Public Transport Volumes
Source: National Transport Authority
Passenger journeys on public transport have been impacted significantly since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, though since the start of this year they have been increasing gradually. However, they still remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
Latest available data show the total number of rail and bus journeys are now at their highest since the beginning of 2021, though onboard public service capacity remains at reduced levels. Data relating to bus and rail journeys is presented in table 3.1 and figure 3.1.
The latest data shows that for the week commencing 23 May, the total number of rail and bus journeys is 47.2% of those taken in early March 2020. The number of bus journeys outside of Dublin in the same week is 53.0% of pre COVID-19 levels. The corresponding level for bus journeys within Dublin is 48.6% of pre-COVID levels.
The data indicates that rail is the mode of transport that has been most severely hit since the onset of the crisis. In the week commencing 05 April 2020 the number of journeys undertaken by rail was 97.2% lower than it was in the first week of March of 2020. For the latest week under consideration (week commencing 23 May) the number of journeys by rail was 62.8% lower than pre COVID-19 levels. Please note that rail data includes passenger journeys on Intercity and DART services.
Data on Luas journeys taken is presented in table 3.2 and illustrated in figure 3.2. The data shows that, similar to bus and rail journeys, the total number of Luas journeys are at their highest since the beginning of 2021. Latest data for the week beginning 24 May shows that journeys nearly tripled on the Red line when compared with end of May 2020 but are still 59.8% lower than end of May 2019. For the Green line and the same week, data shows that journeys have increased by 135,143 journeys compared with the corresponding period in 2020 but are still 60.4% lower than the same period in 2019.
Chapter 1 of this release already commented on the lifting of the intercounty travel ban on 10 May (beginning of week 19). Furthermore, on 10 May hairdressers, galleries and museums reopened and on 17 May (beginning of week 20) all non-essential retail returned. Those changes are reflected in the Luas journeys. Between week 19 and 20 the total Luas journeys increased by 40.2%.
X-axis label | Dublin Metro Bus | Bus excluding Dublin | Rail |
---|---|---|---|
01-Mar 2020 | 3118388 | 759099 | 856295 |
08-Mar | 2558064 | 608088 | 912353 |
15-Mar | 889683 | 202304 | 658934 |
22-Mar | 626201 | 149976 | 97413 |
29-Mar | 362551 | 85405 | 26427 |
05-Apr | 378705 | 92237 | 24019 |
12-Apr | 354552 | 84256 | 26808 |
19-Apr | 408715 | 100255 | 32728 |
26-Apr | 426395 | 105799 | 35270 |
03-May | 451547 | 109066 | 37642 |
10-May | 496898 | 122049 | 43357 |
17-May | 613764 | 146462 | 65923 |
24-May | 728080 | 169158 | 95072 |
31-May | 726144 | 170657 | 103530 |
07-Jun | 861573 | 216191 | 130802 |
14-Jun | 1001001 | 248019 | 170729 |
21-Jun | 1052931 | 258414 | 200664 |
28-Jun | 1191210 | 300688 | 244513 |
05-Jul | 1289296 | 336563 | 261970 |
12-Jul | 1313755 | 343314 | 275425 |
19-Jul | 1345114 | 359881 | 289544 |
26-Jul | 1386355 | 367623 | 303230 |
02-Aug | 1343514 | 355596 | 322643 |
09-Aug | 1411115 | 385771 | 303273 |
16-Aug | 1362931 | 353142 | 257459 |
23-Aug | 1436786 | 387797 | 279886 |
30-Aug | 1580513 | 419330 | 333834 |
06-Sep | 1630992 | 428665 | 333173 |
13-Sep | 1618446 | 432162 | 345327 |
20-Sep | 1502915 | 437676 | 286524 |
27-Sep | 1533592 | 442461 | 297248 |
04-Oct | 1515680 | 406840 | 267040 |
11-Oct | 1537559 | 383087 | 265885 |
18-Oct | 1346619 | 330082 | 214392 |
25-Oct | 876747 | 206039 | 113250 |
01-Nov | 1148715 | 286110 | 184547 |
08-Nov | 1171793 | 290151 | 175989 |
15-Nov | 1200377 | 300783 | 191122 |
22-Nov | 1239144 | 307185 | 198651 |
29-Nov | 1531864 | 394499 | 277354 |
06-Dec | 1686019 | 438379 | 316210 |
13-Dec | 1725502 | 438423 | 330387 |
20-Dec | 1145902 | 289867 | 188230 |
27-Dec | 740923 | 176527 | 108781 |
03-Jan 2021 | 748249 | 184722 | 108960 |
10-Jan | 733387 | 183439 | 90673 |
17-Jan | 732763 | 184267 | 93610 |
24-Jan | 741770 | 189800 | 93032 |
