longer trams which will provide sufficient capacity for the foreseeable future.
Q: Why not build this as a Metro from Day One?
A: It is not Government policy, as shown in Transport 21, for this line to be Metro.
There is no identified requirement for the line to be upgraded at this stage. However, the line will be designed to be able to be easily upgraded to Metro, with provision made for longer trams and as much segregation as possible from road traffic.
Q: Where do I get more information?
A: More information is available from the RPA and Luas website or by using the freephone number below:
www.luas.ie
www.rpa.ie
Telephone: 1800 67 64 64
E-mail: info@rpa.ie