{"id":345659,"date":"2026-03-14T09:05:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T09:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/345659\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T09:05:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T09:05:12","slug":"the-m50-is-getting-worse-i-dont-think-it-is-able-to-take-any-more-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/345659\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The M50 is getting worse. I don\u2019t think it is able to take any more\u2019 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Secondary school teacher<\/a> Se\u00e1n O\u2019Neill, who has been commuting on the M50<\/a> for more than 25 years, describes the motorway as \u201cat breaking point\u201d. <\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill (57), who commutes from his home in Finglas, north Dublin<\/a>, to St Laurence College in Loughlinstown, south Dublin, says the 35km journey usually takes around an hour and 20 minutes, but sometimes, when there has been a crash, up to three hours.<\/p>\n

He has been working at the school as an English and history teacher since 2000, recently taking up a new role as home-school liaison. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very noticeable just how heavy traffic has become over the last couple of years,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s getting progressively worse. I don\u2019t think the M50 is able to take any more.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Neill says delays on the motorway have resulted in him being late to work some mornings. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was in the classroom, I had to ring up the principal to step into my class for a few minutes if I was late. That has happened on a number of occasions,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Sarah Burns looks at the problems facing the M50 and what, if anything, can be done to alleviate traffic. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that you feel very bad about. You want to be in on time, you want to be ready to teach. You don\u2019t feel good about being late at all. You feel you\u2019re letting everyone down, including your colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although bus services in his area have improved, O\u2019Neill says he would have to walk a \u201csizeable distance\u201d to get a bus to school. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe bus is stuck in town for quite an amount of time as well,\u201d he adds. \u201cSo it would be an awful lot of a slower journey, even compared to the M50. A whole massive rethink is needed about how we\u2019re going to have traffic development in this city.\u201d <\/p>\n

The M50 is \u201cat capacity\u201d, according to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the State agency responsible for the national roads network, with traffic levels now \u201chigher than ever\u201d and \u201cbeyond Celtic Tiger numbers\u201d. <\/p>\n

\"TeacherTeacher Se\u00e1n O’Neill crosses the city on the M50 every day. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018It\u2019s just stressful\u2019: Workers facing two and three hour commutes into DublinOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

It is \u201cby far the busiest road in the country\u201d, with the section between junction 5 (the Derry-Ashbourne exit) and junction 6 (the Cavan-Blanchardstown exit) experiencing a 40 per cent rise in traffic volumes in the past 10 years. About 166,000 vehicles use the road daily; the junction 5 to 6 section is the busiest. <\/p>\n

Thursday is the busiest day on the M50, with peak traffic times between 7am and 9am and 4pm and 6pm. A record 145 million kilometres were travelled on the motorway last September.<\/p>\n

Recent data from fleet management company Geotab found that increased tolls on the M50, introduced in January, did nothing to reduce congestion, with average travel times actually having risen since the new toll regime began. <\/p>\n

The company analysed data from thousands of anonymised commercial journeys and found that average journey times were at least 3.5 minutes slower than in January 2025.<\/p>\n

TII says the M50 hit capacity in 2019 but the Covid pandemic provided \u201ca bit of respite\u201d. Variable speed limits were fully rolled out by 2023, which increased capacity at peak hours, but since then rising traffic growth has meant \u201ccapacity is being exceeded more and more each year\u201d. <\/p>\n

The agency continues to emphasise it has \u201cmaximised\u201d engineering elements including widening, removal of the West Link toll barriers to switch to electronic tolling, upgrading the interchanges to make them free flowing, putting in an intelligent transportation system that can regulate traffic speeds during incidents and having dedicated crews located on the M50 to deal with collisions as they arise.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Increased tolls on M50 did nothing to reduce congestion, new data findsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Sean O\u2019Neill, TII\u2019s director of corporate communications, says more public transport options would \u201cassist\u201d the motorway. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen public transport offerings increase and they become a choice for people, they will take it,\u201d he says. \u201cWhether it\u2019s more Luas services [or] more Dart corridors. MetroLink is further down the road. It\u2019s just giving people those options and having more of them. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a common issue in thriving metropolitan areas around the world \u2026 When you have a growing population, economic activity that\u2019s prosperous, this is one of the ancillary elements that happens. Transport infrastructure is under pressure and it\u2019s not just the M50.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minister for Transport Darragh O\u2019Brien will chair a forum of stakeholders this month focused on addressing congestion in the Greater Dublin Area. <\/p>\n

