I live in Dún Laoghaire and work in Docklands. Using a fast Rib, I could complete my regular commute in 20 minutes, practically all year round. So assuming I owned, or had access to the boat, what stands in the way of enjoying a fast, open air and congestion-free commute?
I made some enquiries and it turns out that as a boat-owner I enjoy full navigational rights on the Liffey – subject to complying with basic rules of navigation. So I can cruise unhindered up and down the river. However, it seems that tying up presents a significant problem. Pontoons exist at several points along the quays but these are privately owned and out of bounds for everyday users.
So what if we reinvented the Liffey as a transport corridor to meet today’s needs? After all, for centuries, from the founding of the city, the river was a busy, lively and active space with cargo vessels operating up to Merchant’s Quay and small ferries plying their trade at numerous crossing points.
In terms of meeting the needs of everyday commuters, the navigation can be defined as the stretch of quay extending from Grand Canal Dock up as far as Heuston Station. This corridor was navigated by a fleet of Guinness barges for a period of over 90 years up to 1961.
To fully open the river to traffic, what’s required is a series of floating pontoons located at strategic points such as the Point [3Arena], Tara Street and Heuston Station. These would be available to the public but would also have spaces reserved for a small number of licensed ferry operators plying the river. It’s achievable and highly practicable – but what’s the wider traffic impact?
Dublin city centre already suffers from chronic traffic congestion and, around Docklands, gridlock will inevitably get worse as the City Council’s latest development plans proceed on both sides of the river. A waterborne service won’t have the capacity to radically change the big traffic picture. But what it can provide is a fast, sustainable local transport service and at minimal cost in terms of infrastructure.
So there it is then: The Thames is a regular commuter corridor with hundreds of boat movements every day. Likewise, the Seine, the Scheldt and the Mersey. It seems that for many estuary cities the river operates as vital public realm. Unquestionably for Dublin, that waterborne commute is an intriguing and eminently realisable prospect.
Words: Reg McCabe
Image: What if Dublin
Reg McCabe is a tour guide and local historian and was formerly a business lobbyist.
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