And as Ireland's economy almost doubled in size over the past decade, Dublin saw precious little in the way of transport improvements. As a result, traffic has replaced the British as Ireland's chief complaint. The Irish government is moving belatedly to improve the public transit system and ease the strain on the limited road network. Expanded commuter rail and bus services and the city's first tram network since a fondly remembered postwar model was scrapped in the 1950s will be among the upgrades. Even so, officials acknowledge they would be lucky to keep pace with the region's surging population, expected to surpass 2 million within the decade.
All future growth has to be carried by other modes. . . .
No city has achieved this. If trends continue, Dublin, the economic heart of Ireland with more than one-third the country's population, risks serious financial damage. Small employers are complaining that it's getting increasingly difficult to schedule deliveries and attract workers. Brown says it's often faster to walk to customers. Driving about a mile from his office on Capel Street north of the River Liffey to heavily traveled Baggot Street in the south can take 40 minutes, he says.