abpsubm,traffic,csr for j&j.pdf

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Report

October 2015

Proposed National Childrens Hospital Transport Submission

For The Jack and Jill Foundation


Transport Insights Limited, Ground Floor, 11/ 12 Baggot Court, Dublin 2, Ireland Email:- [email protected] | Telephone:- + 353 1 685 2279 1

Document Control Contract Name Proposed National Childrens Hospital

Transport Submission

Contract Number C099 2015

Document Type Report

Document Status Draft

Primary Author(s) Garret Murphy, Eoin Munn

Other Author(s) Jelena Simievi

Reviewer(s) Ciaran McKeon

Document Review Item No.

Item Description Reviewer Initials Review Date

1 Draft Report v1.0 CMcK 09/09/2015


3 Draft Report v2.0 CMcK/ JS 22/09/2015




7 Final Report v4.0 CMcK 01/10/2015

8

Distribution Item No.

Item Description Approvers Initials Date

1 Draft Report v2.5 to Cunnane Stratton Reynolds & The Jack and Jill Foundation

CMcK 23/09/2015

2 Updated Draft Report v3.8 to Cunnane Stratton Reynolds & The Jack and Jill Foundation

CMcK 30/09/2015

3 Final Report v4.0 to Cunnane Stratton Reynolds & The Jack and Jill Foundation

CMcK 01/10/2015



Table of Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 4

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 10

1.1. Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 10

1.2. The Jack and Jill Foundation ..................................................................................................................... 10

1.3. About Transport Insights .......................................................................................................................... 11

1.4. Submission Structure ............................................................................................................................... 11

2. Submission Approach ........................................................................................................ 13

2.1. Submission Scope ..................................................................................................................................... 13

2.2. Outline Approach ..................................................................................................................................... 13

2.3. Supplemental Parking Impact Analysis .................................................................................................... 14

3. On- and Off-Site Observations and Surveys ........................................................................ 16

3.1. Objectives ................................................................................................................................................. 16

3.2. On-Site Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 16

3.3. Off-Site Assessment the Receiving Environment .................................................................................. 18

3.4. St. Jamess Hospital Patient/ Visitor Car Park Occupancy Observations ................................................. 21

3.5. St. Jamess Hospital On-Street Car Park Occupancy Survey .................................................................... 22

3.6. Luas Park and Ride Occupancy Observations Red Cow and Cheeverstown ......................................... 24

4. Development Proposal Overview and Key Data ............................................................... 25

4.1. St. Jamess Hospital Campus .................................................................................................................... 25

4.2. National Remit ......................................................................................................................................... 25

4.3. Key Data ................................................................................................................................................... 25

5. Development Transport Strategy Review ........................................................................... 28

5.1. Proposed Transport Strategy ................................................................................................................... 28

5.2. St. Jamess Hospital Campus Draft Site Capacity Study ........................................................................... 28

5.3. St. Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme ....................................................................... 31

5.4. Strategic Accessibility Analysis ................................................................................................................. 39

5.5. Development Transport Strategy Conclusions ......................................................................................... 40

6. Traffic and Transport Impact Assessment Review ............................................................... 42

6.1. Traffic and Transport Impact Assessment Best Practice Guidance ....................................................... 42

6.2. Operational Phase Trip Generation and Mode Share .............................................................................. 43

6.3. Operational Phase Assessment Years, Scenarios, and Time Periods ....................................................... 44

6.4. Operational Phase Traffic Distribution and Assignment .......................................................................... 45

6.5. Operational Phase Traffic Modelling........................................................................................................ 46

6.6. Construction Phase Impact Assessment Review ...................................................................................... 48

6.7. Traffic and Transport Impact Assessment Review Conclusions ............................................................... 50

7. Proposed Site Access and Site Plans Review ....................................................................... 53

7.1. Review Context ........................................................................................................................................ 53

7.2. Proposed New Mount Brown Site Access Junction ................................................................................. 53

7.3. Proposed Internal Shared Surface Facilities ............................................................................................. 54

7.4. Taxi and Car Drop-Off and Pick-Up .......................................................................................................... 54



7.5. Road Safety Audit (RSA) Review ............................................................................................................... 56

7.6. Proposed Site Plan Review Conclusions ................................................................................................... 56

8. Parking Impact Analysis ..................................................................................................... 57

8.1. Parking Accumulation Analysis Review .................................................................................................... 57

8.2. Managing Parking Demand ...................................................................................................................... 70

8.3. Parking Impact Assessment...................................................................................................................... 73

8.4. International Benchmarks ........................................................................................................................ 76

8.5. Parking Impact Analysis Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 76

Appendices

Appendix A St. Jamess Hospital Correspondence

Appendix B St. Jamess Hospital On-Street Survey Results

Appendix C Patient/ Family Transport Survey, Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin (2006)



Executive Summary

Overview

This Transport Submission, on behalf of the Jack and Jill Foundation, has been prepared in response to the

recently lodged planning application for development of a new National Childrens Hospital at the St. Jamess

Hospital Campus, Jamess Street, Dublin 8. The application has been supported by an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS), Chapter 6 of which sets out the transport strategy and resulting impact appraisal.

The challenges of developing a transport strategy for, and assessing the transport impacts of, a strategic

development with relatively unique attributes such as that currently proposed are acknowledged by

Transport Insights. Notwithstanding these challenges, having reviewed the development proposals, serious

deficiencies in relation to its supporting rationale and the robustness of the transport assessment have been

identified. These can be summarised as follows:

Site Context

Based on information contained within the St. Jamess Hospital Annual Report 2013, the adult hospital

currently has 1,010 beds, and caters for 229,120 outpatients, 97,672 day care patients and 46,714 urgent

car cases per annum.

On the day of a site assessment (Thursday 03 September 2015) occupancy levels within the adult

hospitals staff car parks were observed to be in excess of 100%.

Observations of occupancy levels within the hospitals patient/ visitor car parks (Wednesday 09

September) vary considerably throughout the day, with a moderate occupancy level of 60% at 09:00hrs

increasing significantly to a peak of 97% at 15:00hrs, coinciding with the first of two visiting periods

(14:30hrs 15:30hrs) at the hospital.

The hospital is located in an edge of City Centre location, and extensive peak period queuing and delay

has been observed in the 08:00hrs to 09:00hrs peak. Long queues were observed at the junction of

South Circular Road and Mount Brown, with queues of over 30 vehicles observed on the Mount Brown

Arm of the junction (versus an EIS Traffic and Transport Chapters equivalent queue of 8 vehicles).

Significant levels of queuing observed on the morning of the site assessment will impact on patient

access to the site in the AM peak period. Furthermore, a general lack of bus priority to the west of the

site has implications for reliable and efficient bus operations, and access by emergency vehicles to the

hospital grounds.

The area to the west and south of the site is predominantly residential in nature, and as such represents

a potentially sensitive environment in which to locate a large, strategic, national facility such as a

National Childrens Hospital. The area is particularly sensitive to the impacts of over-spill car parking,

should the proposed level of car parking prove inadequate in meeting the needs of hospital users. On-

street car parking occupancy surveys undertaken in an area corresponding to an approximate 400m walk



distance (or 5 minute walk time) from the proposed hospital indicate that, at present, 69% of all on-

street car parking spaces are occupied during the day-time.

