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8 fascinating statistics about the way we get around in Dublin

And why we’ll overhaul our transport system over the next decade.

IF YOU’RE ONE of the nearly 2 million people who live in the Greater Dublin Area (around 40% of our population), chances are you have your own preferred way of getting around it, whether it’s on foot, tyres or by tram.

So it’s essential that we have the kind of transport that can cater for such a significant number of people. During the next decade, BusConnects Core Bus Project seeks to overhaul the transport system by creating 230km of bus lanes and 200km of cycle track along 16 of the busiest routes in the city.

But first, here’s a look at how we currently get around in the capital.

1. Over a fifth of us use public transport to get to work

0010 Luas_90527799 Leah Farrell / Rolling News Leah Farrell / Rolling News / Rolling News

According to the latest census, some 21.5% of commuters choose to use public transport to get to work, compared to 8.5% in Cork city and suburbs. Similarly, two thirds of all cycling commuters work in Dublin city or suburbs, accounting for 7.6% of all commuters in the city.

2. People in neighbouring counties have an average commute of 34 minutes

While the average commute time nationally is just under the half an hour mark (28 minutes), people living in the counties neighbouring Dublin have the longest commuting times, usually into the city. For these, it currently takes nearly 35 minutes to get to work.

3. Almost a third of the workforce work in Dublin 

cathal-mac-an-bheatha-637522-unsplash Unsplash Unsplash

In 2016, the number of people the number of people working in Dublin city and suburbs surpassed the half a million mark, giving the city a daytime working population of 512,449 commuters. The city also experienced a 10% increase in commuters since 2011 when the last census was taken.

4. Nearly one in seven of us use the bus to get to work

File photo THE NATIONAL TRANSPORT Authority is in the middle of redesigning DublinÕs bus network, and has released the proposed new routes today. The network is being redesigned in an attempt to make bus routes simpler for tourists to understand and more Mark Stedman / Rolling News Mark Stedman / Rolling News / Rolling News

Nationally, around 111,436 workers around Ireland use the bus, which is the highest increase in bus use in over 30 years and in Dublin, 13.6% of us use the bus to get to work. We’re also the least likely in the country to use our cars to get to work – just under half of those in the city and suburbs drive to work, compared to 76% in rural areas.

5. People on the southside tend to have shorter commute times than the northside 

24/2/2009. Dublin City Scenes Sasko Lazarov / Rolling News Sasko Lazarov / Rolling News / Rolling News

When we consider the average length of our journeys to work, people living in Fingal (33.4 minutes) was slightly higher than Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin (both 30.6 minutes). Workers in Dublin city have an average commute of around 28.9 minutes.

6. There are more commuters in Swords than anywhere else

Speaking of Fingal, the area accounts for the largest number of those who commute to Dublin city or suburbs (28,641 commuters). But the largest ‘feeder town’ to Dublin city and suburbs was Swords, where nearly 8,000 of the 20,000 workers who live there commute to work.

7. Almost half of students get public transport to college

college green 612_90535346 Sam Boal / Rolling News Sam Boal / Rolling News / Rolling News

It’s not just workers that travel to and from the city and its suburbs everyday – college students also need to get around each day. And within Dublin city and suburbs, almost half (45.2%) get public transport, the most popular option. And over a fifth (23.8%) of them walk to college, with 16.5% driving there.

8. And almost 1 in 5 travel for over an hour to lectures 

Transport for Ireland / YouTube

Nearly 20% (16%) of students in Dublin city and suburbs travel for over an hour to college, compared to 2.7% in Galway. There are seven towns with populations over 1,500 where over half of resident students take over an hour to get to college including Skerries, Wicklow, Rathdrum, Athboy, Greystones, Kilcoole and Blessington.

Want to be a part of shaping statistics about the way we get around in the capital? BusConnects Dublin is a 10 year investment programme to deliver more efficient, reliable and better bus system and they’re currently looking for your insights for their Core Bus Corridor Project in Lucan, Swords, Blanchardstown and Clongriffin.

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    Mute Frederick Constant
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    Jan 19th 2014, 9:21 AM

    Interesting idea. Not sure if the scobes here would have enough ‘work ethic’ to actually work to buy drugs – much easier to rob.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jan 19th 2014, 10:03 AM

    You patronising idiot Frederick.
    You sit on your high horse and presume to know the ‘work ethic’ of all heroin addicts – they are people – individuals – all different. Your attitude is part of the problem

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    Mute upthepylons
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    Jan 19th 2014, 2:45 PM

    Dave, when’s the last time you seen a junkie working? Me neither.

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Jan 19th 2014, 5:16 PM

    Junkies have to go to their methadone clinics during the day, so they can’t work days. They’re such wasters.

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    Mute Richard Sweeney
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    Jan 19th 2014, 9:22 AM

    Nice to see a pragmatic approach for a change

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    Mute Sean Hyland
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:26 AM

    No to prohibition and let addicts get help from charities set up with tax breaks for businesses. Keep the state out if it and make sure same charities are set up by volunteers with no pay off overheads. Ie people who care.

