South William Street to be fully pedestrianised despite opposition

Dublin City Council are set to fully pedestrianise South William Street.

The decision comes following the successful pedestrianisation of Capel Street, which came into effect in May of this month.

Last summer, the council pedestrianised a number of areas around Grafton Street on a trial basis, including Drury Street, South Anne Street and a section of South William Street.

While the trial was met with overwhelming support from the public, the council’s recent decision to make the street permanently traffic-free received some opposition by some businesses in the area, particularly car park owners.

According to the Irish Times, DCC asked the car park owners if it would be possible to reverse their entry and exit arrangements to make South William Street an entry point to the car park with exit from Clarendon Street. “This would then allow for the majority of the street to be pedestrianised,” the council said.

The car park owners said that this option would cause “insurmountable structural difficulties that cannot be overcome”. They also added that the trial pedestrianisation caused “considerable congestion internally” to the car park, with its business dropping by 30% from the first week.

According to the Times, Green Party councillor Claire Byrne said the council “cannot be beholden to one retail unit in the city and their car park”, adding that South William Street was one of the most intact Georgian Street in the city but its “pedestrian experience is very compromised”.

Header image via Shutterstock

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