As I was walking along the street a couple approached me complaining that they could not purchase a parking ticket as they could not find a ticket machine. They got really annoyed when I explained that it was a pedestrian only zone. They explained in no uncertain terms that they will never again to Dublin to shop.
If you are walking along the street a degree of caution is advise because bicycles and electric scooters are permitted to use the street and there are so many of them that they a rapidly becoming a safety issue. Note: I am not sure if electric scooters are actually legal but there are many of them.
With a 400m pedestrian and cycle area stretching from Parnell Street and Ryder’s Row at its northern end, to Strand Street in the south, Capel Street’s traffic exclusion zone exceeds both Henry Street and Grafton Street in length.
The council implemented pedestrianisation trial on Capel Street banning traffic from the street from 6.30pm to 11.30pm at weekends. More than 7,000 submissions were made to a subsequent consultation process, the largest number of submissions the council has ever received to a public consultation.
About 80 per cent were in favour of pedestrianising Capel Street on a permanent basis with about 90 per cent seeking some traffic-free measures.
Key elements of the plan were:
Permanent closure at Parnell Street extending from Jervis Lane to remove through traffic on Capel Street.
Delivery access will be available between 6am and 11am.
Car parking spaces will be converted to loading bays.
There will be all day loading provided at a number of side streets.
Mary’s Abbey traffic flow direction will be reversed and residents existing from Abbey Street will exit via Mary’s Abbey.
Mary Street between Capel Street and Jervis Lane will be reversed.
Strand Street Little and Strand Street Great will remain open to traffic all day.
Initial street improvements including seating and greening are to be provided.
