Donabate Urban Centre Strategy Fingal County Council

Appendix 1 ILTP Transport Study
As part of the modelling exercise a detailed assessment of existing
and future development was carried out. This shows that the town
is forecast to grow from an existing population of around 9,000
people (including recent developments and permissions) to an
estimated 23,477 people over a 15 year period. Such growth would
be commensurate with what has recently occurred in Balbriggan for
example. The forecasted population would place Donabate alongside
towns such as Drogheda, Kilkenny, Naas and Wexford in the current
urban hierarchy.
The study appraised the existing transport environment and identified
the following: -
• High amounts of low density housing remote from public transport
facilities
• Poor pedestrian and cycle facilities approaching the town centre
• Poor pedestrian crossing facilities within the town centre
• Poor traffic and parking management, especially during school traffic
periods
• 8% of current trips are internal to Donabate
• 38% of current trips are to the north city area (including Swords,
Malahide, Portmarnock and the airport)
• 27% of current trips are to the city centre and port
• A 60:40 car:PT mode split according to Fingal/DTO surveys
2005 AM Peak Vehicle Trips 354
409
342 429
408 591
456 607
172 659 63
299 428
2005 PM Peak Vehicle Trips 349
349
177 547
522 463
562 375
220 444 67
449 280
Figure 1: 2005 Donabate Town Centre Vehicle Trips (source: ILTP study)
62
52
The study examined two distributor road route options both with
and without traffic management in the town centre. A preferred
distributor road alignment was identified (“option 2”). The study also
identified that traffic management would be essential within the town
centre for the overall transport strategy to be effective. The study
recommended the following: -
• Traffic calming on town centre approaches
• Traffic calming within the town centre
• Provision for increased bus services within Donabate
• A 30kmph zone within the town centre
• Traffic management measures to address queuing at the
train station and approaching schools during the school
run
The study determined that such measures would be essential for
the planned distributor road network to be effective. It concluded,
“traffic management measures within Donabate are vitally important
to create a friendly environment that can cater for the needs of the
local community and to allow sustainable transport to develop within
the Donabate Peninsula.”
Figure 1 shows the surveyed and modelled town centre vehicular
traffic flows in 2005. Figure 2 shows forecasted vehicular trips through
Donabate town centre within the existing road network with the
distributor road in place both with and without traffic management
in the town centre.
Donabate Urban Centre Strategy 81