I raised the proposal for a light rail study at the North Fringe Forum today.
 listed the following item on the agenda:

“Fingal County Council has resolved “to direct the Manager to seek to carry out a multi-modal transport study in relation to transport in the North Fringe/South Fringe area (Stapolin, Donaghmede, Balgriffin, Belcamp, Clonshaugh) with Dublin City Council’s co-operation, to include consideration of the possibilities for a light rail link between the Dublin-Belfast railway line at Stapolin and the Metro in the vicinity of Ballymun/Dublin Airport and other possible rail links and to include consideration of roads, bus routes, cycling routes and walking routes in the area”    

·    Planned changes to N32 were pointed out to meeting by Eoghan Madden; first time these were mentioned.
·    I asked the Planning Departments what their views were on flyover junctions which in my view will wreck any chance of decent urban design in the residential areas around them, and together with the N32 changes will further disrupt pedestrian access in the areas.  Replies: Anne-Marie Farrelly – Fingal Planning had made submissions in relation to the roads consultation; she is new, didn’t have the details. No response volunteered from Dublin City Planning.
·    I pointed out that modal split in the SIAS report was 50-50 (car / public transport), Eoghan Madden said split going to the city was 50-50, split east west was 75-25
·    I raised multi-modal study and light rail link, asking what City Council’s view was; Declan Wallace said they would respond; Eoghan Madden said in principle the light rail proposal was fine;  he didn’t want to delay buses going in asap and didn’t see any reason looking at the light rail would cause such a delay.
·    I pointed out that none of these road proposals were in the County Development Plan and that there was a real problem with Fingal putting all this money and effort in to something which isn’t in the plan.  No response to this.
·    Tommy Broughan and Larry O’Toole supported my comments and made good comments of their own.