Do you live in Knocknacarra? Work in Parkmore (ish)?

Mrs OBumble

We see a lot of messages here about the need for an express / direct bus from Knocknacarra to Parkmore.

The only people who really know about the possible demand for this are Parkmore employers ('cos they have their employees home addresses).

But I wondered if a thread would give some indication.

Two quick questions for posters who live in Knocknacarra / Rahoon / Westside / Shantalla (and maybe Newcastle if you'd be prepared to walk down to the SQR):



1) How many people in your household work in Parkmore West, Parkmore East, Galway Technology Park or Racecourse Business Park?

(This doesn't have to be full-time or 5-days: any number of hours per day or days per week is fine. Answer as at today. Don't include Mervue or Lisbaun or Ballybrit or Briarhill.. or anywhere that a direct bus might not stop at.)




2) Of those, how many might use a direct bus which used the Quin.. bridge and Bothar na dtreabh (ie not through Eyre Square)?

(Emphasis on might: this is not a scientific survey, or a commitment.)

ChewyLouie

I do this commute most days. Mostly drive, cycle in the longer evenings and when the weather is settled.

Only one in our household doing that commute.

Would absolutely prefer to take a direct bus. The current bus option takes approx 1.5hrs with connection in Eyre Square and costs €9.80 cash return.

Worn Out

I live in Knocknacarra and commute to Parkmore by bike every day. I am the only person in the house commuting across the Quincentennial bridge.

I would happily take a bus on stormy days like today but at 1.5 hours and a tenner a day it’s not an option

rorymagory

I live in Knocknacarra and drive over & back to Parkmore every day.
I'd be interested in a direct bus over to Parkmore, absolutely.
Currently, as 'Worn Out says above, it takes too long and costs too much.

James Forde

rorymagory wrote: »

I live in Knocknacarra and drive over & back to Parkmore every day.
I'd be interested in a direct bus over to Parkmore, absolutely.
Currently, as 'Worn Out says above, it takes too long and costs too much.

How long does it take you on average?

ChewyLouie

On the costs... and I right in saying that since West of the city is mostly City Direct and the east is Bus Eireann, to get a monthly ticket at the moment you need to buy a monthly ticket separately for both?

Laviski

Worn Out wrote: »

I live in Knocknacarra and commute to Parkmore by bike every day. I am the only person in the house commuting across the Quincentennial bridge.

I would happily take a bus on stormy days like today but at 1.5 hours and a tenner a day it’s not an option

bus from parkmore to eyre sq, then switch to knocknacarra bus and get to that end in of town 1.5 hours daily? your must mean each way.....
Not saying its completly impossible but that would be on a good day (which galway rarely gets where there was little traffic and the knocknacarra bus was waiting or just a few minutes wait to hop on too.

what_traffic

I might take the bus if there was bus priority measures on sections of the route. Using the current road layout for a route it would still be slower taking a bus in the evening rush hour than cycling it for me. Morning bus would match the bike for time. Currently takes me 30/35 min Parkmore to Rahoon Cemetry and vice versa when am on the bike. Its 100% predictable the journey times, no other mode offers that apart from walking.

Whereisgalway

Build the outer ring road

One member of the household works a few evenings in Parkmore, live in Knocknacarra. Doubt they would take the bus, I'm not sure there is a bus around 12/1am?

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

I might take the bus if there was bus priority measures on sections of the route. Using the current road layout for a route it would still be slower taking a bus in the evening rush hour than cycling it for me. Morning bus would match the bike for time. Currently takes me 30/35 min Parkmore to Rahoon Cemetry and vice versa when am on the bike. Its 100% predictable the journey times, no other mode offers that apart from walking.

Just to expand on this.
So if the bus journey was longer than bike ride say for example ALWAYS took 45/50 min would still consider taking the bus far more often. The predicable journey times would be the main one for me.

at1withmyself

[Deleted User] wrote: »

One member of the household works a few evenings in Parkmore, live in Knocknacarra. Doubt they would take the bus, I'm not sure there is a bus around 12/1am?

There used to be a bus at 12:30 from parkmore specifically for employees on evening shift from outside medtronic, was very handy and quick when I used to get it. Not sure if it still runs but medtronic employees should know.

?Cee?view

Years ago there was a bus provided by Digital from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit. Do any of the employers do this anymore?

Laviski

?Cee?view wrote: »

Years ago there was a bus provided by Digital from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit. Do any of the employers do this anymore?

nope that service was cut shortly after they moved the 405 terminus stop to outside HPE. It was part of the wider cost cutting measures implementated by BE.

?Cee?view

Laviski wrote: »

nope that service was cut shortly after they moved the 405 terminus stop to outside HPE. It was part of the wider cost cutting measures implementated by BE.

Do you mean Bus Eireann when you're saying BE? I mean a private bus that Digital ran at no cost to their staff.

Mrs OBumble

?Cee?view wrote: »

I mean a private bus that Digital ran at no cost to their staff.

I don't know how long that bus was funded by Digital ( if ever).

But I do know that by October 2007, it was a BE service and charged passengers the standard city fare.

Same with the bus to Medtronic in Parkmore, which was quietly dis-established sometime between 2007 and 2012.

Re other employer buses:

I've heard rumours of a shuttle bus between the Marine Institute and Orantown centre, and another between Cisco and Orantown. But never confirmed either.

