Limerick to get public bike scheme

Chips Lovell

Just got this press release:

Limerick City, IRELAND - Limerick Smarter Travel has announced that the proposed Public Bicycle Share Scheme for Limerick City Centre will be up and running by autumn 2014.

The Scheme will feature 23 Docking Stations housing 400 individual Bicycle Docks across the City and is styled on the hugely successful Public Bicycle Share Scheme in Dublin, which has so far recorded over 3 million journeys since its launch in 2009.

The announcement for Limerick comes ahead of a public information session to be held in Limerick City Hall this Tuesday (20th August) from 2.00pm to 6.30pm in relation to the scheme.

Hosted by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Limerick Smarter Travel, the information session takes place in conjunction with an ongoing public display of maps identifying the proposed Docking Station locations within the city and illustrations of how some of the Docking Stations might appear. The information will remain on display in the public lobbies of City Hall and County Hall until 5th September next.

Pat O'Neill, Project Manager, Limerick Smarter Travel said: "Following the success of the Public Bicycle Share Schemes in Dublin, the NTA has initiated the introduction of similar schemes in the regional cities of Cork, Limerick and Galway. We are delighted to work with the NTA on the roll-out of this project which aims to develop an environmentally-friendly means of public transport that is healthy, relatively inexpensive, brings jobs closer to where people live, and ensures an improved quality of life in the City's natural and built environment”.

Mr. O’Neill continued: "The NTA has recently commenced the Tender process for the award of a contract to supply, install, operate and maintain the Public Bicycle Share Scheme for Limerick City Centre. Under the proposed scheme, 200 bicycles will be deployed in the city at 23 Docking Stations and will be redistributed throughout the city during the day to cater for demand by ensuring that there are both sufficient vacant Docks to dock Bicycles and sufficient Bicycles at each Docking Station."

Interested parties are invited to send any comments or queries in relation to the Public Bicycle Share Scheme for Limerick City Centre to ntabicyclesharescheme@arup.com or before 5pm on Thursday 5th September, 2013. The drawings are also available to view at www.nationaltransport.ie and www.limerickcity.ie.

Squidgy Black

I'd say Cork people will be fuming, claiming they're the second capital and they should get it.

cython

stetyrrell wrote: »

I'd say Cork people will be fuming, claiming they're the second capital and they should get it.

They're getting them too, along with Galway and Waterford by the looks of it: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/city-bikes-scheme-to-be-wheeled-out-in-four-new-towns-29167796.html

ETA: NVM that the OP mentioned that too! There has been more publicity about the Cork scheme in the last few days already though

Captain Havoc

Good to see another city having a stab at it.

studiorat

stetyrrell wrote: »

I'd say Cork people will be fuming, claiming they're the second capital and they should get it.

Judging by the amount of cyclists in Cork. I reckon around 20 bikes would cover it.

endacl

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Good to see another city having a stab at it.

Yeah, I got that!

:P

shaka

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Good to see another city having a stab at it.

Wonderfully mature of you.:cool:

monument

As well as Limerick, Cork and Galway also released detail on their websites or to local media, all the links are here:

Cork, Galway, Limerick bike schemes move forward

Includes proposed station locations -- Cork does not on its own site but there's some detail in the Echo article.

ROK ON

Great news for Limerick. I have to say that for the scheme to be a success in Limerick that it can't necessarily copy the Dublin model.

Limerick city centre is tiny and unlike Dublin it is not a city with a large inner city population. The vast majority of citizens live within a 4 to 5 km radius in the burbs. For the scheme to add value and be attractive they need to consider placing bikes at the railway station and the beginning of the suburbs around Caherdavin/Ennis road, Dublin road, Pennywell, Dooradoyle and importantly the train station.

Nonetheless it's good to see, but I wonder do cities need a certain amount of population density and space to thrive - that is does tue success of Dublin translate to a place where potential journeys in foot are significantly shorter and that there are significantly fewer people.

shaka

ROK ON you make a good point the city is tiny and not sure how it will work with such a low population density. There is also the fact that the main shopping is unfortunately now on the outskirts and the city centre in parkway, crescent and Ennis road.
If the redevelopment of the city centre goes ahead which a few people in the know seem to think definitely will then that will go someway to getting people back into the city. City itself is easy enough to cycle around so could work.

