Bus Service in Galway

Storm 10

I live in the Westside of the City and find it very strange that no bus service goes to Salthill, when I go out I can get a bus to town but if I want to go to Salthill its a dear taxi ride. The Rahoon bus from Eyre Square turns around at the roundabout at Taylors Hill and back into town, would it not make sense for this bus to continue on to Salthill down threadneedle road and into town, then the Salthill bus from Eyre Square could carry on from Salthill up threadneedle road to Rahoon and into town. Anyone agree

bonzodog2

I think one of the city direct(?)(not BE) do a service to salthill, also there's a BE one leaves Eyre Square outside AIB at the bottom of the square.

antoobrien

Storm 10 wrote: »

I live in the Westside of the City and find it very strange that no bus service goes to Salthill, when I go out I can get a bus to town but if I want to go to Salthill its a dear taxi ride. The Rahoon bus from Eyre Square turns around at the roundabout at Taylors Hill and back into town, would it not make sense for this bus to continue on to Salthill down threadneedle road and into town, then the Salthill bus from Eyre Square could carry on from Salthill up threadneedle road to Rahoon and into town. Anyone agree

The no 8 bus goes out Fr Griffin Rd to Salthill.

Storm 10

antoobrien wrote: »

The no 8 bus goes out Fr Griffin Rd to Salthill.

No good to me to go to Salthill , I am not aware of any City Direct buses that go to Salthill via Rahoon.

Mrs OBumble

antoobrien wrote: »

The no 8 bus goes out Fr Griffin Rd to Salthill.

Ahh, I think you'll find that's No 1 (what 8 turns into when it hits Eyre Square). But anyways, Fr Griffin Road's not quite in Westside, last time I looked.


OP, I guess it comes down to how many people from Westside want to travel to Salthill. And whether the government (ie National Transport Authority) is willing to approve a proposed bus-route. (and maybe whether the Salthilluvians want ye coming into their neighbourhood )

Bus Eireann actually have a project to simplify their bus routes, to remove "confusing loops", rather than add any more. I'm not actually sure why loops are confusing, myself, but maybe I can read maps a little better than some.

yer man!

Galway city bus don't always go to the places they say they are supposed to go to on the timetable.... some take different routes, and i'm almost sure its which ever road the bus driver thinks is 'nicest'.....

ben.schlomo

yer man! wrote: »

Galway city bus don't always go to the places they say they are supposed to go to on the timetable.... some take different routes, and i'm almost sure its which ever road the bus driver thinks is 'nicest'.....

Never happened in all the years i've used buses in town.

joeKel73

yer man! wrote: »

Galway city bus don't always go to the places they say they are supposed to go to on the timetable.... some take different routes, and i'm almost sure its which ever road the bus driver thinks is 'nicest'.....

Several buses have alternative routes... marked with a letter after the number. The start and destination for that number may be the same but depending on the letter it could go up a different road.

snubbleste

I find it very strange there is no bus going from Tirellan to Renmore. They are on the same side of town and it's a dear taxi ride. I can get a bus into town and then another to Renmore. Would it not make sense for any bus going from Tirellan to deviate to Renmore and vice versa? Thoughts?

inisboffin

JustMary wrote: »

[
OP, I guess it comes down to how many people from Westside want to travel to Salthill. And whether the government (ie National Transport Authority) is willing to approve a proposed bus-route. (and maybe whether the Salthilluvians want ye coming into their neighbourhood )

Bus Eireann actually have a project to simplify their bus routes, to remove "confusing loops", rather than add any more. I'm not actually sure why loops are confusing, myself, but maybe I can read maps a little better than some.

A loop or loops would make way more sense IMO. For the 5 to go back to town via threadneedle makes sense to me. Or the 2 to go up a little further to BOD road before looping down.

I do think there would be demand, particularly in summer, from all the families in Rahoon, Westside, Taylors Hill area estates etc.

ben.schlomo

snubbleste wrote: »

I find it very strange there is no bus going from Tirellan to Renmore. They are on the same side of town and it's a dear taxi ride. I can get a bus into town and then another to Renmore. Would it not make sense for any bus going from Tirellan to deviate to Renmore and vice versa? Thoughts?

