Homeowners prepared to fight BusConnects plan in court

Residents accuse transport authority of paying lip service to public consultation, with 'thousands of submissions binned' 

Residents claim the NTA's revised plans will 'lock in car dependency” for decades.  Picture: Dan Linehan

Homeowners on Cork’s Douglas Rd who face losing parts of their gardens, historical boundary walls, and centuries-old trees say they are prepared to fight the BusConnects plan in the courts unless a suitable compromise is found.

Members of the Douglas Road Environment Heritage and Community Group dismissed as unacceptable the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) revised plans for the section of the sustainable transport corridor (STC) I, Maryborough Hill to the city, which runs through their area, and claimed they will actually “lock in car dependency” for decades.

“They are paying lip service to public consultation. We believe there are thousands of submissions which have been binned, and that they paid no attention to them,” said residents' representative, Ronan Margey.

“Their plan now represents a road-widening project at the expense of the environment, cultural heritage, and visual character of the road, that will maintain the status quo and lock in demand-induced car dependency for the area.

The environmental destruction will be monumental: 183 mature trees, some dating back to 1780, historic properties that are listed, boundary walls dating back to 1810 and recognised as unique habitats for unique biodiversity, with 565 individual plant, insect, bird and animal species undermined by road widening.

The revised changes for STC I include the dropping of an outbound bus lane on Douglas Rd, and the introduction of a bus gate that will operate during morning and evening peak hours only, with motorists allowed to drive along the road as normal outside of these hours.

The NTA said these measures will reduce the impacts to properties on Douglas Rd.

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However, Mr Margey said dozens of homeowners along the northern side of the road still face the prospect of compulsory land acquisition and the loss of trees.

He said residents are very aware of the climate crisis, that they want an environmentally-sound BusConnects plan that achieves modal shift, and he insisted this is not a case of NIMBYism.

He said residents made submissions, engaged with the NTA, and walked the route with NTA officials to point out acceptable “local solutions to local problems”.

National Transport Authority CEO Anne Graham speaks at the launch of the second round of public consultation on sustainable transport corridors. Picture: Clare Keogh

They pointed to changes the NTA agreed to make to the Dublin BusConnects plan on streets with similar character and visual appearance, and where similar environmental and heritage issues emerged. But Mr Margey said the NTA seemed “dismissive” of their suggestions.

“They have not made any concessions based on submissions from residents. The reality is we remain very disappointed with the engagement so far. The NTA seems quite entrenched and inflexible,” he said.

Residents have again urged the NTA to consider an alternative one-way system involving Douglas Rd and South Douglas Rd, which has already been explored, costed, and modelled in the Douglas land-use and transport plan, and in the CMATS plan.

“We remain available to work with the NTA but we are also firmly committed to keep challenging this plan and if we have to resort to court, we are all prepared to do that,” he said.