The Green Party has backed concerns from residents regarding the loss of mature trees as part of the Bus Connects proposals. It has said that the final plans must retain more mature plans, even if this involves restricting car access on certain routes.Green Party Transport spokesperson and MEP candidate Ciarán Cuffe said today:"Plans to bulldoze through long lines of mature trees on Baggot Street Lower and elsewhere are wrong. People have a long memory of Dublin Corporations cavalier attitude to road-widening and steam-rolling through their plans in the 1970s and 1980s.“If it comes down to a choice between cutting down 50 or 100 year-old trees or diverting car movements than we need to save the trees. In some instance a one-way car system can help in reducing the number of trees that may be felled. It is also crucial that footpaths aren’t reduced to a minimum, and that cycle lanes are designed properly.“There is a lot of confusion surrounding the Bus Connects process. My understanding is that the draft plans can change significantly as they move towards finalisation."An inter-disciplinary approach is needed to ensure placemaking, landscaping (including green infrastructure and tree planting), urban design, spatial planning and urban regeneration are at the heart of the process"ENDSNote: Ciarán's submission to Bus Connects is available here.Issued and uploaded 12th May 2019