Good lord no. Its a ten minute journey from Tirellan without traffic, what a pain it would be for that journey to turn into at least 25 with a detour all the way across town to Renmore. Absolutely no need for it, if you have to make that journey then the bus to the Square and out to Renmore should suffice.

inisboffin

Heard something a couple of days ago about City Direct and a possible bus across the 'new' bridge, and how it is very necessary. Going from Knocknacarra to the 'Industrial' areas on the Eastside. Didn't catch the full news story, so not sure if someone else did.

ben.schlomo

inisboffin wrote: »

Heard something a couple of days ago about City Direct and a possible bus across the 'new' bridge, and how it is very necessary. Going from Knocknacarra to the 'Industrial' areas on the Eastside. Didn't catch the full news story, so not sure if someone else did.

Always wondered why that hadn't happened. If run properly it could take a serious number of cars of the road, thats a big if obviously.

Storm 10

JustMary wrote: »

Ahh, I think you'll find that's No 1 (what 8 turns into when it hits Eyre Square). But anyways, Fr Griffin Road's not quite in Westside, last time I looked.


OP, I guess it comes down to how many people from Westside want to travel to Salthill. And whether the government (ie National Transport Authority) is willing to approve a proposed bus-route. (and maybe whether the Salthilluvians want ye coming into their neighbourhood )

Bus Eireann actually have a project to simplify their bus routes, to remove "confusing loops", rather than add any more. I'm not actually sure why loops are confusing, myself, but maybe I can read maps a little better than some.

JustMary I find your comment in very bad taste about going to Salthill, as it happens I am from Salthill and live in Rahoon, even if i was not from there comments like yours are not helpful.

I still think a loop for the Salthill bus through Rahoon/Westside/Newcastle into town and vica versa for the Rahoon bus through Salthill would be a good move.

antoobrien

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Always wondered why that hadn't happened. If run properly it could take a serious number of cars of the road, thats a big if obviously.

The article is here

A private bus operator is planning a new ‘express bus’ service from Knocknacarra to the city centre every 30 minutes once the dedicated bus lanes on the Seamus Quirke Road redevelopment in Westside are opened.

There are > 36k trips going across the bridge every day.

Lets make some assumptions:
A bus holds 50 people (don't know what the red buses hold)
All vehicles using the QB are single occupant
There are 2 busses each way that will be full (4 per hour)
People will be traveling between 7.00 & 9.30 & 4 & 6.30 (20 busses total)

20*50=1000 potential commuter cars off the road.

Even if the proposals in there for double deckers & 4 trips per hour (instead of two) are available we're still only talking a potential of 4k cars out of 36k+.

ben.schlomo

antoobrien wrote: »

The article is here




There are > 36k trips going across the bridge every day.

Lets make some assumptions:
A bus holds 50 people (don't know what the red buses hold)
All vehicles using the QB are single occupant
There are 2 busses each way that will be full (4 per hour)
People will be traveling between 7.00 & 9.30 & 4 & 6.30 (20 busses total)

20*50=1000 potential commuter cars off the road.

Even if the proposals in there for double deckers & 4 trips per hour (instead of two) are available we're still only talking a potential of 4k cars out of 36k+.

Still a 10%+ reduction is a positive start if we use those figures.

antoobrien

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Still a 10%+ reduction is a positive start if we use those figures.

until you take into account the tidal nature of traffic - you're not going to make a dent in the problem

And those figures are being very optimistic too I might add.

Mrs OBumble

Storm 10 wrote: »

JustMary I find your comment in very bad taste about going to Salthill, as it happens I am from Salthill and live in Rahoon, even if i was not from there comments like yours are not helpful.

I'm sorry that you're offended. Suggest that you don't read the threrad about supermarkets in Salthill, there will be comments there (not from me this time) that you won't like either.

Storm 10 wrote: »

I still think a loop for the Salthill bus through Rahoon/Westside/Newcastle into town and vica versa for the Rahoon bus through Salthill would be a good move.

I actually think so too, provided the loop goes in both directions, there's a decent frequency, and there are good signs at each bus stop so potential passengers know which was the buses are going. Actually, I'd call it the "outer orbiter west" and market it as a Salthill - University service.

However Bus Éireann have said that they believe loops are too confusing for people. I believe (haven't got copy to check right now) that the 2007 strategic public transport study came to the same conclusion. I'd have said that this is b*llix .. except that this this the only country I've ever seen where passengers are so XXX (self-censored comment, choose whatever adjective suits your own prejudices) that the bus companies cannot even use buses with two doors.