Attendees are due to include the National Transport Authority (NTA), TII, Dublin Bus, GoAhead Ireland, Bus \u00c9ireann, Irish Rail, An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, the four Dublin local authorities, the Department of Transport and Department of Justice. <\/p>\n

Two memos \u2013 the Moving Together strategy and Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan \u2013 were also brought to Cabinet last week, aimed at tackling congestion and transport-related air pollution in urban areas and supporting the delivery of more than 40 transport-related commitments in the programme for government. <\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien says congestion is a \u201creal and pressing issue\u201d, particularly in the capital, and recognises the \u201cfrustration people are feeling when they\u2019re stuck in traffic day after day\u201d. <\/p>\n

The Minister acknowledges there needs to be a \u201cfresh look\u201d at what more can be done to ease the pressure on roads. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve asked State agencies to work with us in identifying practical, deliverable solutions to tackle traffic congestion in Dublin,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cNothing should be off the table \u2013 we have to examine all viable options to improve traffic flow, support public transport and ensure our city can function effectively for commuters, businesses and families alike.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also investing unprecedented levels in public transport and in our road network to improve connectivity and reduce pressure across the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"HeavyHeavy northbound traffic on the M50 during rush hour on Thursday of this week. Photograph: Paulo Nunes dos Santos <\/p>\n

The Labour Party introduced legislation in the D\u00e1il earlier this year calling for the right to remote and flexible working. It said the lack of a right to flexible and remote work, and the failure to provide reliable and accessible active-travel alternatives and public transport was forcing \u201cmore and more workers\u201d to rely on private vehicles leading to increased congestion and unnecessary carbon emissions. The Bill was opposed by the Government. <\/p>\n

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) says the situation on the M50 is \u201cgetting worse on a monthly basis\u201d. It says it costs nearly \u20ac100 more per journey from Naas to Dublin Port compared with three years ago, for example. <\/p>\n

There are drivers who don\u2019t want to go \u201canywhere near Dublin Port\u201d at certain times now, says IRHA president Ger Hyland. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to get to Dublin Port from Naas in roughly 40 minutes a number of years ago. It\u2019s taking us two hours-plus today,\u201d he says. \u201cIf it\u2019s costing the hauliers more, it\u2019s going to cost the consumer more. It\u2019s all leading to inflation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hyland points to previous proposals such as the Eastern Bypass or outer ring road as possible solutions.<\/p>\n

The Eastern Bypass scheme would comprise an extension of the M50 from the Dublin Tunnel to Sandyford, completing a full orbital motorway around Dublin. <\/p>\n

\"GerGer Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association. Photograph: Niall Carson\/PA <\/p>\n

However, the NTA\u2019s Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042 says that, based on updated assessment work and taking account of current transport policies, the bypass is \u201cno longer required to be developed\u201d. <\/p>\n

The NTA will collaborate with D\u00fan Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in undertaking an assessment of the potential for the southern section of the former Eastern Bypass corridor reservation to accommodate a \u201csustainable transport link\u201d, the plan says. <\/p>\n

The Leinster Orbital Route, which was a proposed motorway extending from Drogheda to Naas\/Newbridge, with links to Navan and other towns, will also not be progressed in \u201cits existing form\u201d, according to the strategy. <\/p>\n

The NTA again cites Government policy to reduce transport\u2019s contribution to emissions and proposes improving existing road networks to \u201ccater for orbital demand along these corridors\u201d. <\/p>\n

Brian Caulfield, professor in transportation at the Centre for Transport Research in Trinity College Dublin, says enhancing the connectivity of other motorways could \u201ctake some of the stress off the M50\u201d.<\/p>\n

