Fastcoexist: "A city known for some of the world's worst traffic jams is getting a radical pedestrian makeover"

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"Dublin ranks just under Los Angeles for having some of the worst traffic jams in the world. The problem is predicted to get worse as the city quickly grows—somehow, it will have to squeeze in 20% more commuters over the next decade. That's why the city is now deciding to make a radical shift: It wants to ban cars from several major downtown streets.

"Right now, pedestrians don’t have it easy. 'Dublin has a compact city center, but we don't give enough priority to pedestrians or cyclists,' says Ciarán Cuffe, chair of the city council's transport committee. 'All too often those who walk are left waiting at crossings while cars whizz past for minutes on end.'

"In the proposed plan, the city wants to route cars around the city center, and turn major streets into car-free plazas and passages for buses, bikes, pedestrians, and a new tram line. Along the banks of the River Liffey, polluted roads will become promenades. On Grafton Street, a former car lane will turn into a tree-shaded terrace with cafe tables, while the other lane has tram tracks. New bike lanes and wider sidewalks will be added as well."