31-Jan | 788069 | 200704 | 104897 |
07-Feb | 771818 | 198143 | 96252 |
14-Feb | 834579 | 207578 | 110225 |
21-Feb | 879459 | 207738 | 123968 |
28-Feb | 945924 | 240561 | 144058 |
07-Mar | 958077 | 240176 | 136507 |
14-Mar | 951775 | 244198 | 146201 |
21-Mar | 1023741 | 263125 | 148522 |
28-Mar | 1002671 | 257114 | 172052 |
04 Apr | 909983 | 236391 | 142224 |
11-Mar | 1173626 | 310561 | 225420 |
18-Apr | 1204436 | 320715 | 243777 |
25-Apr | 1213709 | 321346 | 237706 |
02-May | 1115344 | 292577 | 218273 |
09-May | 1334448 | 353887 | 258430 |
16-May | 1472199 | 388970 | 281501 |
23-May | 1514131 | 402517 | 318382 |
X-axis label | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|
Week 1 | 549533 | 602998 | 141651 |
Week 2 | 839022 | 828455 | 154882 |
Week 3 | 819359 | 889804 | 147908 |
Week 4 | 860745 | 904841 | 150280 |
Week 5 | 912795 | 942828 | 148633 |
Week 6 | 912612 | 920121 | 156469 |
Week 7 | 940476 | 911461 | 154595 |
Week 8 | 952291 | 923869 | 158958 |
Week 9 | 929391 | 898856 | 173458 |
Week 10 | 941919 | 914613 | 182546 |
Week 11 | 924998 | 684508 | 182343 |
Week 12 | 868205 | 172062 | 184592 |
Week 13 | 1003871 | 109378 | 194458 |
Week 14 | 933575 | 51655 | 193222 |
Week 15 | 945662 | 51695 | 175429 |
Week 16 | 842186 | 49393 | 232495 |
Week 17 | 801296 | 55246 | 240221 |
Week 18 | 919255 | 53321 | 237120 |
Week 19 | 817933 | 62327 | 216926 |
Week 20 | 904983 | 70288 | 304059 |
Week 21 | 902415 | 97318 | 356075 |
Week 22 | 973025 | 121645 | 388279 |
Week 23 | 826269 | 116454 | |
Week 24 | 925516 | 162187 | |
Week 25 | 883208 | 198036 | |
Week 26 | 905636 | 212109 | |
Week 27 | 982288 | 260302 | |
Week 28 | 919158 | 272181 | |
Week 29 | 903958 | 281255 | |
Week 30 | 926491 | 299837 | |
Week 31 | 832452 | 329979 | |
Week 32 | 807393 | 324687 | |
Week 33 | 868677 | 327981 | |
Week 34 | 862939 | 332762 | |
Week 35 | 897355 | 352046 | |
Week 36 | 933362 | 364177 | |
Week 37 | 969818 | 385884 | |
Week 38 | 990123 | 359756 | |
Week 39 | 1031937 | 322384 | |
Week 40 | 986159 | 334649 | |
Week 41 | 1054749 | 350028 | |
Week 42 | 1014017 | 338183 | |
Week 43 | 1028522 | 283638 | |
Week 44 | 924586 | 186287 | |
Week 45 | 1019705 | 227605 | |
Week 46 | 1038825 | 237979 | |
Week 47 | 1062275 | 244276 | |
Week 48 | 1113668 | 259772 | |
Week 49 | 1080791 | 394613 | |
Week 50 | 1151098 | 443719 | |
Week 51 | 1173473 | 460029 | |
Week 52 | 538511 | 276844 |
Bicycle Counter Data
Source: Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council operate cycle counters at five locations across the city to aid traffic planning and gauge demand for cycling. The cycle counter automatically counts cyclists passing in both directions and relays information to Dublin City Council’s traffic control centre. Data from these counters is presented in table 3.3. Please note that data in table 3.3 counts public holidays as off-peak.
The data for peak hours shows a different pattern to that of the off-peak data. The volume of cyclists on weekdays between 7am and 10am and from 4pm to 7pm decreased significantly when restrictions were most stringent last year. Data for May show that peak volumes were at their highest since beginning of 2021. The monthly volume of bicycles during peak hours in May 2021 was 41.3% higher than May 2020 but still 55.4% lower than May 2019. In contrast, the volume of cyclists during off-peak hours exceeded 2019 and 2020 levels. Volumes for May 2021 were 2.1% higher than May 2020 and 7.7% higher than in May 2019.
2019 Peak | 2020 Peak | 2021 Peak | 2019 Off peak | 2020 Off peak | 2021 Off peak | |
January | 120861 | 127097 | 30241 | 82059 | 86118 | 62520 |
February | 115392 | 110037 | 33931 | 82802 | 76481 | 67019 |
March | 114304 | 76635 | 53046 | 90355 | 70315 | 99032 |
April | 118120 | 28396 | 59939 | 91287 | 54611 | 115262 |
May | 137132 | 43260 | 61134 | 105374 | 111189 | 113488 |
June | 112541 | 55009 | 99378 | 110170 | ||
July | 146190 | 64701 | 113917 | 109296 | ||
August | 129797 | 58210 | 108179 | 119001 | ||
September | 140262 | 78388 | 108352 | 115860 | ||
October | 140226 | 63867 | 103886 | 104946 | ||
November | 121607 | 57702 | 91845 | 93118 | ||
December | 84178 | 46652 | 77375 | 79108 |
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