ANYONE WHO HAS spent a day or two commuting through the city centre since construction of the Rosie Hackett bridge began in 2012 will know the horrors of trying to navigate the building site that Dublin City Centre has become over the last five years.
Sure transport will eventually become marginally more convenient, but at what cost?
Here are the most irritating things about the Luas works:
1. It has taken longer to build than the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower combined
The 102 storey Empire State Building was completed in 410 days. That means on average, a floor every four days. The Rosie Hackett bridge alone took almost two and a half years. Get your act together Luas Cross City.
2. It has totally changed all of the bus routes we once knew and loved
Remember the good old days when the 39a just went from Kildare Street to Nassau Street to the quays? Now it feels like it goes from Dawson Street, to Nassau Street, to Pearse Street, to those seven newly discovered planets, making a quick stop to Galway on the way back, then back to Eden Quay. Then finally over the Rosie Hackett bridge to the quays.
3. And it has added an obnoxious amount of time onto simple bus journeys
Please bring a packed lunch if you are travelling during rush hour. Oh, and try say a proper goodbye to your loved ones, because who knows how long it’s going to take you to get to the north side.
4. Cyclists have an extra challenge
Think you can try escape the Luas works by avoiding public transport? Think again. On top of having to look left and right and paying attention to the traffic in front of/behind you, now cyclists also have to pay close attention to the ground to make sure they survive any journey across the city.
5. Jaywalking is now impossible
Ok, so we have established that buses and bikes are off the cards if you want a peaceful and safe journey through Dublin City Centre. The Luas works couldn’t possibly interfere with a nice stroll through town. Oh, but they do. At present, there are approximately four places left to cross the road on O’Connell Street. It’s so hard to jaywalk when 70% of the foothpath is fenced off.
6. It has taken so long, despite construction often continuing overnight
Anyone who lives on Parnell Street knows what it’s like to dream about Luas works, because the noise of it is constantly seeping into their brains every night when they go to sleep.
7. We still don’t know really even know when it’s going to be complete
Perhaps it’s just time to accept it as a permanent part of Dublin now. We could try market it to tourists and pretend it’s a part of our heritage.
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8. Finally, if this actually was a part of our history, we would have been pretty lucky.
Had they started the Luas works in 1916, there’s no way the Brits would have had the patience to get past them on O’Connell street to try take back the GPO.
