Transport boost for Waterford and Limerick

mydiscworld

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0307/breaking38.html

Over €1.4 million is to be allocated to new transport projects in Waterford and Limerick city, it was announced today.

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Victor

http://www.transport.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=512

€1.4 Million Transport Investment Announced For Waterford & Limerick
07 - 03 - 2012
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Minister for Public & Commuter Transport, Alan Kelly has today (Wednesday) announced over €1.4 million in funding for transport projects for Waterford and Limerick cities. The funding has been allocated through the National Transport Authority under the Regional Cities Accessibility Programme.

The investment will allow a range of projects to go ahead, designed to improve traffic flows and remove pinch points, provide better access for buses and taxis, and provide new or better routes for cyclists and pedestrians. “Public transport in our regional cities is in need of improvement,” stated Minister Kelly.

“Just 4% of trips in Waterford city are made using public transport so people need to be given other options and the infrastructure has improved. Limerick will see major investment under the Smarter Travel Areas competition but this investment is designed to enhance that and to make both cities more transport friendly” added Minister Kelly.

Under the programme, Waterford will see the completion of the bus corridor along the quays which will assist in distributing through traffic onto the new bypass. It will also see new signage and information boards at high pedestrian flow areas. All of these schemes will cost €770,000. Meanwhile Limerick will see the completion of phase one of a new bus lane along Ballinacurra road designed to improve bus journey time into the city centre by ten minutes. There will also be upgraded pedestrian measures, road safety improvements and provision made for real time passenger information in the future. These measures will cost €692,000.

“Up to now, much of the transport investment has been based on yearly spend. However this time we are looking to build this programme on a multi-annual basis to make our spending more effective” concluded Minister Kelly.

Ends

Sponge Bob

He was in Galway yesterday announcing a misc.disbursement of squiddlies and shekels. Part of this is a partial €1m+ bailout on a c.€6m mega overrun already incurred on the Seamus Quirke Road project ( the main west-east artery) caused largely by the Corpos incompetence.

http://www.thejournal.ie/e4-million-transport-funding-for-galway-city-374817-Mar2012/

THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced €4 million in funding for transport projects in Galway city which will support efforts to improve the flow of traffic.

Under the funding programme, Ceannt bus station near Eyre Square will be revamped to include wider footpaths and better bus bays.

Transport connections to the west of the city will also be improved to add bus lanes, junction changes and upgrade bus stops on the Bishop O’Donnell/Seamus Quirke road to a cost of over €1 million.

The Department of Transport says that €250,000 will be allocated to the continued construction of the Fisheries Field Greenway to link NUIG with the university’s offsite sports fields and the cathedral.

Announcing the €4m allocation today, Minister of State Alan Kelly said that public transport in Irish cities “is in need of improvement” and that Galway is being treated as “a key priority in the national transport plans for the future”.

“Just 4 per cent of work trips in Galway city are made using public transport so people need to be given other options,” he said. “It is also a major tourism hub for the country so improving traffic management and facilitating cycling and walking should improve the experience of the city for both residents and visitors alike.”

Around €200,000 of the funding will be allocated to erecting new signs and information boards in pedestrian-heavy areas like the Salthill Prom and the canal walk.

A study is also being commissioned by the department into the use of the Salmon Weir bridge near the cathedral and possible better uses for the bridge, including a one-way traffic flow or signal-controlled shuttle traffic.

“Up to now, much of the transport investment has been based on yearly spend. However this time we are looking to build this programme on a multi-annual basis to make our spending more effective,” Kelly said.

dowlingm

Alan Kelly is a master of the 10,000 euro press release. Fat chance getting a paper to write about a coat of paint or some new signs (as on Nenagh branch) back in the Tiger days. O tempora! O mores!