A public consultation on the pedestrianisation of Capel Street earlier this year found that the vast majority of respondents said their experience of the street has improved since it was closed to vehicle traffic and I was one of those people.
My understanding is that Dublin City Council has engaged the services of BSLA [Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects] to landscape the street and a public meetings have been arranged for next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Following a tender process, Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects have been invited to design an interim street improvement scheme to be installed before the summer. These designers are based on Mary’s Abbey, just off Capel Street and have extensive knowledge of the street. The first stage in this process is to hold a workshop with councilors, local residents and local businesses to gain their views on what would work for the street. This is due to be held in the Capel Street area in mid-November and councilors, residents and businesses will be invited to participate. Following this initial workshop, a design will be advanced and further workshops will be held with the local community. This process will be driven by a collaborative approach.
A Shopfront Improvement Scheme is to be launched to encourage property owners and tenants to reinvigorate their business facades – painting, flower boxes, improved signage etc.
The junction of Ryders Row and Capel Street will undergo a greening enhancement in January 2023 to make this entrance into Capel Street more welcoming.
The City Council in partnership with the Dublin North Inner City Local Community Safety Partnership and DublinTown will be piloting a new pro social community warden scheme in the Capel Street and Wolfetone Park areas. The wardens will work with stakeholders including Gardai, City Council, Businesses and Residents on identifying areas for improvement, pop up events, advising shoppers/tourists on activities and places to see.
This year a small Christmas Tree has been installed on Capel Street towards the southern end of the street later this month.
CAPEL STREET HAS BEEN PEDESTRIANISED – 22 AUGUST 2022 VISIT
As I was walking along the street a couple approached me complaining that they could not purchase a parking ticket as they could not find a ticket machine. They got really annoyed when I explained that it was a pedestrian only zone. They explained in no uncertain terms that they will never again to Dublin to shop.
If you are walking along the street a degree of caution is advise because bicycles and electric scooters are permitted to use the street and there are so many of them that they a rapidly becoming a safety issue. Note: I am not sure if electric scooters are actually legal but there are many of them.
With a 400m pedestrian and cycle area stretching from Parnell Street and Ryder’s Row at its northern end, to Strand Street in the south, Capel Street’s traffic exclusion zone exceeds both Henry Street and Grafton Street in length.
The council implemented pedestrianisation trial on Capel Street banning traffic from the street from 6.30pm to 11.30pm at weekends. More than 7,000 submissions were made to a subsequent consultation process, the largest number of submissions the council has ever received to a public consultation.
About 80 per cent were in favour of pedestrianising Capel Street on a permanent basis with about 90 per cent seeking some traffic-free measures.
Key elements of the plan were: Permanent closure at Parnell Street extending from Jervis Lane to remove through traffic on Capel Street. Delivery access will be available between 6am and 11am. Car parking spaces will be converted to loading bays. There will be all day loading provided at a number of side streets. Mary’s Abbey traffic flow direction will be reversed and residents existing from Abbey Street will exit via Mary’s Abbey. Mary Street between Capel Street and Jervis Lane will be reversed. Strand Street Little and Strand Street Great will remain open to traffic all day. Initial street improvements including seating and greening are to be provided.
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