Extra €1m funding for zebra crossings in Dublin still may not be enough
Zebra crossing on South William Street(Image: Dublin City Council)There is concern that the extra €1 million allocated for Dublin zebra crossings in 2026 will not be enough to cover current needs.At Wednesday’s Mobility and Public Realm SPC it was revealed that the preferred design for pedestrian crosswalks in the city can cost up to €100,000 per crossing. With Dublin City Council having previously agreed last February that Type B zebra crossings with raised platforms should be standard across the capital, representatives are now rethinking this agreement in favour of cheaper alternatives.The reason for such high costs are due to the drainage implications of the raised platforms, which mean the Council has to work with Irish Water to ensure they connect back to the nearest drainage. This turned what was thought to be a “cheap, alternative” for pedestrian prioritisation into something far more costly, according to Senior Transportation Officer Karen Hosie.There has been a significant increase in the number of zebra crossings in Dublin in recent years, with nine new crossings installed in 2025 alone. These include crossings at Mount Prospect Avenue, two at Greendale Road, Herbert Park, Marlborough Road, Blackditch Road, two on York Street, and South William Street.“We realised over the duration of these works that the cost of the raised platform could vastly increase the cost of the crossing,” Ms Hosie stated. She said their latest amendment now aims to focus on Type B crossings without raised platforms and instead either just signage or incorporating speed ramps.“All the signs would be the same, the road markings would be the same, but you would have no need for drainage,” she said. “Anywhere there’s a high speed zone of 50 kilometres we would look at having ramps or different methods to slow down the traffic on approach.”The estimated cost of the different variations of Type B zebra crossings are:• Type B (signage only) : €5,000–€20,000• Type B with speed ramps : €20,000–€40,000• Type B with raised platform : Up to €100,000Mobility and Public Realm SPC Chairperson Cllr Janet Horner stated that it was "disappointing" to see such high costs for pedestrian crossings and agreed the amendment was needed to get more “bang for buck” when it comes to the Council’s ambitious zebra crossing plans.“We have allocated money to ensure we can deliver at scale. I think sometimes drivers struggle with zebra crossings when they don’t expect them, the more we have the more likely they are to work,” she said.“Having one or two in isolation doesn’t work as well as having a density of them. If we can get to the stage in this city where we have normalised zebra crossings and they are prevalent enough that people expect them, then I think we will see significantly improved driving behaviour and safety.”Dr Robbie Sinnott, Voice of Vision Impairment, stated that, from a disability proofing perspective, crossings without raised platforms are more appropriate and called the preferred design “reckless” and “really bad for guide dogs.” “There’s no need for raised crossings, the traditional drop crossings are absolutely perfect, they have always worked,” he said.This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting SchemeJoin our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
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