THE proposed light rail transit (LRT) line to Ballymun in north Dublin could not be built within the timescale envisaged for the current round of EU Structural Funds, according to a long awaited consultants' report requested by the European Commission.
This has emerged as the main treason for proceeding with the current plan to serve Tallaght and Dundrum in the first phase of the LUAS project, on the clear understanding that the deferred Ballymun line would be built immediately afterwards.
The report, compiled by consultants Oscar Faber, provides a comparative socio economic evaluation of the decision to proceed with a line serving Tallaght and Dundrum, via the city centre, as opposed to the option of building a line linking Tallaght with Ballymun.
It says there is "little difference" between the two alternatives in terms of costs or financial performance. But there would be greater transportation benefits in proceeding, as planned, with the Tallaght Dundrum line because of its ability to attract more car commuters.
The report concedes that there is a "greater level of social deprivation" along the Tallaght Ballymun route, but says there is a "strong argument" that transportation schemes should primarily be evaluated in terms of transportation benefits rather than on the basis of other issues.
"Whilst it is recognised that this is a difficult trade off, an important factor is that the efficacy of the LRT scheme in actually alleviating social deprivation is open to question," it says, adding that "on balance" the Tallaght Dundrum line should proceed as the first phase.
However, given the firm political commitment to build the line to Ballymun as an integral part of the Dublin Transportation Initiative strategy, "the current issue may therefore be seen as one of phasing rather than an absolute choice between [the two] alternatives.
The consultants concede that the Tallaght Dundrum route was now unlikely to be completed until the beginning of 2001, the absolute deadline for availing of the £112 million pledged by the European Commission towards the project. This deadline would not be met if the route was switched to Ballymun.
"An assessment by the LRT team has shown that construction of the Ballymun route could not, start as early as the Dundrum route because the preliminary design of the Ballymun route has not yet begun, whereas the Dundrum route has now moved into the detailed design staged."
The report says the project team had estimated that there would be a minimum delay of 18 months in the planned programme if a Tallaght Ballymun line was to become the first phase. "Given that this would represent a substantial change in direction, a two year deal is likely to be more realistic."
It says "even this timescale could be optimistic given that the Ballymun line entirely uses existing highways and a significant proportion of the route affects residential and smaller commercial properties". This could create problems which might take a great deal of time to resolve.
By comparison, the Dundrum route would use the old Harcourt Street railway line, taking it all the way in as far as Charlemont Place on the Grand Canal. It also appeared to have the greatest potential to encourage urban renewal, according to the consultants.
