Here's a question ..

f0zzy

If you had to pick three specific and pragmatic things that would improve Galway city for the folks that live in it - what would these be ?

(lets not this spin into a discussion on whats wrong - but rather what could be done to make it right)

Your Face

An effective sewage system
Higher standard of architecture
Free money.

brembo26

better traffic management
better standard of rental accommodation
better public transport infrastructure

Whereisgalway

Competent city council
Better standard of buskers
Less egos & greed

Green Peter

Outer bypass
Outer bypass
Outer bypass

Atlantic Dawn

Add LUAS light rail system
Ring road
Expansion of harbour so it allows berthing of large cruise and cargo ships.

youngrun

Traffic management , more buses, school buses in city, park and rides, bike schemes, employers/council working together to solve the problem- and yes probably an outer bypass needed as well .
Large city parks- Dangan, Merlin Park/Woods should all be maintained as parks for the city's future and health- let the roads and buildings go around them
Indoor sports and entertainment facilities- eg major multipurpose arena, suitable for indoor sports, ice rinks, shows etc

buzz11

Outer bypass
Outer bypass
Outer bypass

aw

1. Outer bypass has to be the one that would have the most positive impact on the city.
2. A large venue to hold concerts, events, etc. Lift up the TF Royal and transport it to Galway.
3. A good clean. Powerhose the filthy footpaths & Shop Street. Paint the peeling properties. Clean up the monstrosity that is Bailey Point. Get rid of that awful yellow surface that covers some of the prom. Review who decided to put that on it anyway. Leading to...
3.1 A proactive city council, wisely using joined-up thinking in all of their decision and actions.

Mrs OBumble

1 Bus shelter at every bus stop.

2 All future road designs comply with the design manual before they are submitted for planning permission.

3 More large employers in the city centre (ie the buildings for them to occupy)
(Keep the ones who need manufacturing / distro facilities out in the soul-less industrial estates. But ones whose output is electronic would give a better year-round customer base for city-centre hospitality businesses, and the centre is the only realistic place for most of their workers to be commuting using public transport.)

NiallBoo

buzz11 wrote: »

Outer bypass
Outer bypass
Outer bypass

Hate to say it but it won't do much. All that's really wrong with the current orbital road is that the junctions are a mess (though it does need to be extended further west). The road itself has plenty of capacity.

The delays are really back-logs stemming from the roads that people want to get onto being overly full. Same as anywhere else in ireland really - it's not the lack of orbital routes, it's the lack of arteries.

NiallBoo

Same as most places in ireland:

More quality, spacious apartments to provide a proper alternative to suburban sprawl.

Rail-based public transport to a good variety of destinations with routes that go around and link in with each other.

Generally more outdoor communal space by reducing the dependence on cars- parks sure, but everything from more room for cafe terraces to nice places to walk and cycle about.


- i do also like the idea of the indoor arena above - especially if it was somewhere like in the docks.

Paddyfield

1, Cross city road tunnel
2, Tram system
3, Concert venue


No room to mention to less rain & a total ban on amplifiers.

snubbleste

1. More taxes
2. More rain
3. More whingeing

ronnie3585

1. Monorail.
2. Monorail.
3. MONORAIL!

connemara man

A roof over shop street
A proper concert area
Another bridge over the corrib

_Whimsical_

I'm going to say a decent museum that has a regular turnover of exhibits where ordinary people can go on a dull Sunday evening etc and wander around. An indoor place to go on dates or something to do by yourself or with a friend that's interesting, passes an hr or two and that's not drinking or coffee.

I always wished I lived in a city with something like that.

JohnCleary

MORE YOKES

Mr_A

Anti aircraft defences
Aunt Nellie's outlets everywhere
Trebuchets, trebuchets, trebuchets

ben.schlomo

A moat.
A militia.
A branch of the People's Front of Judea.

Monkey Fighting Snakes

Outer bypass
Round up and get rid of the gypsies
Make buskers audition before they get a slot on Shop St

bobbyss

Monkey Fighting Snakes wrote: »

Outer bypass
Round up and get rid of the gypsies
Make buskers audition before they get a slot on Shop St

'Round up', 'get rid rid of'.

I don't think you have a calling in the Diplomatic Corps at any rate.

Moo Moo Land

Outer bypass
Outer bypass
Greenway from Galway to Cliften

Outer bypass
Outer bypass

Attract more big employers to Galway, particularly thouse with highly skilled roles and requiring highly skilled employees. I would add though and being completely contrary to another poster all large employers should be setting up outside the city centre regardless of type of business as it's much better for commuting there particularly for those who live in the county and surrounding counties. The city centre is a terrible place for large employers, very awkward to get there and then no where to park.

