‘It was such an obvious thing to do': Pedestrians and cyclists reclaim Dublin's Parliament Street

Irish Times

9 hours ago

Under cover of night on Thursday and into the early hours of Friday,
Dublin
's Parliament Street, which runs from City Hall on
Dame Street
to the south Liffey quays, was transformed.
Where previously pedestrians were crammed into narrow footpaths and cyclists competed with two lanes of cars and vans, the area appeared suddenly to have exhaled, with people spilling into the middle of the newly claimed street.
A dry night on Thursday allowed council workers to achieve the remarkably quick installation of two-way cyclepaths, new road markings, traffic signage and strategic planters and bollards, all the way from the end of
Capel Street
, across Grattan Bridge and on to Parliament Street.
From 6am the first section of Parliament Street, from the quayside to Essex Gate/Essex Street East – the only cross-street which runs through Parliament Street – was entirely traffic-free.
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Motorists crossing Grattan Bridge from the northside are now required to turn right on to the south quays.
Council workers were on hand to direct the small number of drivers who were not content to follow the clear signage and thought they might be able to squeeze their way through from Essex Quay, despite flower boxes and bollards being obvious obstacles.
Some blocked the quays to argue they had to get through for deliveries, which they were quickly assured they could do, with a very short detour on to Fishamble Street and then Exchange Street Lower to reach Essex Gate and Essex Street East, which is remaining open to traffic.
Deliveries are also permitted in the section of Parliament Street between Essex Street and Dame Street from 6am-11am.
Shortly after 11am, another council worker arrived with bollards to prevent any further entry, making both sections of street, north and south of Essex Street, traffic-free. He will make another trip before 6am to remove the same bollards.
These will eventually be replaced with automated bollards,
Green Party
councillor Feljin Jose said.
'These will lower automatically for emergency vehicles but make it impossible for non-emergency vehicles to enter the space,' he said.
More work will be done in the weeks ahead to improve the look and feel of Parliament Street, says Claire French, senior executive engineer with Dublin City Council. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Overall, he felt the street 'looks very well' but perhaps additional work could be undertaken to calm cars coming from Essex Gate.
More work will be done in the weeks ahead to improve the look and feel of Parliament Street, said Claire French, senior executive engineer with
Dublin City Council
.
'From Monday, we will start upgrading the street with the installation of seating and planting. We will be resurfacing the road with the buff-coloured surface and in time if will have a similar appearance to Capel Street.'
The removal traffic from most of Capel Street since 2022 resulted in a significant drop in cars crossing the river into Parliament Street, French said, justifying the reallocation of space to pedestrians and cyclists.
'On a Saturday you would have 23,000 pedestrians on Parliament Street – that's a lot – but only 1,800 cars using the street on a daily basis, it really was out of balance so what we have done is rebalanced the space.'
Siobhán Conmy, owner of bar Street 66, has for several years campaigned for the traffic to be removed from the street.
'We had wanted it to be done at the same time as Capel Street, I'm really excited now to have it finally in,' she said.
'When you look at the lovely backdrop of City Hall and the tree-lined vista right the way down to the river and across to Capel Street, it was such an obvious thing to do.'
Conmy said she understood the retention of traffic on Essex Gate and Essex Street East. 'There are apartments above and behind, so they have to have access, it's only fair.'
The Temple Bar Company organised a market on Parliament Street on Friday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Derek McCauley is one of the few business owners on Parliament Street who is also a resident, having converted the space above his wine bar, Café Rubis, from a Turkish/Engilsh college to an apartment in 2014.
'I'm looking forward to this but with a small amount of anxiety over the possibility that there will be an increase in antisocial behaviour at night time,' he said.
'I'm also a bit concerned about the deliveries in the morning. There are four pubs on this street, and if the footpath is being widened and they all going to be getting deliveries of kegs of beer in the early morning, I'm not sure there's going to be the space for all of that.'
However, he said he hoped the change would draw more tourism to Parliament Street.
'I am very positive about it overall. I think it will improve business on the street.'
Martin Harte, chief executive of business representative group Temple Bar Company, which organised a market on the street on Friday, with further events and street performances planned over the weekend and through the summer, says reclaiming the street from traffic will draw tourists.
'I can remember 20 years ago where there were articulated trucks trundling up this street every day. It is now a calm space designed for people. I think this is one of the greatest days
Temple Bar
has seen in a long time.'