Dublin’s Suffolk Street set for pedestrian-friendly ‘re-imagining’ as council outlines early plans
Suffolk Street in Dublin’s south city centre is set for a pedestrian-friendly revamp under early plans outlined by Dublin City Council (DCC).
The street, which connects Grafton Street and Nassau Street to St Andrew Street, underwent some modifications in 2021 for Covid-19, with wider footpath build-outs and space for outdoor dining.
But the upcoming changes, the council says, will build on these measures, improving pedestrian priority on the street, introducing more greenery, and upgrading the street’s cycling facilities.
Access for emergency services and business deliveries in the mornings are set to continue under the new plans.
DCC wrapped its pre-design consultation period last month, and said it will now engage an in-house design team from the Road Design and City Architects divisions, with input from the authority’s Traffic and Parks departments, to design a preliminary design.
“The proposed improvements aim to prioritise pedestrian movement, improve universal accessibility, support active travel, increase greening and public seating opportunities, and create a high-quality public space that is attractive, safe and inclusive for all users,” the authority said.
Having consulted with Disabled Persons Organisations, (DPOs), the interaction between cyclists and pedestrians on the existing street was identified as “a key concern”.
“A lack of clearly defined areas and physical separation was identified as a significant safety issue, particularly for wheelchair users and visually impaired pedestrians,” the council wrote.
An online survey carried out by DCC with 103 respondents showed that visual clutter, lack of seating and a lack of green spaces are the greatest challenges facing the street.
Inadequate cycling infrastructure was the fourth-highest challenge for visitors to the street.
The variety of businesses was the most popular part of the street, according to respondents, followed by Suffolk Street’s connectivity to the rest of the city and its vibrant atmosphere.
Public seating, space for pedestrians and safer cycling routes were the three most sought-after elements for the street in the responses received.
The council noted that the consultation “supports a permanent, cohesive and high-quality public realm for Suffolk Street.”
Marie Galvin, a DCC senior executive engineer, told councillors in recent weeks that she is hoping to bring the project to site next year.
“I want that to be done before College Green because it’s a good enabler for that project and it links and we’re designing holistically with the College Green project,” she said.
Ms Galvin added that there would likely need to be a slight redistribution of street space away from private business space and in favour of the public.
“We’ve done a test called a pedestrian comfort level, where you look at the width of the footpath and you look at the pedestrian numbers,” she said.
“So, we do feel we need to steal back a little bit of the outer dining width, but we do think we can keep the majority of that. But we do have to realise that this is a public street and I suppose we have to give priority to the public.”