On-street car park occupancy levels in this area during the evening time were observed to be significantly

higher that day-time levels surveyed.

Development Proposal

The new hospital represents a consolidation of existing childrens hospitals at Crumlin, Tallaght and

Temple Street onto a single site within the St. Jamess Hospital Campus.

The principal element of the proposed development is a 473 no. bed (380 in-patient and 93 day care)

new childrens hospital, with a gross floor area of 118,113 sqm. Satellite centres are also proposed at

the Adelaide & Meath/ Tallaght Hospital, and Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, however both of these

proposed developments are outside the scope of this Submission.

Following its delivery, core weekday staff numbers are anticipated to increase from 3,000 at present to

5,000 (an increase of 67%), and daily patient numbers by in excess of 80%.

Despite the substantial increase in staff numbers, it is proposed to reduce on-site staff car parking by

244 spaces, whereas patient/ visitor car parking capacity would increase by 664 spaces, representing a

net increase in 420 car parking spaces (or 26% more than at present).

St. James's Hospital Campus Draft Site Capacity Study

A Site Capacity Study has been submitted by the applicant for consideration by ABP alongside other

planning related files. The rationale for the draft Study status is unclear, however finalising the study

prior to selection of the St. Jamess Hospital for development of a new National Childrens Hospital may

have been anticipated as a means of demonstrating development feasibility.

The level of proposed on-site car parking emerging from the study does not appear to have been

underpinned by an analysis of user needs; i.e. patients, visitors and staff of the expanded site.

The importance placed within the Draft Site Capacity Study on the delivery of schemes such as DART

Underground, Lucan Luas etc. represent an acknowledgement on behalf of the applicant of the

limitations imposed by the existing public transport network in terms of staff and patient/ visitor access.

The identified schemes have however neither funding commitment nor planning consent at present,

and uncertainty and risk surrounding their delivery undermines confidence in a key element of the

transport strategy for the expanded St. Jamess Hospital site. The recent Government announcement

regarding DART Underground reinforces this point.

The Draft Site Capacity Study has placed excessive emphasis on the role and potential of the St Jamess

Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme in achieving the required level of reductions in staff car use

following delivery of the proposed development.



St. James's Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme

Across the single adult and four childrens hospitals, the Smarter Travel Programme targets a reduction

in car use from approximately 60% at present to 18%. Potential medium-long term on-site development

of the maternity hospital would, according to EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter, result in a further 4%

reduction in staff car mode share.

Although a Mobility Management Plan has been prepared for the St Jamess Hospital campus (St

Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme) and is currently being implemented.., no

equivalent Mobility Management Plan exists at present for the three childrens hospitals.

As staff at the existing childrens hospitals choose accommodation that is readily accessible by

convenient modes including walking, cycling and public transport, accessibility to an alternative hospital

location will, for most staff, be diminished, not enhanced by a relocation to the St. Jamess Hospital site.

Staff car dependency would, in such instances, be anticipated to increase, not decrease, however very

limited levels of staff car parking are proposed for the expanded facility.

While it is recognized that distribution of staff based at the three childrens hospitals is likely to change

over time when staff move to the new childrens hospital at St Jamess Hospital campus, the timescales

for achieving such a change has not been considered. Due to personal/ family commitments, a

significant change in staff demographic patterns may take many years to achieve.

Deficiencies in the public transport network have also been identified by the Draft Site Capacity Study,

and on-site cycle parking occupancy observations indicate that external factors presently appear to play

a greater role in hindering enhanced levels of cycle use, rather than on-site infrastructure provision.

The applicant has failed to demonstrate that there is sufficient reserve capacity on the public transport

network, and the Luas Red Line in particular, to cater for additional passenger demand generated by the

proposed development. Specifically:

To achieve a 9% staff park and ride mode share, the applicant has designated two park and ride

sites on the Luas Red Line at which free staff car parking would be provided Red Cow and

Cheeverstown. Based on observed occupancies at these sites (537 spaces occupied out of 727 at

Red Cow and 39 out of 321 at Cheeverstown on Tuesday 08 September 2015), and on the

presumption of a similar allocation of demand between sites as presently observed, capacity at the

Red Cow site is insufficient to accommodate the required level of staff use.

In addition to a failure to consider Luas park and ride capacity, the applicant has also failed to assess

the adequacy of public transport service capacity. Consultation with the Railway Procurement

Agency is not considered an appropriate substitute for a public transport network capacity analysis.

Anecdotal evidence of overcrowding on the Luas Red Line in the AM peak period further reinforces the

above concerns in relation to the adequacy of Luas Red Line capacity.



The timescales for achieving the required change in staff demographics at the three existing childrens

hospitals; for achieving a radical behavioral change response amongst staff at all four hospital; and for

addressing deficiencies in public transport and cycle networks are all medium-long term challenges,

whereas the new hospital is envisaged to become operational by 2020.

To facilitate the needs of shift workers, and in particular staff arriving to the site after 19:00hrs, the

applicant has proposed to grant staff free access to the patient/ visitor car parks. Based on an

underestimation of visitor car parking demand, it appears that night-time staff arriving at the hospital

will be unable to locate a car parking space without spending a considerable time searching for a vacant

space in both staff and visitor car parks.

Behavioural change initiatives will play a more limited role in influencing the travel behaviours of shift

workers, as the feasibility of using non-car transport modes is more limited, due to for example, darkness

and associated safety and security concerns reducing propensity to walk or cycle, and reduced public

transport service frequencies.

Targeted desktop research indicates that the scale of the challenge of achieving the required level of

staff modal shift away from car towards public transport and other modes through pursuit of mobility

management measures appears unprecedented in either Irish or international contexts.

Traffic and Transport Impact Assessment

Having undertaken a detailed review of the transport impact assessment as set out in the EIS Traffic and

Transport Chapter, the approach pursued by the applicant does not claim to follow, or does not appear

to accord with, industry best practice, namely the NRAs TTA Guidelines.

Key stages in the assessment, including trip generation, modal split, assessment years and time periods,

traffic distribution and assignment, and the modelling approach pursued in the analysis of traffic impacts

lack the required level of robustness for a large, strategic and centrally located development proposal.

The transport assessment approach pursued by the applicant is therefore deficient in areas that are of

greatest significance in terms of forecasting the proposed developments traffic impacts.

The cumulative effect of these deficiencies is a substantial underestimation of the proposed

developments traffic impacts, impacting on access to the site by car, by bus and crucially by emergency

vehicles. This is particularly concerning in light of the already significant levels of peak period queuing

and delay experienced on the road network within the sites vicinity.

Deficiencies in the assessment process also undermine the conclusion within the EIS Traffic and

Transport Chapter that the delivery of additional development on campus can be accommodated

without impacting on prevailing traffic conditions on the surrounding road network.

Site Access and Layout Plans

A review of the proposed site access arrangements and site plans has identified:



That those accessing/ egressing via the proposed new Mount Brown site access junction location are

likely to both experience and add to existing significant levels of queuing and delay to the west of the

site, including the junction of South Circular Road and Mount Brown. The existing adverse performance

characteristics at this junction do not appear to have been reflected in the applicants traffic assessment.

The suitability of Mount Brown as a major access route to the proposed hospital by patients, visitors and

staff has therefore not been demonstrated.

An apparent failure to provide a swept path analysis for the proposed new Mount Brown junction layout,

gives rise to concerns relating to the efficient and safe future operation of the junction.

