Newlands Cross Upgrade EIS - European Investment Bank

South Dublin County Council N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade
Environmental Impact Statement
Arup Consulting Engineers
emissions. In relation to the transport sector, the Strategy proposed the following measures to
control GHG emissions:
• Fuel Efficiency Measures: These include amongst others, agreements with car
manufacturers to produce more efficient engines, introduction of vehicle registration tax
based on engine size, roadworthiness, testing of private vehicles, fuel switching towards
the most CO2 efficient alternatives and speed reductions;
• Modal Shift: Investment in and use of public transportation including light and suburban
rail, bus services, public transport integration, integrated traffic management, regional
public transport, road investment and improvements in freight by improving the rail
network;
• Demand Management: This may include fuel tax measures, better integration of land use
and transport planning, preparation of a national spatial strategy, development of regional
planning guidelines, increasing residential density, vehicle restraint and road pricing.
According to the Strategy, the road network forms the primary mode of national internal
transport and is a vital resource for the future economic and social development of the country
at local, regional and national levels. However, compared to EU standards, the quality of the
national road infrastructure is poor. The Strategy therefore supports the National Development
Policies, which aim to bring the road network up to an acceptable standard and to do so as an
integral component of a nationally integrated transport investment programme.
By providing the upgraded junction and improving the N7 at Newlands Cross, the proposed
scheme is consistent with the National Climate Change Strategy (Ireland) 2000.
2.9.2 Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland 1997 14
To implement the establishment of a relationship between the national economy and the
environment, a National Sustainable Development Strategy was prepared in 1997 that
“addresses all areas of Government Policy and of economic and social activity, which impact
on the environment”. Its aim was to “to ensure that economy and society in Ireland can
develop to their full potential within a well protected environment, without compromising the
quality of that environment and with responsibility towards present and future generations and
the wider international community”. It sought to re-orientate policies as necessary to ensure
that the strong growth Ireland enjoys and seeks to maintain, will be environmentally
sustainable. The government is committed to renew the policies contained within the 1997
document and its review document “Making Irelands Development Sustainable 2002” 15 with a
new publication in 2007.
According to the Strategy, all development has an impact on the environment. Sustainable
development cannot eliminate such effects altogether. It aspires however, to change the
balance of impacts from negative to positive, pursuing policy choices which promote
economic efficiency with less intensive natural resource use and less stress on the
environment.
The Strategy focuses on specific strategic sectors including the transport sector. The Strategy
sets out an agenda to “green” Irish transportation centred on:
• Making transportation more efficient;
• Reducing the environmental impact and the intensity of transport;
• Support the examination and implementation of the internalisation of external costs of
transport at EU and International levels.
The upgrading of the Newlands Cross Junction contributes towards the first two objectives
through the provision of an improved road infrastructure and a high quality cycle network.
December 2007 Page 13