Green councillor welcomes increase in LUAS services but warns of future need
Green Party Councillor for Glencullen-Sandyford, Oisín O'Connor has welcomed next week's increase in Luas Green Line services but warned that local housing boom means more capacity will be needed in future.
"The increase in Luas services for the communities between Bride's Glen and Sandyford is very welcome and will make a difference to workers and students who commute from stops like Glencairn and Leopardstown Valley. Over 4,000 new homes have been built in Glencullen-Sandyford in the past 10 years and I have been constantly advocating to the NTA and TII that our public transport should be keeping pace with that growth."
O'Connor emphasised the need for state agencies managing the Luas to ensure that future growth is matched with more public transport capacity:
"I have asked TII to keep monitoring the Luas for overcrowding and to keep increasing services when needed. However, they can only increase services if the government give them the funds. These new Luas increases are funded by the public transport budget secured by the last Minister for Transport but I haven't seen any evidence yet whether Darragh O'Brien is as committed to public transport as his predecessor."
In emails to Councillor O'Connor from TII, they confirmed that there would be two additional trams leaving Bride's Glen every weekday morning at 8.14am and 9.40am, with an 11% increase in Sunday Luas services also coming to the Green line.
O'Connor, who also serves as the Green Party spokesperson on Planning and Local Government, also pointed out that there are 3,000 more homes in Glencullen-Sandyford with planning permission, half of which are already under construction.
"We know that when people move into a new home, it's a time when they're open to forming new habits. Our area is one of the fastest growing in the country as far as new homes are concerned. The council are working on safe walking and cycling routes in the area, but we rely on Government to increase bus and Luas services so that new residents have the option to form sustainable travel habits as they move in," he concluded.