Greater public transport reliability and more park and ride facilities, as well as moving the focus of activity away from Dublin, are also cited by Caulfield, along with multiple-point tolling. <\/p>\n

Such a system would involve tolling along the M50 on a junction-by-junction basis, with potentially different rates at peak times, instead of having a single toll point that only a proportion of the road\u2019s users pass through. <\/p>\n

\"BrianBrian Caulfield, professor in transportation at the Centre for Transport Research, TCD. Photograph: Tom Honan <\/p>\n

Caulfield points to an M50 traffic management report published by TII in 2014 that explored the possibility and found multiple tolls would provide \u201csignificant benefits in terms of demand management\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe price of driving has to go up a huge amount before people stop doing it,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has to go up substantially. <\/p>\n

He says that despite the spike in oil prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East, \u201cwe won\u2019t see a decrease in the number of people travelling around the country. It\u2019s [a matter of] people\u2019s elasticity to travel.\u201d <\/p>\n

Multiple-point tolling is a policy decision that would \u201chave to be made by Government\u201d, says TII.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a huge amount of pain in delivering public transport infrastructure<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0Prof Brian Caulfield<\/p>\n

The Department of Transport says there has been \u201cno decision\u201d to change current tolling arrangements on the M50. <\/p>\n

Caulfield adds that public infrastructure projects, such as MetroLink, Luas Finglas and Dart+ South West, are not being delivered \u201cquick enough\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve known what 100 years of building roads and motorways and underinvesting in public transport has done in Ireland. It has led us to the situation we are currently in,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur population is increasing, the size and space in our cities isn\u2019t increasing so it has to be collective; it has to be public transport.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a huge amount of pain in delivering public transport infrastructure in that not everybody is for it \u2026 but we\u2019ve never regretted investing in public transport in Ireland and I do think we need to do it in a much faster way.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lorraine D\u2019Arcy, TU Dublin\u2019s sustainability action research and innovation lead and senior lecturer in sustainable transport and mobility, agrees that public transport should be the priority for decision makers. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t always sit well with people, but the simple fact of the matter is that we need more public transport because that is how we move more people more often and we need people out of cars,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\"LorraineLorraine D\u2019Arcy, TU Dublin: ‘Our students are more sedentary than our adult lecturing staff because they\u2019re travelling such long distances.’ Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

D\u2019Arcy says while higher car dependency has environmental impacts, there are also health implications. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are now spending a longer time in cars, driving long distances, sitting at their desks, not moving that often. Even among our students, they are more sedentary than our adult lecturing staff here and it\u2019s because they\u2019re travelling such long distances,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cI call them Celtic Tiger cubs because their parents bought houses during that time in commuter towns. Those students are travelling with their parents, driving up and down to the city. Therefore they\u2019re not getting involved in student life, on the social side of things, and it\u2019s having an impact on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dublin Chamber says congestion has been a \u201cmajor issue\u201d for its members, with almost half saying they were negatively affected by the issue in a survey last year. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe M50 continues to be a major transport artery for Dublin but we have been told that it is at its max expansion,\u201d it says. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we need now to get people moving around Dublin effectively is continued investment in public transport including the Dart+ projects to Maynooth and Naas which have been long-fingered by government for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dublin Commuter Coalition is an advocacy group devoted to improving the provision of sustainable mobility in the Greater Dublin Area. <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom our perspective and our understanding from the experts, there are no quick fixes to make the M50 flow better from a purely car\/road point of view; nothing can be extended,\u201d it says. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt might sound biased, but we feel it just confirms our general perspective that the only way to improve flow and congestion on the M50 is to get people out of their cars and give them other options.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Secondary school teacher Se\u00e1n O\u2019Neill, who has been commuting on the M50 for more than 25 years, describes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":345660,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[615,61,60,69197,43,16456,29094,976],"class_list":["post-345659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-dublin","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-m50","tag-news","tag-public-transport","tag-transport-infrastructure-ireland","tag-weekendreview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}