Photo of the Week - Week 40:
Donnybrook's Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7LA, AX638, is seen operating a Route 46A service from Phoenix Park to Dun Laoghaire on diversion turning from Baggot Street onto Pembroke Street on the 10th October 2010.
This week's Photo of the Week takes in Baggot Street. Due to road resurfacing on St. Stephen's Green East the contra-flow bus lane was closed today, the 10th October 2010. This forced all buses that use the contra-flow bus lane to use Merrion Row, Baggot Street, Pembroke Street, Fitzwilliam Street to access Leeson Street. Buses heading to Earlsfort Terrace turned right from Fitzwilliam Street onto Leeson Street turning left onto Earlsfort Terrace.
Its only when something is closed you realise how much its used. It was amazing the amount of buses that used Pembroke Street today, but of course it seems ordinary when its St. Stephen's Green East. Routes such as: 10 (well it always does), 11, 14/A, 15/A/B, 44, 46A, 48A, 74/A, 128, 140, 145 giving unprecedented levels of service to this road.
This is not the first time that Leeson Street buses used this routing outbound from the city. In May 1966 Leeson Street was made one way inbound between Fitzwilliam Street and St. Stephen's Green East. Routes such as the 11s, 13, 46A and 64A all had to use this outbound routing. With worsening traffic conditions in the city, the contra flow bus lane on Leeson Street was implemented in the mid-1980s, buses running directly from St. Stephen's Green East onto Leeson Street.
Its also not the first time that routes such as 14s, 15s, 44 or the 48A have used Leeson Street. Due to the new traffic scheme put in place around St. Stephen's Green from the 4th July 2004, as part of measures coinciding with the introduction of the Green Luas Line, the services above could not use Harcourt Street. They therefore used Hatch Street Upper as at present, but then continued to Hatch Street Lower and onto Leeson Street to access St. Stephen's Green East. The contra-flow bus lane on Earlsfort Street was added a few years later.
The second photo, I don't know when it became a rule that it had to be a double feature, is an obvious choice. How can any image of the week on the 10/10/10 not have a photo of a 10. Yes the historic 10 route, which is close to its end. AX453, one of the new boys in Phibsborough is seen on one of the old time routes on a 10/10/10 10.
Phibsborough's, ex Donnybrook, AX453 is seen operating a Route 10 departure to Phoenix Park in fading light over Baggot Street Bridge on the 10th October 2010.