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Jan 19th 2014, 9:26 AM

    I like it when people get creative and aren’t afraid to try something different because whats in place isn’t working.

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    Mute Lar Cooney
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    Jan 19th 2014, 10:02 AM

    You would need the army to stop junkies robbing houses and anything else up In Dublin. Make drugs available for these people. Put real criminals out of business. I haven’t seen a Garda on foot in my area since the recession began. Bad enough a family has to deal with a drug addict then for him to be cast straight into low level crime. I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like Address the issue. What we are doing now is not working.

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    Mute R
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    Jan 19th 2014, 9:22 AM

    Actually fascinating. A good idea if it works definitely.

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    Mute joe power
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    Jan 19th 2014, 9:53 AM

    Why do people giv a f#@k about these scobies.you break the law you go to jail simples

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    Mute Scoby Watson
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    Jan 19th 2014, 10:02 AM

    Did someone say my name?

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    Mute Luke Daly
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    Jan 19th 2014, 9:32 AM

    Who are you? Ross O’Carroll Kelly? “Scobes” is not a word.

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:34 AM
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    Mute Luke Daly
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:50 AM

    It may well be a word but the urban dictionary “kinda isn’t” the place to prove it.

    I’m not a grammer Nazi I just think that Scobes is a silly term that snobs(you’ll find that in a real dictionary) use to describe poor people.

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Jan 19th 2014, 12:29 PM

    It’s a colloquialism. You probably won’t find it in the Oxford English Dictionary, but it has been in general use for years. I think it refers to the more anti-social types, not poor people. It has been largely replaced by the term ‘Chav’.

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 10:40 AM

    Interesting idea. Can you imagine a tac head trying to sell you a magazine on Abbey street? You’d run a mile.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:42 AM

    With that attitude you would

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:51 AM

    If you have sense you would.

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    Mute Cannabis Freedom
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:54 AM

    But wouldn’t it be better than them running off with your iPhone? Personally, I’d admire a drug addict who opted to sell the magazine, rather than commit crime to feed their habit.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:54 AM

    No you wouldn’t. Knowing that buying a magazine may prevent a mugging, theft or shoplift is all the incentive you need. They are human beings selling magazines what’s the issue?

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 12:23 PM

    How about instead of having a habit you stop being a drain on society and yourself. Point is they are people with an illness who I personally don’t want to be associated with.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 19th 2014, 12:28 PM

    Heroin is recognised by the world health organisation as a disease and should be treated as such. Until the government realises this it’s up to voluntary organisations and volunteers to help and this magazine is a great idea.

    You stick to your stigma but remember our current way of dealing with this problem excluding the addict from society does not work.

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 12:58 PM

    The WHO recognises the diseases which can be developed from heroin use as diseases. Nothing about the actual drug. I will continue my belief that they should be allowed to use drugs as the freely wish, however they are fools for doing so, as are all drug and drink users who believe in living in societies care when they can’t handle something they choose to use.

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 19th 2014, 1:02 PM

    So you are in favour of continuous criminalisation or not? Last comment was contradictory to others

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 1:06 PM

    De criminalisation without support. How is that contradictory?

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    Mute Kevin Higgins
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    Jan 19th 2014, 1:08 PM

    The point of decriminalisation is to take a medical approach instead of a criminal one meaning you clearly have no idea what your on about. Decriminalisation without support is like criminalisation without enforcement

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 1:12 PM

    That’s your view of de criminalisation. Mine is that you are not arrested for drug use. After that you’re on your own.

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    Mute upthepylons
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    Jan 19th 2014, 2:48 PM

    Birch, don’t bother with them. They probably think that said heroin so be given to the junkies at the tax payers expence.

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    Mute Birch Barlow
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    Jan 19th 2014, 3:53 PM

    I know, they seem to love suckling off the tax payers teat.

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    Mute paddydunne
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    Jan 19th 2014, 11:19 AM

    I think cocaine and heroin should be legalised. That would take the power away from the criminals, coupled with more power for the people. Stand your ground law. This would have a huage impact on our society for good.

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    Mute Trevor croft
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    Jan 19th 2014, 1:52 PM

    ˙uʍop ǝpısdn ǝɹɐ sǝʌıן sǝuo pǝʌoן ɹnoʎ puɐ ǝɟıן ɹnoʎ ʇı ʍouʞ noʎ ǝɹoɟǝq
    ‘spıʞ bunoʎ ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥʇ uǝɥʍ sʇɔıppɐ uıoɹǝɥ ǝɯoɔǝq oʇ ǝsooɥɔ ʇ,uop ǝןdoǝd

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    Mute Dave Dson
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    Jan 19th 2014, 3:54 PM

    You can get a cream for that, clear you up in no time.

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Jan 19th 2014, 5:18 PM

    Very clever! But.. People DO choose to become heroin addicts.

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    Mute SSDP Ireland
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    Jan 19th 2014, 12:38 PM

    This is a public health issue.

    We need schools not prisons.

    http://www.ssdp.org/ireland

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    Mute Jim
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    Jan 19th 2014, 10:39 AM

    That’s heavy Tac!

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