The proposed internal shared surface facilities for general traffic and cyclists risks hindering the St.

Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programmes target increases in the staff cycle use.

A lack of clarity relating to taxi and car drop off facilities, and whether they shall meet anticipated high

levels of future patient, visitor and staff demand.

The Road Safety Audits limited scope, having considered only the sites interfaces with the surrounding

road network, and not internal operations. This could have implications for the safe future internal

operations of the site.

Parking Impact Analysis

Following review of the parking accumulation analysis presented within the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter,

and supplemental analysis by our team:

The applicant has significantly underestimated patient/ visitor car parking demand at the hospital. In

particular, no substantiation has been provided in support of the very low levels of visitor car parking

demand, which is assumed to remain at a constant level of 16 parked cars during both visiting periods.

Transport Insights updated parking accumulation analysis, which has applied a revised patient/ visitor

car mode share to reflect national household car ownership levels (Census 2011 results indicating that

82.4% of households own a car), and re-forecasted visitor demand, indicate that even in the most

optimistic scenario, demand for car parking is forecast to exceed capacity (based on a maximum 95%

target occupancy) for 5 hours per day.

In the other two scenarios analysed, demand is likely to exceed capacity for a much longer period of

time 10 hours per day in the pessimistic scenario.

Higher level of patient/ visitor car parking demand in the evening time will constrain the role of the

patient/ visitor car park in accommodating temporary elevated staff car parking demand during the staff

handover period. This would also impact on the availability of car parking spaces for visitors at this time.



Patient/ visitor car parking

charges are estimated to

range from 2.50 per hour in

the optimistic scenarios

(the same as the existing

adults hospital) to between

2.90 and 5.10 per hour in

the pessimistic scenario

(based on the same 95%

maximum target occupancy

level). Higher charges again,

ranging from 3.50 to 7.00 per hour, would be needed in a more robust 90% target occupancy scenario.

Extensive over-spill car parking on streets surrounding the hospital is forecast, ranging from 84-117 cars

in the optimistic scenario to 226-260 cars in the pessimistic scenario.

Deficiencies in the levels of patient/ visitor (and staff) car parking suggests that the development

proposal does not comply with the current Dublin City Development Plans parking standards.

The deficit in on-site car parking provision is supported by reference to levels provided at similar facilities

internationally. At the new National Childrens Hospital, it is proposed to provide 2.1 car parking spaces

per bed, versus a minimum of 4.4 spaces per bed at a range of other childrens hospitals.

Applying this minimum international standard to a new 473 bed childrens hospital in Dublin, would

indicate a requirement for 2,081 car parking spaces (excluding adult hospital requirements). Based on

the maximum patient/ visitor parking accumulation levels within the pessimistic scenario of 858, and

applying a robust maximum target occupancy level within the car park of 90%, would imply an on-site

requirement for 953 patient/ visitor car parking spaces (versus the 664 spaces proposed). The remaining

car parking spaces, or a somewhat lesser quantity depending on accessibility and sustainable transport

policy considerations, would then be available for staff use.

Future Maternity Hospital

The applicants substantial underestimation of the proposed developments traffic impacts and car parking

demand, and related failure to provide sufficient on-site car parking capacity risks compromising the future

delivery on-site of a maternity hospital, as it is likely to intensify traffic impacts on the road network, and add

to already significant forecast levels of over-spill car parking within the sites vicinity.



1. Introduction

1.1. Overview

Transport Insights has been commissioned by the Jack and Jill Foundation to prepare a Transport

Submission in relation to the proposed new National Childrens Hospital at the St. Jamess Hospital

Campus, Jamess Street, Dublin 8.

The application was submitted to An Bord Pleanla (ABP) on Monday 10 August 2015 under Section

37E of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The proposed development would represent a

consolidation of existing childrens hospitals at Crumlin, Tallaght and Temple Street onto a single site

within the St. Jamess Hospital Campus, in Dublin 8. In addition, and forming part of the current

application, satellite centres are planned at the Adelaide & Meath Hospital in Tallaght, and Connolly

Hospital in Blanchardstown.

The Submission seeks to provide a critical challenge function in relation to the proposals, and in doing

so, endeavours to ensure that a decision by ABP is based on a thorough consideration of the impacts

of the development proposal from the perspective of users (visitors, patients), staff, road users and

residents living in the vicinity of the site. As such, it includes location specific consideration of traffic,

transport and parking related aspects of the proposed development with a view to better

understanding its likely transport related impacts.

The Transport Submission focuses on the core element of the application, i.e. the proposed

development at the St. Jamess Hospital Campus. Proposed development of satellite centres at

Tallaght and Blanchardstown is therefore outside the scope of this Submission.

In drafting this Submission, Transport Insights has drawn upon the advice of the following medical

experts from the client team:

Dr. Fin Breathnach, MB, BCh, BAO, DObst. RCPI, MRCP (Paeds UK), FRCP Edin:- Consultant

Paediatric Oncologist, Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin, Temple St. University Hospital, St.

Lukes Hospital, Rathgar (1981 2008); CEO Barretstown Camp, Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare.

(2008 2010) retired; and

Dr. Roisin Healy, MB, MRCP (Paeds UK), FRCPI, FRCSI, FFAEM:- Consultant Paediatric Emergency

Medicine, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin (1988 2007) retired.

1.2. The Jack and Jill Foundation

The Jack and Jill Foundation, is a registered childrens charity. It was founded in 1997, and since then

it has supported over 1,900 children (from birth to 4 years old) with brain damage who suffer severe



intellectual and physical trauma. The Foundation also provides end of life care for all children who

require it from birth to 4 years of age.

The children cared for by the Jack and Jill Foundation represent some of Irelands sickest children.

These children and their families often spend much of their short lives either in hospital, or attending

regular appointments with specialists in the current national childrens hospitals at Temple Street or

Our Ladys Hospital, Crumlin. Many of these children will be travelling with medical equipment, with

up to 22 items of equipment required by some patients. As a result, travelling to hospital by public

transport to attend an appointment is infeasible and has the potential to impose excessive risk on

patients.

The Jack and Jill Foundation, is therefore uniquely positioned to understand the needs and

requirements of Irelands sickest children, and just as importantly, their families, in terms of any new

proposed hospital.

1.3. About Transport Insights

Transport Insights is an Irish based transport planning consultancy. With a core team of internationally

experienced consultants, we provide innovative, effective and deliverable advice and cost effective,

sustainable solutions. Our client list includes asset managers, banks, developers, transport operators,

local authorities and national government agencies in Ireland and internationally.

Relevant recent Transport Insights experience includes:

University Travel Plan 2015 2020, on behalf of the National University of Ireland Galway (August

2015, ongoing);

Transport Impact Assessment and Mobility Management Plan for a proposed bio-pharmaceutical

development on Cruiserath Road, Dublin 15 on behalf of Montjeu Limited (January to June 2015);

Metro Line Extension Feasibility Study Advice on behalf of the European Investment Bank

(November 2014 to January 2015);

Cork South Ring Road (N40) Demand Management Study Advice to Cork City and County Councils

(March 2014, ongoing); and

Advice to domestic bus operators, and related submissions, in response to a range of central

government policies and initiatives, including bus contracts, capital investment frameworks and

transport studies (September 2013 to August 2015).

