Galway Ring Road- are there better ways to solve traffic?

what_traffic

We get the Cllr's we deserve, local Gov in this Country is a mess.

UsBus

Last week, same old story. One solitary truck jack kniving on the Curraghline last Thursday is enough to create mayhem on the Tuam road, Parkmore, Claregalway.

It get's brought up again and again but there doesn't seem to be any interest in improving the situation. Just adding a hard shoulder either side of this road would alleviate these carnage days. For a main route out of Galway, it is staggering that this has been acceptable for so long.

3 - 4 hours after the incident, they are still trying to clear the road. As someone else noted, Galway is a result of the circus farce at council level, no collaboration for the greater good of the city, just a lot of me feiners out to feather their own nests. I don't see a time when the city will ever function correctly. I moved out years ago as I couldn't see a resolution. I rarely look back, other than the days I have to venture in and get caught trying to escape the gridlock.

The ABP decision on the cross city link is delayed by 6 months, until Oct this year

https://connachttribune.ie/decision-delayed-on-galways-cross-city-link-for-public-transport/

GBXI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120443531#Comment_120443531

The Curraghline, I guess not dissimilar to the Tuam road but the Tuam road is definitely better (bus lanes, hard shoulders), always amazes. Over 11k cars on that road every day between Terryland and Headford and it's so far from fit for purpose. It's actually near the bottom of the list for road improvements. Compared to say the N5 Castlebar to Westport which has nearly the exact same volumes but now has a dual carriageway bypassing Castlebar.

Local councils now have to release their own climate action plans, listing actions which they have to report progress on and be measured against.

Galway County Council just released their draft CAP

https://www.galway.ie/en/media/Draft%20Climate%20Strategy.pdf

One line jumped out at me, specifically on page 78, "Develop sustainable land use planning policies which facilitates transportation efficiency and a general shift towards the use of low carbon public transportation throughout the county. "

The GCRR would not allow them to meet that as it would not facilitate transport efficiency (induced demand) which in turn would not lead to a shift towards low carbon public transportation.

P&R's at high frequency transit hubs on major routes with transit priority would easily meet that though, quite easily

In addition their CAP calls out the National emission reduction targets for Transportation, again, the GCRR would go against meeting those targets.

The GCRR, a 1970's solution that isn't fit for purpose, there are better, more sustainable options

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/07/31/time-to-plan-for-the-galway-arts-festival-and-the-galway-races-but-where-is-the-plan-for-the-citys-clogged-up-roads/

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120923845#Comment_120923845

Are ya on board yet with the Trám na Gaillimhe or "TnaG" for short as the counter solution to the GCRR.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924066#Comment_120924066

The Gluas? Sure but I don't see it happening this side of 2050. Considering the city is looking at over a decade to do another bus lane on the Dublin Road and there isn't even a plan for the likes of the WDR yet which already has the space available (no CPO's) then I really can't see a tram happening in my lifetime.

marno21

MOD:

Discussions on this subject traditionally last approx. 3 days before I have to shut them down. I do not wish to do so again so please be civil and this is not a thread for discussing non-Galway related environmental topics or anti car soapboxing.

Continue please.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924483#Comment_120924483

Yup.

If one cannot deliver the GCRR - then politically may need to fill that big hole of a promise that has been in the Galway ether of silver bullet promises for the last 25yrs.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924871#Comment_120924871

Aye, if the GCRR is dead, which I think it is, the funding could transform the city if it was utilised for bus and bike lanes and a tram or 2

Sam Russell

The solution could be a Luas from Claregalway to Galway CC, and a second line along BnaT with a new bridge next to the Quincentennial bridge going from the Cuala Roundabout to Newcastle/University/Hospital.

Of course a few P&R facilities would be necessary.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924908#Comment_120924908

To be honest I don't think the density is there for going to Claregalway.

As for P&R's, they've been in the development plans since the 1990's and they still haven't happened.

Really they need to do 2 P&R's on the west side, 1 out by Bearna and one on the Moycullen road and 4 on the East Side. Do those with high frequency bus routes +bus lanes and set up secure bike storage and you'd see a lot of modal shift. Granted you'd also need the stick for it to be the more convenient option (increased parking charges, workplace parking levies, congestion charges etc) otherwise you just end up with more and more cars sitting in traffic

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924483#Comment_120924483

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120925308#Comment_120925308

The non-delivery of these obviously sensible proposals (BusConnects and P&Rs) is appalling. I could understand reluctance/opposition to proposals which remove car lanes, but the Dublin Road and WDR ones do not, and there is still no sign of them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120927152#Comment_120927152

WDR is bizarre. The land was left for exactly this purpose

I can only hope it forms part of the GMATS doc which will be released Q4 2023/Q1 2024.