BofaDeezNuhtz

23 docking stations.....where?
There's barely 23 streets in limerick city.
They're will be one on every street ffs.:D

Doctor Bob

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Good to see another city having a stab at it.

I wonder will Kilkenny be next?

Oh hang on, you said 'city'. :pac:




(Wow, the old ones really are the best, aren't they?)

Captain Havoc

Doctor Bob wrote: »

I wonder will Kilkenny be next?

Oh hang on, you said 'city'. :pac:




(Wow, the old ones really are the best, aren't they?)

BOOM,

There were talks of it, my own opinion is that Kilkenny is too small a city to have one, Limerick is twice the size and it's being mentioned here that Limerick could be too small.

Jawgap

It would never work in Cork as the bikes would never stand up to the strain of carrying both the cyclist and the mega-large, non-aero shaped chips on their shoulders...........

High Nellie

ROK ON wrote: »

Great news for Limerick. I have to say that for the scheme to be a success in Limerick that it can't necessarily copy the Dublin model.

Limerick city centre is tiny and unlike Dublin it is not a city with a large inner city population. The vast majority of citizens live within a 4 to 5 km radius in the burbs. For the scheme to add value and be attractive they need to consider placing bikes at the railway station and the beginning of the suburbs around Caherdavin/Ennis road, Dublin road, Pennywell, Dooradoyle and importantly the train station.

Nonetheless it's good to see, but I wonder do cities need a certain amount of population density and space to thrive - that is does tue success of Dublin translate to a place where potential journeys in foot are significantly shorter and that there are significantly fewer people.

That's an interesting point. Limerick has a ring of huge shopping complexes at all the major roundabouts that ring the city - the center is completely hollowed out. It's a shocking example of bad planning, and Tesco have just recently got planning permission for another big complex which is even outside these.
Still it's good to see the scheme developing

Jawgap

High Nellie wrote: »

That's an interesting point. Limerick has a ring of huge shopping complexes at all the major roundabouts that ring the city - the center is completely hollowed out. It's a shocking example of bad planning, and Tesco have just recently got planning permission for another big complex which is even outside these.
Still it's good to see the scheme developing

Where's the new M&S going?

shaka

M&S supposed to going out near parkway

thesimpsons

I wish they'd just give us secure bike parking in city centre and I reckon alot more would cycle into city centre for work and shopping. something like a locked cage within a carpark (down by city hall maybe) with ticket to reclaim your bike.

ROK ON

High Nellie wrote: »

That's an interesting point. Limerick has a ring of huge shopping complexes at all the major roundabouts that ring the city - the center is completely hollowed out. It's a shocking example of bad planning, and Tesco have just recently got planning permission for another big complex which is even outside these.
Still it's good to see the scheme developing

Yep. It saddens my every time I return to Limerick. The large retail park complexes have given Limerick one of the highest retail densities of urban centres in Europe. With many big box retailers competing against each other and themselves it has seen contributed to the utter destruction of the town centre. I suspect that the historic differential in property commercial rates between the City & County councils have some part to play. Whatever the reason hopefully this spells some renewal in terms of urban planning. For those that don't know Limerick the city has some wonderful architecture and Georgian buildings. Anything that will incentivise people to come back into town is great news.

shaka

ROK ON wrote: »

I suspect that the historic differential in property commercial rates between the City & County councils have some part to play. .

I believe rates are going to level soon .

High Nellie

shaka wrote: »

M&S supposed to going out near parkway

In that huge derelict site out the Dublin Rd a bit, on the right. So, you have the parkway, then the relatively new retail complex beyond the roundabout, and this ill be just outside that again. And there's another a few hundred meters down the Childers Rd.

enas

monument wrote: »

As well as Limerick, Cork and Galway also released detail on their websites or to local media, all the links are here:

Cork, Galway, Limerick bike schemes move forward

Includes proposed station locations -- Cork does not on its own site but there's some detail in the Echo article.

The drawings are available for Cork here: https://sites.google.com/site/cccdrawings/public-bike-scheme