Dublin
UMR Index
Score: 55.5%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 56.6%
Public Transit
Score: 52.5%
| Population | 1.3 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 461 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 2,882 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 115,094 |
What Dublin Does Well in Urban Mobility
Dublin's implementation of car-free zones and dedication to electric vehicle (EV) investment have helped reduce emissions and improve the city's air quality. A plan to redesign western parts of Dublin into a 15-minute city concept may further improve air quality. Separately, the city plans to install 1,650 EV charging points by 2025, and currently offers grants of more than $5,000 for the purchase of a new EV.
The city experiences few road fatalities, and its roadways are well-connected with Ireland's robust road network. A 2030 city plan aims to improve road safety by building separated infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, promoting modal shifts away from motor vehicles, and reducing vehicle speeds.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Dublin’s Transportation System
With residents preferring to drive personal cars over cycling and public transit, congestion remains an issue throughout the city. However, a 2028 plan aims for a 40% reduction in traffic while increasing walking, cycling, and public transport usage.
Dublin is not home to a strong mobility innovation ecosystem, with few leading universities, labs, and companies operating in the mobility space. Dublin’s transportation spending is a low percentage of its gross domestic product.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Dublin Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility
Dublin's public transit riders often struggle with long commutes due to low transit speeds. The city can build dedicated bus lanes to help avoid traffic slowdowns. Adding bus lanes is an efficient and effective way to shorten travel times for commuters. In the long term, investing in the infrastructure to build a metro system would greatly improve transit speed; however, this would be a lengthy and expensive undertaking.
With many of Dublin's residents opting to travel via personal car, the city lags behind its peer Helsinki in terms of car ownership, with Dubliners owning an average of 1.7 times as many vehicles as residents of Helsinki. The city can discourage car usage by introducing car-free zones to heavy foot-traffic areas and by limiting car parking. Dublin would need to offer alternative mobility options by promoting public transit, active mobility, and shared mobility such as car-sharing or ride-hailing – although previously mentioned 2028 plans aim to do just that. Additionally, Dublin can improve its active mobility infrastructure through bike lanes or a bike-sharing program expansion.