Mrs OBumble

Bentlee Agreeable Skillet wrote: »

I would add though and being completely contrary to another poster all large employers should be setting up outside the city centre regardless of type of business as it's much better for commuting there particularly for those who live in the county and surrounding counties. The city centre is a terrible place for large employers, very awkward to get there and then no where to park.

How does it benefit Galway to have a bunch of Mayos and the like coming over the border to work and then going home again to spend their wages?

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

How does it benefit Galway to have a bunch of Mayos and the like coming over the border to work and then going home again to spend their wages?

Galway is the second biggest county in Ireland and thus has a very large population living both in rural areas and in towns around the county. Galway city has a housing shortage which will take many years to over come and even when it does the cost of buying a house in Galway is high so living rurally (particularly for those who can build on their own land) or in towns around the county is the choice of a lot of people thus locating the big employers in easily accessible places outside the congestion of the city and with adequate free parking makes the most sense. This goes for both people living in the city or country, its easy for them to commute out to work from the city too.

In any case as there is little space in the city centre for big employers to setup so it won't be happening, even IT companies. Look where Cisco setup in Oranmore, an ideal location for a company to setup with easy access for people working there without any major traffic delays and an abundance of parking.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

I'm not sure how it could actually be done but upping supply to the rental market would be good. There are nearly 30,000 students in Galway, in a population of 75,000 (according to google), if things start getting as bad as they currently are in Dublin and Cork it's going to be chaos, and it pretty much looks like they're going that way. Even as it is, for anyone at the lowish end of the market like myself, trying to move any time between June and October/November is a nightmare. Seems to be loads of new businesses opening up now, but rental properties are being sold and few new ones seem to be opening up. I think there's a big new apartment block going up where the sacre coeur was though, that's good.

The traffic is the other big thing, but the only thing that's going to change that is more people using public transport. Minor little details like buses actually existing, and maybe even being roughly on time would be a big help. More bus shelters. More, cheaper and reliable buses from surrounding towns and villages. And at times that make sense for workers and students.

And finally, for a city that makes such an unholy song and dance over its Artsiness, a decently sized, well resourced, central venue for visual arts would be nice, or even help and encouragement from the council and GIAF committees when independent outsiders are trying to set them up. There can be a real cliqueyness to the arts scene in Galway from the top down and that's not healthy imo

Happyilylost

Mrs OBumble wrote:

How does it benefit Galway to have a bunch of Mayos and the like coming over the border to work and then going home again to spend their wages?

When they all leave again next Saturday it's time to liase with Donald get a wall built on the Mayo border. It was an opportunity lost last Sunday not to do it. Life will be great and Galway will once again begin to prosper. Mayo has caused us too much pain over the years.

GalwayGrrrrrl

A huge amount of traffic is school related. If each suburb had a school and kids living in that area had to go to that school it would save the mass of kids trying to get into the city centre every morning. I know people from maigh Cullen, Barna, oranmore and athenry all using primary schools in city centre.

John_Rambo

Bicycle spoke light rail system connecting all the small towns to the city, much more pedestrianisation and cycle friendly systems.

1. Outer bypass then,

2. Pedestrianise most of the city center, with the Quincentenial and Wolfe Tone being the only city centre bridges for private cars

3. Expand the bike rental scheme from Barna to Doughiska including all required bike infrastructure i.e. Lanes etc

Do those and you will change, for the better, how people live, work and move in the city for generations to come

Andrea B.

No outer bypass.
Then all energies and investments in to an overhead light rail/tram central pillars and above road.
Running from Cappagh Road Roundabout through to Castlegar/Doughiska.
Stops every half mile and frequent trains with small carriages.
Think along similar to airport shuttles between terminals.
These modern rail structures and systems are not that wide.
Think parknride at main end points like Cappagh road and Doughiska with a system guaranteed to get you in/across town with high frequency of shuttles....
I firmly believe that studies might show a potential significant reduction in road traffic with such a system.

This is the driverless system in Kuala Lumpar.

http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/kuala-lumpur-driverless-metro/images/kuala4.jpg

ben.schlomo

Andrea B. wrote: »

No outer bypass.
Then all energies and investments in to an overhead light rail/tram central pillars and above road.
Running from Cappagh Road Roundabout through to Castlegar/Doughiska.
Stops every half mile and frequent trains with small carriages.
Think along similar to airport shuttles between terminals.
These modern rail structures and systems are not that wide.
Think parknride at main end points like Cappagh road and Doughiska with a system guaranteed to get you in/across town with high frequency of shuttles....
I firmly believe that studies might show a potential significant reduction in road traffic with such a system.

This is the driverless system in Kuala Lumpar.

http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/kuala-lumpur-driverless-metro/images/kuala4.jpg

Monorail!!!!!

f0zzy

Thanks for all replies - interesting to see the different perspectives.

Transport/Travel appears in almost every reply.

ok - will mark this thread closed and open up a new thread this time with a more specific question.

Thanks again