If it makes it into that and PT spending is maintained, we might see it around 2036 at the current rate. If PT spending is reduced........

As for the Dublin road, when the council stated 2028 for the opening of it jaws dropped. It was in the original GTS doc in 2016 and mooted years prior

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120928278#Comment_120928278

100% re WDR. City Council had plans for a Bus and Cycle Path conversion as far back as 2010 at a cost of 10 million for WDR, probably double that now but still worth every penny.

KrisW1001

Building a dedicated bus-way on a corridor already owned by the City and previously reserved for a dedicated bus-way should not be an issue. So, what’s going on?

• Is it a problem of budget?
• Is it the councillors not voting to proceed with the project?
• Is it a staffing problem in getting a design together?
• Is it stuck in planning?

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120930041#Comment_120930041

Local Government is broken for sure. When I say plans in 2010 - it was part of funding bid for Smarter Travel Large Urban area - so once they lost that bid, they shelved the idea instead of acting on it 5-6 years later when funding was available. Their main focus (which ate up all the limited resources) in this period was the GCRR, big silver bullet solution that was always going to be delivered decades later and is still the same today and may never see the light of day at this point.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120930041#Comment_120930041

The problem is that for more than a decade, transport policy in Galway has been based around building a massive bypass and very little else.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924888#Comment_120924888

<snip> Mod

KrisW1001

You have been fed a bullshit version of what a green transportation strategy means. Nobody is taking your car from you. Here's how it actually works: If there are buses and bike lanes to get commuters around, there's going to be less people in cars on the roads. You still want to drive everywhere? Well, with good PT, you can actually drive places, rather than being stuck in traffic. But - if you want to drive somewhere that can't take many cars, you might have to pay a fee to enter there.

Yes, you can do what you want, but so can anyone else, and that's where the problem is: you can't get 2,000 cars into the space for 1,000, so you've got to give at least 1,000 of those drivers a better choice, and/or make it obvious that everyone is using a limited resource. This isn't anything new: it's called paid parking.

Again, nobody's taking your car from you. All this is about getting commuters out of their cars. Car commuting is the number-one traffic problem in every city. Building more road space won't solve it - we tried that.

For journeys you make on a regular schedule in and around a city, you shouldn't need a car. For other journeys, you still have a car.

Sam Russell

Mod: Look, this is a discussion forum, not a dissing forum. Read the Charter, and abide by it.

orangerhyme

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned but can they double-track the railway line between Ceannt Station and Oranmore. Build 3 stations inbetween and build apartment blocks and offices/commercial parks next to the stations.

One at Renmore Barracks, one at Murrough, another at Roscam maybe.

All new development in Galway should be along this corridor. 15 minute city, car free neighbourhoods. Other amenities like shops, schools, creches, cycle lanes, sports etc also.

It wouldn't solve the traffic problems but is a more sustainable future.

Galway should grow along this corridor rather the ribbon development you see to the west of the city.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003650#Comment_121003650

Double tracking might be worth it, but there are plenty of candidates in the Dublin area that need quad tracking long before Galway needs it.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003660#Comment_121003660

Sorry meant double tracking. I just mean having a commuter rail out to Oranmore and Galway should develop along it.

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003731#Comment_121003731

Why not all the way to Athenry, and have the benefit of fast connections for commuters from that area with P&R.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003756#Comment_121003756

Yeah why not. I think a big jobs announcement for Athenry was made a few months ago also (Dexcom, medtech, 1000 permanent jobs).

It's called transport led development. The Danish have been doing it for decades.

It's just a sustainable way for Galway to grow. Most of the jobs are in the East of the city anyway. Anyone else probably works or studies in the city centre.

You could raise a family without needing a car. Maybe just rent one the odd weekend.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003835#Comment_121003835

Yeah we're still only starting to move in that direction but things are shifting that way

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/0b532-opportunities-for-transport-orientated-development-tod-in-major-urban-centres-dublin-study/

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003910#Comment_121003910

Galway seems perfect for it. Seems to just green fields along the railway line so shouldn't be too difficult.

Obviously the density isn't there yet to support a commuter rail but I'm talking about planning for decades in the future.

Galway might still need a ring road along with other public transport and cycling infrastructure. I'm really not sure. I'm sure there's experts who can examine the data and projected growth and advise on this.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003660#Comment_121003660

Considering the amount of surplus funds we’re expecting over the next few years and how relatively cheap those projects are, there’s no reason not to do both except for technical planning staff.