Newlands Cross Upgrade EIS - European Investment Bank

South Dublin County Council N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade
Environmental Impact Statement
Arup Consulting Engineers
The bus lanes will provide significant priority for bus movements, and the reduction in queues
on the N7 and the R113 junction approaches will enable buses to travel through Newlands
Cross with less delay than for the Do-Minimum scenario.
Proposed Bus Stop Locations: Bus stop locations are shown in Figure 5.8; these will be in
similar locations to the present, with no reduction in the quality of facilities for bus users.
5.5.4 Pedestrian and cyclist facilities
Proposed Cycle Track: Cycle facilities will be provided as follows (and as shown in Figure
5.9):
• A cycle track will be provided both sides of N7 Naas Road
• A cycle track will be provided on Belgard road (southbound).
Proposed Pedestrian Facilities: Signal controlled pedestrian crossings are to be provided
across all four approaches to the Newlands Cross junction – on Naas Road East, Naas Road
West, Fonthill Road and Belgard Road (see Figure 5.10). The junction will have pedestrian
footways on all 4 road approaches, with footways on both sides of each road, and with
pedestrian footways on both sides of the R113. Removal of the N7 through-traffic will
provide an opportunity for increased frequency of pedestrian crossing signal operation – thus
improving conditions for pedestrians. The reduced traffic flow will also reduce the ‘exposure’
of pedestrians to high traffic volumes – and hence contribute towards improved road safety.
5.6 Area-wide Modelling
In order to quantify both flow levels and delays at the existing junction and for the improved
junction it is necessary to provide a robust forecast of future flows at the junction. Within the
Dublin area, best practice dictates that future transport scenarios are modeled using data
obtained from the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) Transportation Model which,
historically, has been used successfully to evaluate major transport infrastructure schemes in
Dublin. The DTO model incorporates all of the transport proposals, which comprise the
integrated transportation strategy for the Dublin area. In demographic terms, the
transportation model forecasts incorporate population and household projections based on the
development plans in the Greater Dublin Area, as well as estimates of population growth for
the region from the Strategic Planning Guidelines. Projections of employment were based on
land zoned for future development and other related information supplied by the local
authorities and the DTO.
The data on traffic movements and network changes was extracted from the DTO model, and
a local traffic-based model produced specifically for the Newlands Cross analysis.
The modelling methodology agreed with DTO was as follows:
• Based on preliminary SATURN assessment results, the simulation network agreed with
DTO spans between the N4 and the N81 from north to south and between the R112 and
the County Kildare boundary from east to west.
• A validated Base Year 2005 AM Peak SATURN Local Area Model was produced, based
on a cordon model from the DTO’s Dublin AM Peak Strategic Model (produced and
validated in January 2006).
• For future years, the DTO model included all elements of the existing Dublin
transportation network and future transport infrastructure commitments as set out in
committed strategy documents (Transport 21). The data extracted from the DTO model
was the basis for an AM peak ‘Local Area Model’ produced to analyse the Newlands
Cross scheme.
December 2007 Page 86