1.4. Submission Structure

The remainder of this submission is structured as follows:



Submission approach (Section 2):- Overview of the Submissions scope and a summary of the

approach pursued in its preparation;

On- and off-site observations and surveys (Section 3):- An overview of the proposed development

site and its receiving environment building upon observations and surveys at the site and its

surrounding road network;

Development proposals overview and key data (Section 4):- Headline transport related data for

the existing St. Jamess Hospital site, and the development proposal;

Development transport strategy review (Section 5):- Identified key deficiencies in the

developments overarching transport strategy, and implications for patients, visitors and staff

access;

Traffic and transport impact assessment review (Section 6):- Concerns relating to the approach

pursued and principal assumptions underpinning the assessment of traffic and transport impacts,

and the robustness of its conclusions;

Proposed site access and site plans review (Section 7):- Observations arising from a review of site

access and layout plans (site access arrangements, junction layouts and internal layouts) and the

accompanying Road Safety Audit; and

Parking impact analysis (Section 8):- Detailing the approach pursued in reviewing and updating

the proposed developments patient/ visitor parking accumulation analysis, and an assessment of

resulting impacts.



2. Submission Approach

2.1. Submission Scope

This document forms part of a wider submission on behalf of the Jack and Jill Foundation to ABP. The

scope of Transport Insights work in drafting this submission has primarily focussed on Chapter 6 of the

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) hereafter referred to as the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter,

and transport related site layout plans.

Although the planning application comprises six principal elements, with V and VI relating to proposed

satellite centres at hospitals in Tallaght and Blanchardstown, the Transport Submission focuses on the

core element of the application, i.e. the proposed development at the St. Jamess Hospital Campus.

2.2. Outline Approach

The overall approach pursued in drafting the Submission is set out in Figure 2.1 below.

Figure 2.1 Transport Submission Outline Approach

In undertaking an on-site assessment which has provided an enhanced understanding of the St. Jamess

Hospital site (the findings of which are set out in Section 3.2 of this document), our team was

requested by on-site security staff to desist from taking photographs on the hospital grounds, and

requested to delete any photographic records which had been taken on site up to that point.

In addition to undertaking a detailed review of traffic and transport related documentation submitted

by the applicant, the Submission has also been supported by a comprehensive set of on-street car

parking surveys within the vicinity of the St. Jamess Hospital site. Such survey work has provided an

evidence base in support of a parking impact analysis, an overview of which is provided in Section 2.3



which follows, to assess the adequacy of proposed patient and visitor car parking provision at the

expanded St. Jamess Hospital Campus, and related impacts arising from the proposals.

To inform the parking accumulation analysis set out within this document, it was also proposed to

undertake a parking survey within the existing patient/ visitor car park at St. Jamess Hospital.

Permission for such a survey was sought from the hospitals management, however it was not

granted. Correspondence between Transport Insights and St. Jamess Hospital management is

included as Appendix A.

In addition to the more detailed parking impact analysis exercise, the Submission has also been

supplemented by high-level:

behavioural change research into the effectiveness of smarter travel workplaces initiatives in

achieving the level of modal shift away from car that is essential to facilitate the development

proposal; and

accessibility analysis to assess levels of car dependency amongst patients and visitors of the

proposed development, the outputs of which have helped validate assumed patient and visitor

car mode shares.

2.3. Supplemental Parking Impact Analysis

The assessment of transport impacts as set out

in the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter is

based on a first principles assessment of

demand from each of the different users (i.e.

staff, families/patients, etc...) of the Hospital.

Furthermore, the EIS Traffic and Transport

chapter states that traffic generation

associated with staff and visitors has been

based on the number of parking spaces

proposed for the St Jamess Hospital campus.

In light of the limited levels of car parking

proposed within the redeveloped St. Jamess Hospital Campus (as detailed in Section 4.3 of this

document), and deficiencies in the parking accumulation analysis presented in the EIS Traffic and

Transport Chapter (and detailed in Section 8.1 of this document), it is evident that demand for car

parking has been substantially underestimated by the applicant. To the west and south of the St.

Jamess Hospital site, the area is predominantly residential in nature the impacts of such over-spill

parking therefore has potential to adversely impact on residential amenity within the affected areas,



with residents unable to find a parking space in close proximity to their house and/ or having to search

for a suitable space to be vacated.

Within the analysis presented within this Submission, parking accumulation has been re-estimated to

ascertain user impacts in terms of increased future parking tariffs, levels of over-spill parking onto

predominantly residential streets surrounding the hospital, and increased walking distance/ reduced

user satisfaction levels.

Reflecting uncertainty regarding key assumptions underpinning the analysis set out in the EIS Traffic

and Transport Chapter, and to ensure future patient demand growth is given adequate consideration

by ABP, the updated analysis presents outputs for optimistic, pessimistic and realistic demand

scenarios.



3. On- and Off-Site Observations and Surveys

3.1. Objectives

An assessment of the St. Jamess Hospital site location, and its receiving environment took place on

the morning of Thursday 03 September 2015. The objective of the assessment was to ascertain key

transport assets at and in the vicinity of the site; and to observe activity levels and performance issues.

The on-site and off-site assessments are summarised in Sections 3.2 and 3.3 respectively which follow.

They have been supplemented by the following surveys/ observations undertaken in early September

2015:

St. Jamess Hospital patient/ visitor car park occupancy observations Wednesday 09 September

(Section 3.4);

St. Jamess Hospital on-street car park occupancy survey Tuesday 08 and Wednesday 09

September 2015 (Section 3.5); and

Luas Red Cow and Cheeverstown park and ride occupancy observations Tuesday 08 September

2015 (Section 3.6).

3.2. On-Site Assessment

Date and Timing

Thursday 03 September 2015, between the hours of 08:00hrs and 12:00hrs (in conjunction with the

off-site assessment summarised in Section 3.3, which follows).

Staff Car Parking

Staff car parking:- two main areas observed:

the first to the north of St. Jamess Hospital Campus Road; and

a second to the southwest of the site.

The capacity of staff parks were not recorded, however occupancy levels were observed to be in

excess of 100%, with full occupancy of designated car parking spaces and limited parking in

undesignated areas elsewhere in the staff car parks.

Patient/ Visitor Car Parking

The operational capacity of the patient/ visitor car park was recorded to be 381 car parking spaces on

the day of the site assessment. This included both normal and disabled car parking spaces in the main

(underground) and surface car parks, however it excluded car parking designated for specific use by

those visiting the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (estimated at 40 spaces for visitors/donors EIS Traffic



and Transport Chapter, Table 6.19), and an area of the underground car park temporarily closed due

to ongoing construction of the new Mercers Institute for Successful Ageing (estimated at 46 spaces).

Through Traffic Restrictions

Signs at both the existing entrances indicate that the site is closed to through traffic. It was noted

that restrictions on through traffic travelling from the Jamess Street to the Rialto entrance do not

appear to be enforced, with the barriers opening upon approach from inside the hospital grounds.

Although such traffic movements may not be physically restricted in that direction, the presence of

signage and barrier controls would however act as a deterrent to the majority of traffic not having a

legitimate purpose on site, e.g. staff drop-off or pick-up.