The HSE run a staff and patient shuttle bus between Merlin park and Newcastle.

And at one stage Galway Cultural Institute had a student bus - but I've not seen it for a while.

ChewyLouie

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I've heard rumours of a shuttle bus between the Marine Institute and Orantown centre, and another between Cisco and Orantown.

The Marine Institute run a bus from Roscam and back to Roscam in the evening, stops in Oranmore on the way. Employees can link in with the 409.

ChewyLouie

Mrs OBumble what's the reason behind the question? It would be great to get a survey through all the employers in Parkmore.

Triangle

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

We see a lot of messages here about the need for an express / direct bus from Knocknacarra to Parkmore.

The only people who really know about the possible demand for this are Parkmore employers ('cos they have their employees home addresses).

But I wondered if a thread would give some indication.

Two quick questions for posters who live in Knocknacarra / Rahoon / Westside / Shantalla (and maybe Newcastle if you'd be prepared to walk down to the SQR):



1) How many people in your household work in Parkmore West, Parkmore East, Galway Technology Park or Racecourse Business Park?

(This doesn't have to be full-time or 5-days: any number of hours per day or days per week is fine. Answer as at today. Don't include Mervue or Lisbaun or Ballybrit or Briarhill.. or anywhere that a direct bus might not stop at.)




2) Of those, how many might use a direct bus which used the Quin.. bridge and Bothar na dtreabh (ie not through Eyre Square)?

(Emphasis on might: this is not a scientific survey, or a commitment.)

See attached 2016 report. Might she'd some light on the situation.

ChewyLouie

Triangle wrote: »

See attached 2016 report. Might she'd some light on the situation.

That report is shakey at best when you step through it. The survey was a student project. Full of jumping assumptions, typos and they even name the bridge wrong. Having worked with the lecturer involved, I suspect the level of supervision was minimal.

Edit: I mean no disrespect to the student involved but an undergrad survey shouldn't be the basis for city infrastructure decisions and I've seen this report referenced several times.

?Cee?view

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I don't know how long that bus was funded by Digital ( if ever).

But I do know that by October 2007, it was a BE service and charged passengers the standard city fare.

Same with the bus to Medtronic in Parkmore, which was quietly dis-established sometime between 2007 and 2012.

Re other employer buses:

I've heard rumours of a shuttle bus between the Marine Institute and Orantown centre, and another between Cisco and Orantown. But never confirmed either.

The HSE run a staff and patient shuttle bus between Merlin park and Newcastle.

And at one stage Galway Cultural Institute had a student bus - but I've not seen it for a while.

I'm going back to the late 80s and early 90s before Digital closed

Triangle

ChewyLouie wrote: »

That report is shakey at best when you step through it. The survey was a student project. Full of jumping assumptions, typos and they even name the bridge wrong. Having worked with the lecturer involved, I suspect the level of supervision was minimal.

Edit: I mean no disrespect to the student involved but an undergrad survey shouldn't be the basis for city infrastructure decisions and I've seen this report referenced several times.

There was a survey done in parkmore in late 2018 by the businesses there. I'll see if I can get high level figures for people who commute from across the river.

Bredabe

I remember reading on facebook, that NRA won't let busses cross the bridge and BE feel there is not a demand for a bus on that route.

JCX BXC

Bredabe wrote: »

I remember reading on facebook, that NRA won't let busses cross the bridge and BE feel there is not a demand for a bus on that route.

Is it not the case that the NRA would allow services over the bridge, but only if they operated all day? BE said it's not viable bit city direct mooted trialling a service at peak times.

Bredabe

JCX BXC wrote: »

Is it not the case that the NRA would allow services over the bridge, but only if they operated all day? BE said it's not viable bit city direct mooted trialling a service at peak times.

I dont have anymore details, but in terms of all day over the bridge, the park and ride between the uni villages isn't afaik an all day service, if definitely only crosses a few times a day.

When I asked a local cllr about busses to the briarhill/parkmore, he told me the nra didnt want the busses on the bridge. They didnt contradict me when I assumed it was a weight issue. He backed up what I had read that BE said it would be a loss maker for them, not that I fully accept or understand that logic.

My colleague who lives there has been agitating for a rapid bus to there for work times and to be used as a shopping centre shuttle between times for years now, so I dont understand reluctance to run it as a trail. So many ppl are unhappy with the current service, so I cant see why trailing it would lose once it was known about.

I have at least three potential employees that can't work there as the transport is so bad.

what_traffic

Bredabe wrote: »

When I asked a local cllr about busses to the briarhill/parkmore, he told me the nra didnt want the busses on the bridge. They didnt contradict me when I assumed it was a weight issue. He backed up what I had read that BE said it would be a loss maker for them, not that I fully accept or understand that logic.

Your local Cllr is talking nonsense + there are no weight restrictions on the NEW Bridge.
Buses are light in comparison with fully laden HGV that cris cross this bridge constantly.
Issue is as JCX BXC described. TII/NTA wanted a full scheduled service to run if they were issuing a licence.
Both City Direct and BE reckon that would not make any money for them overall as outside of peak hours they would have low uptake, they are probably right.
TII/NTA would not issue a licence for a service that would run 3/4 hours in the morning and 3/4 hours in the afternoon.