Trialling the new layout will give the city an idea of how workable it is. Comment & Analysis: Whats in the above headline might seem like a strange thing to claim. But is it? The strategic thinking for public transport is already (mostly) finalised as part of BusConnects. But while walking followed by cycling will have the main access to the proposed plaza area, there are few signs of strategic thinking for pedestrian and cycling routes around and through the area.Of course, College Green is mainly being designed as a destination. Theres no doubt about that. However, for a destination to be sucessful movement to/from and around it needs to be planned.The point is not that motorised access will be more dominant than pedestrians (its not), but rather that the movement of pedestrians and people cycling is not being strategically thought about enough.The most likely answer as to why this is happening is that the project team has been forced to think strategically about motor access (with presure from retailers, pubs, hotels, business grous and disabled groups focused on disabled car access, etc), but theres no equivalent pressure to, for example, improve access routes from bus stops on the quays via Temple Bar, or mark out routes with guidance strips for people who are visually impaired, or to provide high permeability for cycling.Compare and contrast the following images: First, the outlined access routes for cycling as part of the College Green/Dame Street plaza plan. Cycling is limited and, as reported, a link in a Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network route is not even included:Then look at the far more comprehensive plan for deliveries and services (first image below), and the 24/7 access routes (second image below)Its worth saying that this drawing may descriptively downplay the amount of access here nearly every street in the project area is covered. Direct access is only not available from the main bus and tram route (north-south on College Green) and Church Lane. Thats it.After the morning, this will become more restrictive, but these routes will be 24/7 for all traffic, and not just delivery traffic. So, taxis, people doing unusual drop-offs by car, etc.For access into AIB on College Green, it notes: Controlled access, using automated bollards, will be put in place to facilitate restricted local access/servicing and loading within the project area. But there are no details of how limited or not this will be. Its also worth saying that there are no access route drawings for pedestrians. Some people might laugh at the idea that such a thing is even needed, but wheelchair users as just one example have looked for accessible routes in and around Temple Bar for years.Its possible to do this with sensitive treatments showing a balance between disabled access and the historic built environment. Parliament Square, the main courtyard of Trinity College Dublin, shows that this is the case. But the 24/7 motorist access route is likely to permanently hinder wheelchair access.And the key thing is that this 24/7 motoring access route has a high potential to mess things up for people walking and cycling at the corner of Dame Street and Georges Street:Whats being proposed here is a very pedestrian-priority-looking space to the right of point 10 in the image below. But how will it work with taxis and others accessing Temple Lane 24/7, as well as delivery drivers going straight on along Dame Street at this point eastwards (right in the image)? Ireland does not have many examples of this kind of space where a delicate balance is needed, and in the countries that do, I dont think many design them like this. But one bit of experience Dublin has is that fully signalled pedestrian crossings do not work in areas that are mainly pedestrian spaces.Having a fully signalled pedestrian crossing at point 10 in the image below would leave us in a situation of removing all buses, taxis and most access traffic on a large section of Dame Street for pedestrian priority, but then requiring pedestrians to use a crossing on one side of the plaza (within the plaza area).With the draft drawings provided, motorists entering this route would likely only see a green light before entering from the west end of Dame Street towards Temple Lanethats very problematic, given how many drivers treat green lights as an excuse to keep driving at anyone in their way.And for motorised access and cycling, there are many conflict points, with the main ones shown in the image below, where taxi drivers, etc., will cross the path of people cycling straight on the main traffic route from the west end of Dame Street to Georges Street or from the west end of Dame Street towards College Green.All of these examples combined are the reason I think that pedestrian and cycling movements have not been looked at strategically.And, as previously covered, the Dame Street part of the project does not appear to comply with national guidelines for the space required for pedestrians moving through an area. This is an image from the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets:With five metres on each side of the greening area and the access route on Dame Street, it might sound like a lot, but it does not seem to leave enough space for movement. The five metres will include tables and chairs, trees, benches, bicycle stands, lamp posts, etc, as well as people hanging around, possible areas buskers will use, etc.As an aside: A number of people have, in my view, strangely claimed that there is not enough greening in this project, but along the Dame Street section of the project, the greening elements take up a large percentage of the space.In many places along Dame Street, therell be only around 2-3 metres of active walking space when there should be more than 4. And, again, its worth noting that the need for walking space on Dame Street will increase as more people have to walk farther to catch buses or get to car parks.Heres all of the locations where a combination of tables and chairs, benches, trees, etc, is likely to narrow the usable space for pedestrians too much and this does not even account for the likelihood of there being greater demand for outdoor seating over timeAgain, it seems the only movement the design team have examined strategically is motor access (including deliveries, car parks, taxis, etc). I dont think they are doing this because they are anti-pedestrian or anything; I think they have been forced to think strategically about motoring access (and have gone overboard).In designing streets and public space, theres often a conflict where designing streets for movement takes over designing for place, or, in other words, for all other activities people stopping to chat, people hanging about, children playing, places for sitting, outdoor dining, etc. But for pedestrian and cycle routes on this project, I think the project team may be looking at place so much that they are forgetting about pedestrian movement.Theres clearly some disregard for cycling its worth saying two things: (1) such a disregard for cycling happens even with designers who are cyclists, and (2) the designers of projects can only do so much when choices are being made at a higher level.Just think in terms of how they are providing 24/7 motorist access via parts of Temple Bar now, but they dont yet have any plans to improve access for wheelchair or blind pedestrians, who may have to go further to reach buses. The problem with leaving this to the detail design stage is that youll end up like some of the streets off Grafton Street, where tactile paving has been put under long-established outdoor seating. Tactile paving is hard to fix after all the work is finished. Major junctions and changes in the street provide is even harder. A solution to all of this and other possible problems is not to go ahead with a total redesign of the space without trialling it first. Remove buses and other traffic as it is now, and temporarily mark out the routes the council plans for deliveries, people cycling, etc, but be ready to change things when its clear that something is not working out. IMAGES: Tactile paving has been put under long-established outdoor seating on Duke Street.