Cycle Facilities

The following bicycle facilities were observed:

two areas with covered, secure cycle parking and capacity for approximately 28 bicycles each, and

occupancy in the region of 75%;

a further uncovered bicycle parking area with capacity for approximately 45 spaces, and

occupancy in the region of 30-40% (including bicycles locked to trees and poles in its vicinity); and

the Dublin Bike Scheme, with two hubs within the hospital grounds one beside the St. Jamess

Luas stop and another close to the main reception area.

Public Transport Facilities

Both Luas Red Line and Dublin Bus Route 123 services pass through the St. Jamess Hospital site. Bus

waiting facilities within the hospital site, serving above bus route appeared to be of a higher quality

(with bus shelters) compared to those observed on Mount Brown and Jamess Street serving Routes

40 and 123. Moderate-high levels of alighting passengers were observed at the Jamess Luas stop, in

particular around 08:00hrs in the morning, and coinciding with a period of significant staff arrivals to

the hospital.

Pedestrian Facilities

Footpaths were noted to be present on the St. Jamess Hospital Campus Road, with pedestrian

crossings facilities also present. Signalised pedestrian crossing facilities are provided at the main

Jamess Street entrance, and at the junction of South Circular Road/ Brookfield Road adjacent to the

Rialto entrance.

Taxi and Car Pick Up and Drop off Facilities

Taxi and car drop-off and pick up was observed to primarily take place in a designated area adjacent

to the main hospital reception area, however no formal taxi rank facilities were observed within the



hospital grounds. An informal waiting area was observed to the west of the main hospital reception

area.

Emergency Access

Access and egress of emergency vehicles to the existing adults hospital was observed at both the main

(St. Jamess) and Rialto entrance to the site.

3.3. Off-Site Assessment the Receiving Environment

Date and Timing

Thursday 03 September 2015, between the hours of 08:00hrs and 12:00hrs (in conjunction with the

on-site assessment summarised in Section 3.2).

General Traffic

On the morning of the site assessment, severe traffic congestion (queuing and delay) on the road

network was observed to the west of the site. For example, and as illustrated in Figure 3.1 overleaf,

long queues were observed on all arms of the junction of South Circular Road/ Old Kilmainham/ Emmet

Road.

Figure 3.1 Observed AM Peak Queuing on Emmet Road at Junction with South Circular

Road (08:34hrs)

The following table presents queue length observations at the junction of South Circular Road/ Mount

Brown on the morning of the site assessment.



Table 3.1 Queuing Obervations Junciton of South Circular Road/ Mount Brown

Junction Arm Transport Insights Observations (Circa 08:30hrs)

Emmet Road (West) Queue of ~ 30 vehicles

South Circular Road (North) Queue extended through South Circular Road/ Kilmainham Lane

junction

Mount Brown (East) Queue in excess of 30 vehicles

South Circular Road (South) Queue extended through South Circular Road/ Suir Road junction

As can be seen from the table above, peak period queuing appears extensive, with queues extending

from though a series of junctions along the South Circular Road to the west of the site. The

implications of the observations in Table 3.1 above, by reference to comparable base (or without

development) modelling outputs presented in the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter, is detailed within

Section 6.6 of this document.

The Google Traffic View screenshot in Figure 3.2 below reinforces on-site observations of queuing and

delay on the network to the west of the site, and in particular, on the South Circular Road corridor.

The blue circle represents the junction of South Circular Road and Mount Brown.

Figure 3.2 AM Peak Queuing to West of St. Jamess Hospital Site (08:43hrs)



The following is a description of the colour coding legend adopted in Google Traffic View 1:

Green means there are no traffic delays.

Orange means theres a medium amount of traffic.

Red means there are traffic delays. The more red, the slower the speed of traffic on the road.

Significant levels of queuing observed on the morning of the site assessment will impact on patient

access to the site in the AM peak period. Furthermore, a general lack of bus priority to the west of

the site has implications for reliable and efficient bus operations, and access by emergency vehicles

to the hospital grounds.

Public Transport

As can be seen from the following image (Figure 3.3), bus priority measures in the vicinity of the

hospital are generally absent, with the reliable and efficient operation of Dublin Bus services on Mount

Brown, where Dublin Bus Routes 13 and 40 operate, compromised by traffic congestion noted above.

Opportunities to implement bus priority measures on existing bus routes also appear very limited due

to the restricted road width along Mount Brown, where many buildings front directly onto the footpath

(as per the photograph below).

Bus waiting facilities on Mount Brown and on Jamess Street were observed to be poor, with no shelter

facilities present.

Figure 3.3 Bus Operations on Mount Brown (08:50hrs)

1 https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3093389?hl=en



3.4. St. Jamess Hospital Patient/ Visitor Car Park Occupancy Observations

Occupancy Observations

In support of this Submission, it was proposed to undertake a parking accumulation survey at the

existing St. Jamess Hospital. Permission for the survey was sought from the hospitals CEO, however

permission was not granted. Correspondence with the hospitals CEO in relation to the survey request

is included as Appendix A.

As noted in Section 3.2, the operational capacity of the patient/ visitor car park was recorded at 381

spaces on the day of the site assessment, including surface and underground car parks, but excluding

car parking designated for specific use by those visiting the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and lost

capacity due to ongoing construction works within the underground car park. In the absence of a

survey (45 minute parking beat accumulation survey originally intended over a six hour period), levels

of unoccupied car parking spaces were instead observed three times on a single day Wednesday 09

September. The findings of these observations are presented in Table 3.2, below.

Table 3.2 St. Jamess Hospital Patient/ Visitor Car Park Occupancy Observations

Time Period Commencing Total Capacity Vacant Occupied % Occupancy

09:00hrs 381 151 230 60%

12:00hrs 381 78 303 80%

15:00hrs 381 13 368 97%

As can be seen from the above table, occupancy levels in the patient/ visitor car parks of the adults

hospital varied significantly throughout the day:

with a moderate occupancy level of 60% at 09:00hrs;

increasing significantly to a peak of 97% at 15:00hrs, coinciding with the first of two visiting

periods (14:30hrs 15:30hrs) at the hospital.

Parking Prices and Pricing Structure

The following parking charges structure was observed:

first 10 minutes free;

10 minutes to 1 hour - 2.50;

up to 6 hours:- 2.50 per hour; and

6 hours to 24 hours:- 15.



3.5. St. Jamess Hospital On-Street Car Park Occupancy Survey

EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter Extend the On-Street Controlled Disc Parking Area

The EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter recognises the proposed developments potential to increase

parking demand on neighbouring roads and streets. It also recommends the extension of the pay

parking zone and to raise the cost of parking on the surrounding streets from the current rate of 1.00

per hour and investigate the possibility of introducing extended hours of operation.

The streets in which the proposed extension of the on-street controlled disc parking area would be

implemented are presented in Figure 6.57 of the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter. As on-street

parking controls measures limit the duration of parking stay to 3 hours, the proposed implementation

of on-street parking restrictions would restrict staff car parking in the hospitals vicinity. It would not

however prevent patients and visitors parking in these areas, as 84% of these visits (across the full day)

are less than 3 hours in duration. Although the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter does not conclude

that levels of on-site patient and visitor car parking are inadequate, the proposal to increase the

parking charge from its current 1.00 per hour level reflects an expectation of increased short-term

on-street parking demand arising from the proposed development, i.e. from hospital patients and

visitors.

