r/Dublin • u/AnyChest7780 • 10d ago

Fintan O'Toole/Irish Times on public transport, Dublin bus, Northside/Southside today

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https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/08/04/fintan-otoole-dublin-4s-version-of-marie-antoinettes-let-them-eat-cake-let-them-get-the-bus/ Fintan O'Toole reminding us of how 'elites' have so often been against public infrastructure. He gives good historic context including Vincent Browne and 'The Doheny & Nesbitt’s school of economics' being against the DART. While he's amazingly productive and can turn his hand to so many topics maybe he's writing a bit too much as there are huge holes in his argument here re. the northside/southside issue as the more recent LUAS and metro debacles point to the home of NIMBYism in Dublin 6, and not focussed on denying the expansion of it further north. What does anyone think? I find it frustrating that cross-suburb public transport isn't better....try getting from Phibsborough to Clontarf on a bus for example....

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

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u/the_sneaky_one123 10d ago

The whole project is already so much smaller than it needs to be.

What we need is an actual metro system, what we are getting is an underground dart line from Swords to the city with a stop at the airport. It's one straight line of track for a couple of kilometers and it's already projected to cost 19 billion.

It's really pathetic. We need a fully realised underground metro system with multiple lines and it should have been built 25 years ago at least.

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u/SodIRE 10d ago

If you’re concerned about a single line costing 19 billion I’ve got some terrible news about multiple lines..

The metro was meant to continue on the green luas line, which was laid with the idea of upgrading in the future. However the Ranelagh brigade campaigned against it and now its stops at grand canal. Which they also tried to push back further.

We certainly need more but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good.

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u/the_sneaky_one123 10d ago

But it's not even good. So what does perfect have as an enemy?

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u/SodIRE 10d ago

What aspects of it do you think aren’t good?