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Capel Street in Dublin City Centre Sam Boal

Capel Street set to be pedestrianised from next month

The street will be blocked off by bollards, but delivery vehicles will be able to access the street between 6am and 11am.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Apr 2022

CAPEL STREET IN Dublin City Centre is to be pedestrianised starting next month after Dublin City Council (DCC) received an “overwhelming” response in favour of making the street traffic-free.

The proposal, which was supported by Dublin City councillors this morning, is set to come into effect within the next three to four weeks.

While the street will be traffic free for a majority of the day, delivery vehicles will still be able to access the street between 6am and 11am on a daily basis.

There were over 1,700 submissions sent to DCC on the proposed pedestrianisation, with 91% of these supporting the proposal. 97% of the submissions from the general public (1,311) were in favour of pedestrianisation.

Measures were put in place by DCC last summer to allow for temporary pedestrianisation of both Capel Street and Parliament Street to allow outdoor dining.

A three-week public consultation on the pedestrianisation followed, with 7,000 people responding to the survey sent out by DCC.

These measures were warmly welcomed, with eight in ten people supporting making the entire street traffic free.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the decision by councillors to approve the pedestrianisation, praising the public who engaged with the public consultation process.

The street will be made traffic free through the use of temporary bollards and DCC has said that no permanent works will be required.

“To ensure smooth operation and to assist in people becoming familiar with the changed arrangements, traffic management personnel will be on site for the first two weeks of operation,” said DCC.

The council have also said that the pedestrianisation of the street will be monitored for the first several months of operation and a report will be created in September to assess the scheme and to examine whether changes are needed.

While the council has said that concerns were raised about the loss of the street as a “through route” for cars, the council believed that the correct route was to make the street traffic-free.

DCC has said that further details on when the plan will be implemented will be revealed in the coming days, with leaflets set to be distributed to businesses and local residents in the area.

Janet Horner, Green Party councillor for the North Inner City told The Journal that she was “delighted” to see the project go ahead.

“I’m really delighted that this project is going ahead. I think it has the potential to be transformative for the North Inner City and will let Capel Street live up to its potential as a thriving, vibrant hub on the Northside of the city,” said Horner.

“This transformation is exactly the direction we should be going in as a city, enhancing the public realm, calming traffic and making the city centre a beautiful and enjoyable place to spend time for everyone of all ages.”

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    Mute Smithweiser
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    Apr 27th 2022, 1:32 PM

    Great news ! and moaners Just leave your car at home, Commuting through the city in a car is pointless

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    Mute Philip Cullen
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    Apr 27th 2022, 1:55 PM

    @Smithweiser: oh yeah, just tell that to the thousands of people who have mobility issues and rely on their cars. Nice one.

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    Mute Fozz
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    Apr 27th 2022, 2:26 PM

    @Philip Cullen: ah the people with mobility issues used as a crutch by lazy people who just want to drive door to door and to hell with everyone else.

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    Mute Brendan We Are One Ireland.
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    Apr 27th 2022, 2:29 PM

    @Smithweiser: What about the people who live in the area? Wait till the businesses on Capel St start to suffer, then see who moans. Look what The Greens did to Dun Laoighaire, turned it into a “ghost town”!!

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    Mute Fozz
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    Apr 27th 2022, 2:40 PM

    @Brendan We Are One Ireland.: the businesses overwhelmingly support this as its good for them.
    Currently the road is clogged with cars making it a nasty environment for customers.
    Cars are not customers.
    Get rid of those noisy large metal boxes and the street immediately becomes a nicer place for paying customers.

    Let’s be honest. Those complaining care nothing for the businesses or people with mobility issues. They care for their own convenience and I’d question how many of the naysayers have been customers on Capel Street as opposed to being traffic on it.

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    Mute Urban Living Dublin
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:15 PM

    @Philip Cullen: Car ownership is lower among people with disabilities than those without disabilities. I’d say many of them would delighted to be able to get around easier on public transport or on footpaths (many of which are constantly blocked by cars).
    In fact, a gentleman I know who is wheelchair-bound is delighted with this measure.

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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:16 PM

    @Brendan We Are One Ireland.: I know two business owners on Capel Street and both are delighted with this. Henry Street and Grafton Street are the two busiest shopping streets in the country and both are pedestrian.

    58
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    Mute Tony Stanley
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:19 PM

    @Brendan We Are One Ireland.: what like all those business in nearby Henry St which went out of business because of pedestrianisation?

    42
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    Mute Urban Living Dublin
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:34 PM

    @Brendan We Are One Ireland.: Residents and businesses on the street are overwhelmingly in favour.

    About those businesses that are against it, the consultation report said:

    “There were 53 identical submissions received from businesses:

    “We object to the 24/7 pedestrianisation proposal for Capel street as it will have a detrimental effect on our business. We seek a compromised solution that doesn’t threaten our future employment”

    These were mainly from businesses in the Jervis Centre, fourteen from Louis Copeland staff and 24 from unknown businesses who didn’t include their business name or location.”

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:38 PM

    @Philip Cullen: 2 Words: Grafton Street.

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    Mute Steve
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:51 PM

    @Brendan We Are One Ireland.: Dun Laoghaire has been dead for years. Can you explain exactly what actions the Greens have taken in the two years they’ve been in government that has adversely affected anything in Dun Laoghaire?

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    Mute Philip Cullen
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:55 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: indeed they are two words.