On-Street Car Parking Occupancy Survey

To assess the proposed impacts of over-spill car parking on surrounding residential street, Transport

Insights undertook on-street car parking occupancy surveys within the vicinity of the hospital site. In

defining the survey area, consideration was given to the proposed future pedestrian access points at

Fatima and Rialto Luas stops in addition to the new pedestrian access at Mount Brown, and a maximum

acceptable walk time of 5 minutes, corresponding to a distance of approximately 400 metres, from the

destination. The survey area is indicated in Figure 3.4, overleaf, and included approximately 50 streets.

The survey was completed over a two day period Tuesday 08 and Wednesday 09 September 2015,

between the hours of 09:00hrs and 16:00hrs. Each street within the area was surveyed once, with the

number of occupied and unoccupied car parking spaces recorded by the surveyor.



Figure 3.4 On-Street Parking Occupancy Survey Area

The following table presents a summary of the survey results. Detailed survey results for individual

streets are presented in Appendix B.

Table 3.3 St. Jamess Hospital On-Street Parking Occupancy Survey Results

Parking Restriction Type Occupied Total Capacity Occupancy %

Current/ Future Pay 305 528 58%

Current Free/ Future Free 250 351 71%

Current Free/ Future Pay 758 1,035 73%

Total 1,313 1,914 69%

From the table above, it can be seen that day-time on-street car parking occupancy levels within an

approximate 400m walk distance (or 5 minute walk time) from the proposed hospital are presently:

58% on streets where existing parking controlled measures are currently in place;

71% on streets where no such restrictions exist or are presently proposed; and

73% on streets it is now proposed to introduce such restrictions.



Parking Pricing

Charges for car parking in areas designated as Pay and Display and Permit Parking were observed to

be 1.00 per hour.

Application of Survey Results

On-street car park survey results form an essential input to the parking impact analysis, the outputs of

which are presented within Section 8 of this document. Through distributing over-spill (or excess

demand from the hospital) to Free and Pay Parking areas within the hospital environs, future on-street

car parking occupancy levels have been estimated, thus allowing for parking impacts in the

predominantly residential area to the south and west of the site to be determined.

3.6. Luas Park and Ride Occupancy Observations Red Cow and Cheeverstown

The St. Jamess Campus Smarter Travel Programme, as summarised within Section 6.1.4.5 the EIS

Traffic and Transport Chapter outlines proposals to designate two park and ride sites, at which free

staff car parking would be offered:

Luas Cheeverstown park and ride:- Located between Citywest and Tallaght, and approximately 3

kilometres from the N7 (via the Kingswood Interchange and R136) and 2 kilometres from the N81

(via the R136), the Cheeverstown Luas stop caters for a predominantly local catchment.

Luas Red Cow park and ride:- Located adjacent to the junction of the M50 and N7 roads, this site

serves a strategic function, intercepting traffic directly from the national primary road network.

Spot car park occupancy observations were undertaken on Tuesday 08 September 2015 at 12:45hrs

and 13:15hrs at the above two Luas park and ride sites respectively. The following table, Table 3.4

presents the findings of the observations.

Table 3.4 Luas Red Cow and Cheeverstown Park and Ride Occupancy Observations

Time Period Commencing Total Capacity 2 Occupied % Occupancy

Luas Red Cow Park and Ride Site 727 537 73.9%

Luas Cheeverstown Park & Ride Site 321 39 12.1%

The above occupancy observations reinforce the strategic versus local function of both park and ride

sites, with park and ride demand at Red Cow 13.8 times greater than that at Cheeverstown.

2 Capacities as per Section 6.1.4.5 of the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter



4. Development Proposal Overview and Key Data

4.1. St. Jamess Hospital Campus

The new hospital represents a

consolidation of existing childrens

hospitals at Crumlin, Tallaght and Temple

Street onto a single site within the St.

Jamess Hospital Campus, Jamess Street,

Dublin 8, and consists of:

a 473 no. bed (380 in-patient and 93

day care) new childrens hospital,

with a gross floor area of 118,113 sqm;

a 53 no. bed family accommodation unit, with a gross floor area of 4,354 sqm; and

a childrens research and innovation centre, with a gross floor area of 2,971 sqm.

Satellite centres are also proposed at the Adelaide & Meath/ Tallaght Hospital, and Connolly Hospital,

Blanchardstown.

4.2. National Remit

According to the Planning Report which accompanies the application, the new Childrens Hospital

would provide tertiary / quaternary (highly specialised) services on an all-island basis and secondary

paediatric care (less severe, complicated and more common conditions) to the Greater Dublin Area

(counties Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and parts of Meath).

4.3. Key Data

Chapter 6 of the EIS the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter presents a 201 page transport strategy

and resulting impact appraisal for the development proposal. Based on a review of this document,

and drawing upon other identified sources of information, key transport related attributes of the

development proposal are summarised below. More detailed observations are contained in Section 5

of this document, which follows.

Staff Numbers

Section 6.1.4.1 of the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter provides an overview of staff levels at the

hospital, and is summarised in the following table (Table 4.1).



Table 4.1 St James Campus Existing and Proposed Staff Numbers

Scenario Overall Staff Numbers Working Core Weekday Hours

Existing St. Jamess Hospital Campus 4,500 3,000

New National Childrens Hospital 3,000 2,000

Total, with New National Childrens

Hospital

7,500 5,000

Patient Numbers

Based on information provided within Section 6.1.4.1 of the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter, the

following table provides an estimate of daily in-patient, outpatient, day care and urgent care cases at

the proposed new National Childrens Hospital. Also included in this table is a high-level estimate of

daily patient demand at the existing St. James Adults Hospital, derived from the most recent annual

report the St. Jamess Hospital Annual Report (2013).

Table 4.2 St Jamess Hospital Campus Estimated Daily Patient Numbers

In-

patient

Day

Care

Outpatient Non-

Consultant

Clinics

Urgent

Care

Cases

Total

St. Jamess Adult Hospital 909 3 407 4 955 5 128 6 2,399

New National Childrens

Hospital

314 140 864 * 412 237 ** 1,967

Post-development of

National Childrens Hospital

1,223 547 1,819 412 365 4,366

* As per EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter, includes 5% uplift to reflect daily demand fluctuations

** As per EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter, includes 20% uplift to reflect daily demand fluctuations

As can be seen from the table above, the expanded hospital campus can be expected to accommodate

in excess of 4,000 patients per day.

3 St. Jamess Hospital Annual Report, 2013:- 1,010 beds, with a guestimated 90% average occupancy 4 St. Jamess Hospital Annual Report, 2013:- 97,672 day care patients/ assumed 240 days operational

per annum 5 St. Jamess Hospital Annual Report, 2013:- 229,120 outpatients/ assumed 240 days operational per

annum 6 St. Jamess Hospital Annual Report, 2013:- 46,714 attendances/ assumed 365 days operational per

annum



Car Parking Provision

Existing and proposed levels of on-site car parking are set out within Tables 6.19 and 6.28 of the EIS

Traffic and Transport Chapter. Based on the current proposals, these are summarised in the table

below for the St. Jamess Campus, with changes in levels of on-site car parking capacity from existing

to proposed situations also highlighted.

