Capel Street is traffic-free from today after works were carried out overnight to facilitate the changes.
It's now the longest pedestrianised street in the city, longer than both Henry Street and Grafton Street.
Capel Street is getting playful... works are underway on Capel Street to make the area more child-friendly. All part of our @DCCParksBiodiv Play Development Strategy! Don't forget, Capel Street will be traffic-free from Fri 20th May. #CapelStreet #Dublin #Mural pic.twitter.com/5b7kxkmYlJ
— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) May 18, 2022
During the pandemic Dublin City Council trialed the traffic-free model to allow outdoor dining in the city centre.
A public consultation last year found over 90 per cent of people were in favour of banning cars from the north inner city road.
Deliveries will still be facilitated with temporary bollards being removed between 6am and 11am each morning.
Dublin City Council's Head of Technical Services, Brendan O'Brien, says staff will be on-hand to direct traffic around the area over the next few weeks;
"We've also put in additional loading spaces around the Capel Street area so even during the hours of being traffic-free people can still be able to get loads in and so on."
While most people surveyed said they were happy for the changes to be implemented a number of businesses expressed concern. They had called for compromise and warned the car ban could result in legal action.