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Apr 27th 2022, 6:31 PM

    @Brendan We Are One Ireland.: How will they suffer? Honestly. There’s very little parking on the street and Capel Street is used for people in cars using it as a through road, now the cars take a different route. This will regenerate the area, with great little restaurants.

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    Mute UK Hurling Bloke
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    Apr 27th 2022, 9:42 PM

    @Philip Cullen: oh yeah well not everyone with mobility issues has a car. In fact it’s a contradiction in terms in one sense if you think about it…

    I’m sure people in wheelchairs / mobility scooters will be delighted that they can cruise down the width of Capel St now rather than being forced to use narrow crowded footpaths avoiding sandwich boards and parked cars.

    Since you haven’t considered both the above, it smacks of fakery and dare I say your “concern” is more of a crutch you’ve stolen to use a leverage for your own interests as tunnel visioned motorist.

    Take off the blinkers mate. Get real.

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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Apr 28th 2022, 12:25 AM

    @Fozz: Nicely twisted there, ffs.

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    Mute Rob Gale
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    Apr 27th 2022, 2:10 PM

    Class! We need a few streets like that. Ya have to ignore the car complainers. They’ll complain no matter what. Sure down in naas they took out two parking spots on the Main Street for a seated wooden decking and the car complainers are having a conniption. No one will ever not complain. Ya have to plough on!

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Apr 27th 2022, 6:35 PM

    @Rob Gale: Exactly, these same people go abroad and love the fact you can sit outside without the fear of being knocked down, but the begrudge it here, it’s baffling.

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    Mute Derek Anderson
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    Apr 27th 2022, 1:30 PM

    Can’t wait to see even more traffic congestion around the area.
    I’m going to apply for a job with these guys as I have loads of hair brain ideas I could make a fortune out of just like this shower of wasters.

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    Mute Urban Living Dublin
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:27 PM

    @Derek Anderson: lol, are you kidding? Capel Street is about as congested as it can be already. Traffic evaporation is a well-studied phenomenon that happens when you provide people with alternatives. In this case, the alternatives are better access for pedestrians and cyclists.

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    Mute Just Himself
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:58 PM

    @Derek Anderson: Traffic doesn’t work the way you think it does. Paradoxically, reducing a lane can actually help to relieve traffic and adding a lane can actually increase the amount of traffic in an area. This could actually help to alleviate traffic in the surrounding area as people who don’t need to travel through that specific area will avoid it.

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    Mute Philip Cullen
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    Apr 27th 2022, 1:53 PM

    So to drive into the south cc now from the northside Fairview (busiest stretch of road in the country) is being closed and all traffic is being diverted through Ballybough which is madness, which means all traffic has to go through the already idiotic road layout on Parnell St to get onto Capel St, but now we can’t go down Capel St so this will mean a further diversion and more driving around in circles. Already takes almost an hour to make the 5km journey into the south cc, not even at rush hour, so this will mean even further deterioration of our city centre, retail businesses and jobs.

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    Mute Ajax Penumbra
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    Apr 27th 2022, 1:56 PM

    @Philip Cullen: Bet you a tenner it won’t mean that.

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    Mute Fozz
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    Apr 27th 2022, 2:29 PM

    @Philip Cullen: the clue is in your tirade – 5km.
    Walk or bike it.
    But am sure you’ll mention the old or disabled etc.
    If all those who could do it outside a car did, then those who absolutely need to to use a car could do far easier.
    So if you have concerns for those less able, then don’t use the your car and create traffic to block their way.

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    Mute Peazel
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:06 PM

    @Philip Cullen: I used to drive from the North East suburbs to Leeson St, Stephens Green area, at all times of the day. Never took more than 30 mins. Fairview isn’t closed, it’s a lane down each side so I can’t see it adding that much. Even at that, go through Ballybough and down Gardiner St if you’re so inclined.

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    Mute Urban Living Dublin
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:29 PM

    @Philip Cullen: If you HAVE to drive, there are plenty of other, far better options in the area such as Church Street and Queen Street. To use busy, narrow Capel Street as a rat run is insanity.

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    Mute Martin Keogh
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:31 PM

    @Philip Cullen: You can’t complain about traffic when you are traffic.

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    Mute David O'Connor
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:38 PM

    @Fozz: on fire today…

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:40 PM

    @Philip Cullen: You would walk 5k in an hour!

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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Apr 28th 2022, 12:27 AM

    @Philip Cullen: Enjoy giving out?

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    Mute Sid
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:13 PM

    Good job, great start. Hopefully many more streets are pedestrianised going forward.

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    Mute Thomas McMillan
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:21 PM

    They should look at Parnell St next.

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    Mute Brian Tracy
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:13 PM

    So it’s a two fingers to all the delivery drivers who keep the shops stocked.

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    Mute Jason Ebbs
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:17 PM

    @Brian Tracy: so you didn’t read the part about the hours delivery vehicles are allowed ?

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    Mute Steve
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    Apr 27th 2022, 3:50 PM

    @Brian Tracy: Yeah, look at how all the shops closed on Grafton St and Henry St because they can’t get any deliveries

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    Mute Declan Dalton
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    Apr 28th 2022, 9:54 AM

    @Brian Tracy: it’s open to deliveries from 6am to 11am

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    Mute A Kelly
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    Apr 27th 2022, 2:47 PM

    WTF? How are all the SUV driving Grannies who can’t walk to the Zoo supposed to go shopping?

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    Mute DJ François
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    Apr 27th 2022, 7:24 PM

    Great news, more of this, BT car park creates unnecessary traffic also.

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