Table 4.3 St James Campus Existing and Proposed Parking Provision

Scenario Staff 7 Patient/ Visitors Total Staff and

Visitors

Existing: Pre-development of


1,261 467 1,728

Proposed: Post-development of


1,017 1,131 2,148

Change, i.e. Proposed Existing -244 +664 +420

As can be seen from the table above, the current proposals represent a modest increase in overall on-

site car parking provision of 420 spaces, however a reduction of 244 staff car parking spaces is

proposed, despite 67% increase in core weekday staff numbers at the site (to approximately 5,000). It

is proposed to increase on-site patient/ visitor car parking capacity by providing a total of 1,131 spaces.

The proposed additional 664 car parking spaces are required to accommodate the needs of patients

and visitors, many of which, in light of the hospitals national remit, will be travelling from outside

Dublin.

7 Includes the off-campus St. Jamess Steel staff car park with 137 car parking spaces



5. Development Transport Strategy Review

5.1. Proposed Transport Strategy

Chapter 6 of the Environmental Impact Statement, the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter sets out the

transport strategy and resulting impact assessment for the proposed National Paediatric Hospital

Project. The proposed developments overall strategy is underpinned by the following key studies/

programmes:

St. Jamess Hospital Campus Draft Site Capacity Study (observations in Section 5.2); and

St. Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme (observations in Section 5.3).

In summary, the strategy proposes to cap on-site car parking capacity at approximately 2,000 spaces,

reallocate a substantial proportion of that capacity from staff to visitors, and to manage the travel

needs of staff of the existing adult and three childrens hospitals through a behavioural change

programme.

In preparing this Submission, the proposed developments transport strategy has been subject to

review. Its robustness has also been supported by high-level accessibility analysis, undertaken in

support of this Submission, the outputs of which are presented in Section 5.4.

5.2. St. Jamess Hospital Campus Draft Site Capacity Study

Study Status

A Site Capacity Study has been submitted by the applicant for consideration by ABP alongside other

planning related files. An overview of the study is included within the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter

(Section 6.1.1.14). The rationale for the draft study status is unclear, however given its significance

in informing fundamental aspects of the development proposals (see below), finalising the study prior

to development of the current hospital proposals would have seemed prudent. Indeed finalising the

study prior to selection of the St. Jamess Hospital for development of a new National Childrens

Hospital may also have been anticipated as a means of demonstrating development feasibility.

Study Remit

Although the study does not purport to be a development plan for the campus but rather an indication

of its potential capacity, it appears that key decisions regarding the provision of car parking and

management of staff travel have been made within the context of this study:

The quantum of parking provided on campus will be capped at approximately 2,000 spaces, serving

both staff and visitor/patient parking needs. The majority of the parking spaces will be provided for

visitors/patients to the hospital campus, with staff access to the campus provided mainly via

alternative modes (public transport, cycling, walking), which will be actively promoted through the



St Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme. The car parking strategy involves the

transfer of parking from staff to visitors/ patients as the hospital continues to expand. The

additional travel needs of staff will be catered for through the Smarter Travel Programme which will

be supported by the Governments continued investment in public transport projects in the Greater

Dublin Area (i.e. Swiftway BRT Network, DART Underground, Lucan Luas, etc..).

The following observations are provided in relation to the above statement:

The level of proposed on-site car parking does not appear to have been underpinned by an

analysis of user needs, in this instance patients, visitors and staff of the expanded site. More

specifically:

No patient/ visitor car parking accumulation analysis appears to have been undertaken,

which would have considered relative levels of accessibility by car versus public transport

at a national level to the hospital, and informed a determination of on-site patient/ visitor

car parking provision. The outputs of a patient/ visitor parking accumulation analysis are

presented within the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter, however following review, the

analysis appears to have significantly underestimated on-site parking demand. The

implications of such deficiencies are considered as part of a parking impact analysis set out

in Section 8 of this document.

As detailed in Section 5.3 which follows, the attractiveness and feasibility of catering for the

travel needs of an expanded hospital, with up to 5,000 core weekday staff, with reduced

levels of on-site car parking does not also appear to have been considered.

As noted in Section 5.3, and further detailed in a revised patient/ visitor parking

accumulation exercise in Section 8.1, it does not appear that sufficient on-site car parking

capacity, across total staff and patient/ visitor car parking stock, exists to cater for elevated

staff car parking demand during staff handover periods.

The draft study places excessive emphasis on the role and potential of the St Jamess Hospital

Campus Smarter Travel Programme in promoting use of more sustainable transport modes. The

Smarter Travel Programme will not however facilitate such use, because in addition to

interventions within the Programme, a wide range of external factors will either facilitate or

hinder sustainable staff travel these include public transport availability and attractiveness, and

the quality of the cycle network throughout the city. This is further expanded upon within Section

5.3 which follows.

The importance placed within the Draft Site Capacity Study on the delivery of schemes such as

DART Underground, Lucan Luas etc. represent an acknowledgement on behalf of the applicant

of the limitations imposed by the existing public transport network in terms of staff and patient/



visitor access. Such public transport network limitations include capacity constraints and poor

accessibility, i.e. impacting on the ease with which people can access the hospital site from

throughout its staff catchment area.

Staff travel needs are dependent on the potential future delivery of new public transport

projects - the identified schemes however, to the knowledge of Transport Insights, have neither

funding commitment in the form of an accepted Business Case and allocated funds, nor

planning consent at present. As such, uncertainty and risk surrounding the delivery of these

schemes undermines confidence in a key element of the transport strategy for the expanded St.

Jamess Hospital site. The recent Government announcement regarding DART Underground

reinforces this point.

Behavioural change initiatives will play a more limited role in influencing the travel behaviours of

shift workers, as the feasibility of using non-car transport modes is more limited, due to for

example, darkness and associated safety and security concerns reducing propensity to walk or

cycle, and reduced public transport service frequencies.

The Draft Study states that The car parking strategy does not include increasing the overall number of

parking spaces provided on campus following the completion of the new childrens hospital. This will

result in no material increase in traffic during peak periods on the surrounding street network

As noted in Table 4.3 of this Submission, the current development proposals, whereby it is proposed

to increase total staff and patient/ visitor car parking from 1,591 to 2,011 spaces (excluding the off-

campus St. Jamess Steel staff car park) represents an increase of 26% in the total on-site car parking

capacity. As such this statement appears factually incorrect, and undermines the statement that

delivery of additional development on campus can be accommodated without impacting on prevailing

traffic conditions on the surrounding road network.

The following table summarises the approach pursued in undertaking the Site Capacity Study, relative

to what might have been expected had its approach followed best practice.

Table 5.1 Draft Site Capacity Study Best Practice Overview

Approach Pursued Best Practice Implications

Determination of a cap on

on-site car parking to ensure

that it doesnt impact on

prevailing traffic conditions

on the surrounding road

network.

User oriented research and

analysis of:

car dependency characteristics

for similar development types;

and

development specific car parking

requirements by user group.

High risk that parking

provision will not

meet user needs

(patients, visitors and

staff) this is further

analysed within

Section 8.



Approach Pursued Best Practice Implications

Assumption that travel needs

of staff will be catered for

through the Smarter Travel

Programme.

Basing the strategy on

potential future public

transport projects e.g. DART

Underground, Lucan Luas,

etc.

International best practice

research into effectiveness of

smarter travel programmes in

reducing levels of staff car use.

Basing strategy on committed

schemes, i.e. with allocated funds

and planning consent.

Feasibility of

relocating staff from

the existing campus

questionable.

5.3. St. Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme

Background

As noted above, alongside the future delivery of new public transport schemes, the Draft Site Capacity

Study has identified the role of the Smarter Travel Programme as essential to achieving the required

level of reductions in staff car use following delivery of the proposed development.

Policy Context

The EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter (Section 6.1.1.3) draws upon the Dublin City Development Plan

2011-2017 and the Dublin City Draft Development Plan 2016-2022 as a basis for the strong emphasis

given to mobility management planning stating that they particularly emphasise the importance of

travel demand management, with each of the planning documents identifying the need to implement

mobility management plans at workplaces, schools and residential areas.

At a national level, the Smarter Travel A Sustainable Transport Future: A New Transport Policy for

Ireland 2009- 2020 policy document, published by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

(Section 6.1.1.9) provides policy justification, as follows:

The new childrens hospital at the St Jamess Hospital campus reflects the overall aims of

Smarter Travel, as it provides intensification of an urban area with good sustainable transport

accessibility, whilst providing a considerable critical mass of commuting journeys to have a real

impact on the targets set out in the smarter travel document.

While Luas is recognised as an important transport asset for the site, no evidence is however provided

by the applicant in support of the assertion that the site has good sustainable transport

accessibility. This might more reasonably be expected to represent the environs of an interchange

between two or more high quality public transport corridors, not a single corridor as per the St. Jamess

Hospital site. As noted in Section 5.2, the importance placed within the Draft Site Capacity Study on



the delivery of schemes such as DART Underground, Lucan Luas etc. acknowledges the existing public

transport networks accessibility limitations.

Current Staff Travel Patterns and Smarter Travel Programme Targets

The staff travel survey for St. Jamess Hospital and the three existing childrens hospitals provides

information on current levels of staff car and public transport use. These are presented in Table 5.2

below, with the estimated staff numbers at each of the four hospitals included to combined existing

and target car and public transport mode shares for the four hospitals which would be merged as part

of the current development proposal.

Table 5.2 Current Surveyed and Target Future Mode Share Targets

Hospital Estimated

Staff

Numbers

Car Driver Public Transport (including

Park & Ride)

Current

Survey Mode

Share

Future Target

Arrival Mode

Share

Current

Survey Mode

Share

Future Target

Arrival Mode

Share

St. Jamess

Hospital

1,261 57% 18% 16% 35%

Tallaght 225 76% 18% 10% 35%

Temple Street 1,200 38% 18% 36% 35%

Crumlin 1,880 77% 18% 6% 35%

Total 4,566 61% 18% 17% 35%

Although the provision of free parking for staff at the Luas Park and Ride facilities is included under

the Measures to Encourage Public Transport Use heading, the target car mode share include a

targeted modal share for the Park and Ride sites of 9%.... In the same way as a commuter who cycles

to the train station to take a train is generally considered a rail user, including park and ride users

within the car driver category is most unusual. It also gives a false impression in relation to extent of

challenge to be overcome in achieving the very substantial reductions in staff car use, as would be

more evident if park and ride users were instead classified according to their arrival mode. As such,

both current mode shares and mode share targets within the above table are presented according

to the generally used arrival mode share.

The EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter (Section 6.1.4.5) notes that there may be some

underrepresentation of short distance trips, which may account for some overrepresentation of car



and public transport use (3% and 1% respectively in the case of St. Jamess Hospital). The analysis does

however highlight the challenge of achieving such a radical change in staff travel behaviours, in

particular in the context of staff relocating from current to new place of work with different (and

generally inferior) accessibility characteristics.

Potential medium-long term on-site development of the maternity hospital, would according to EIS

Traffic and Transport Chapter result in a further 4% reduction in staff car mode share. In light of the

already very restricted levels of on-site car parking forming part of the current proposed development,

and the over-reliance on both mobility management and future delivery of uncommitted public

transport schemes such as DART Underground (as noted in Section 5.2 of this document), the applicant

has not demonstrated how these substantial further reductions in staff car use can be achieved.

St. Jamess Hospital Mobility Management Plan Status

The EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter (Section 6.0) states that A Mobility Management Plan has been

prepared for the St Jamess Hospital campus (St Jamess Hospital Campus Smarter Travel Programme)

and is currently being implemented..

While the development and implementation of a Mobility Management Plan for St. Jamess Hospital

Campus appears a welcome development, as noted in the very

high staff car park occupancy observations Section 3.2 of this

Submission, the exact status of the Plans implementation is

unclear. The observed levels of staff car parking indicate that

behavioural change interventions do not appear to have been

effective to date in reducing levels of staff car use to the

hospital. In light of the proposed significant reductions in car

use capacity, reductions in staff car use represent the key

performance indicator (KPI) for the Plan.

A further KPI of the effectiveness of the Plan is levels of staff

cycle use. The EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter (Section

6.1.3.4) notes that there are a total 300 spaces (including

secure and covered bike shelters) within the campus.

Observed occupancy levels at a sample of secure bicycle parking facilities on the day of the site

assessment (two areas, approximately 75% occupied) indicates that bicycle parking facilities are not

presently hindering greater levels of staff cycle use. Additionally, the EIS Traffic and Transport Chapter

(Section 6.1.3.4) refers to shower and locker facilities for staff in some of the buildings. Existing on-

site cycle facilities indicate that other factors, such as inadequate cycle network provision within the

city, are likely to be a greater factor in hindering greater levels of staff cycling to the site. Addressing



these constraints is however outside the control of the applicant to deliver, and network wide

improvements to the extent set out in the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, and that are

required to accommodate the large staff catchment area of the four hospitals, will invariably take a

long number of years to deliver.

Status of Existing Childrens Hospitals

The proposed development represents a consolidation of the three existing childrens hospitals at

Crumlin, Tallaght and Temple Street into a single site at the St. Jamess Hospital Campus:

The Mobility Management Plan will also be rolled out at each of the existing three childrens

hospitals to improve mobility awareness and to reduce car dependency among staff before they

relocate to the new childrens hospital on the St Jamess Hospital campus.

No equivalent Mobility Management Plan therefore exists at present for the three childrens

hospitals, despite staffs current residential location being based on proximity to their current place

of work, and more limited opportunities for them to transfer from car to other modes arising from a

transfer to St. Jamess Hospital Campus. Mobility management measures can represent important

demand management/ behavioral change interventions, however their effectiveness is dependent on

attractive alternative transport options. The extent to which realistic alternative travel choices are

available for staff transferring from the existing childrens hospitals is unclear, however from

observations of staff origins as presented in Figures 6.28, 6.32 and 6.36, major challenges in

facilitating future staff travel needs are evident. A mobility management plan will play a relatively

limited role in overcoming such challenges.

Mobility Management Planning Assumptions

The Mobility Management Plan for the expanded St. Jamess Campus is based on the following

overarching assumption:

The existing staff demographics for St Jamess Hospital has been used as the basis for the

appraisal of the Mobility Management Plan as it represents the majority of the staff which will

be employed within the overall St Jamess Hospital campus when the new childrens hospital is

operational. It is also reflective of the fact that the current distribution of staff based at the three

childrens hospitals is likely to change over time when staff move to the new childrens hospital

at St Jamess Hospital campus. Future staff of the new childrens hospital are likely to choose

accommodation that is readily accessible by convenient modes including walking, cycling and

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