How to get Galway back on track?

Whereisgalway

What Initiatives would you like to see around the city to make up for lost time

I like the extended cycle path out to salthill. I don’t know where cars will park but hopefully the cycle lane is here to stay.

Government back mortgage are a decent idea. Hopefully GCC get on board and don’t block it https://jrnl.ie/5110994

Restaurant street tables to be trialled as part of other county’s recovery plans. Be great to see here aswell.

A change in the traffic flow around the city when it’s relatively quieter

cal naughton

Since all the pubs, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Is there anywhere with public toilets in the city centre that is still open?
This should definitely be looked into.

inisboffin

cal naughton wrote: »

Since all the pubs, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Is there anywhere with public toilets in the city centre that is still open?
This should definitely be looked into.

This is mentioned over and over and I agree needs to be addressed.
Technically these businesses have *nothing* to do with public toilets (their toilets have always been, in theory, for their customers only), but with so many doing take away (and it won't all be eaten/drank at home), then it's a big problem. In practice of course we've all 'nipped in to the loo' (if I don't buy anything I'd always do it somewhere I am a regular and if not, ask. Usually there's no problem, but places closes to the Arch etc are inundated and not as happy with 'pop ins'.

They are spendy but worth it, those self sanitising toilets that you see in big cities like Paris etc. There was talk of getting them before I think. They have auto timers and self clean between uses. Can't think of another way bar a staff member there beside them to clean between uses. Can't see that going well.

gordongekko

Im taking it they are closed due to the pandemic. People are still not supposed to be making unnecessary journeys. The virus is known to survive on surfaces so opening toilets may lead to a spread of the virus.

Mrs OBumble

inisboffin wrote: »

They are spendy but worth it, those self sanitising toilets that you see in big cities like Paris etc. There was talk of getting them before I think. They have auto timers and self clean between uses. Can't think of another way bar a staff member there beside them to clean between uses. Can't see that going well.

I'm pretty sure that the public toilets in Eyre Square are like this- don't know if they're open or closed though.

Installing the self sanitising ones won't be quick or cheap.

There's now a portaloo in Upper Abbeygate St, but it's for the security guard who's stationed in the AIB deposits lobby, and only s/he has the key.

what_traffic

Whereisgalway wrote: »

What Initiatives would you like to see around the city to make up for lost time

I like the extended cycle path out to salthill. I don’t know where cars will park but hopefully the cycle lane is here to stay.

This is already part of Galway City Council plans for a Coastal Cycle route - installing a temp one now would speed that up if they retained it. Better cycling infrastucture and public transport to Salthill would eliminate some of that car parking demand.

inisboffin

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that the public toilets in Eyre Square are like this- don't know if they're open or closed though.

Installing the self sanitising ones won't be quick or cheap.

There's now a portaloo in Upper Abbeygate St, but it's for the security guard who's stationed in the AIB deposits lobby, and only s/he has the key.

Yeah wasn't sure if a couple of them were trialled or not. I haven't had to use one yet!

inisboffin

gordongekko wrote: »

Im taking it they are closed due to the pandemic. People are still not supposed to be making unnecessary journeys. The virus is known to survive on surfaces so opening toilets may lead to a spread of the virus.

God bless your camel bladder if you had to do anything on town or were 5 k from home and were caught out! Not everyone can hold it in :pac:
There's no way people should be encouraged to use even more food and drink facilities without having a loo provided.

Whereisgalway

I’d love to see a large shopping centre built on the outskirts of the city, somewhere just off the motorway.

GerardKeating

cal naughton wrote: »

Since all the pubs, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Is there anywhere with public toilets in the city centre that is still open?
This should definitely be looked into.

The tiolets in the Galway shopping cente, headford road are still open.

Mrs OBumble

Whereisgalway wrote: »

I’d love to see a large shopping centre built on the outskirts of the city, somewhere just off the motorway.

Like Mervue? (Crown site)

JoeA3

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Like Mervue? (Crown site)

Dreadful location for it imo! I'm surprised that project was resurrected.

zell12

JoeA3 wrote: »

Dreadful location for it imo! I'm surprised that project was resurrected.

Why?

JoeA3

zell12 wrote: »

Why?

Too near the city centre. It’s an already heavily congested traffic area.

Jammyd

The Crown site isn't being developed as a shopping center anymore the current development is office led with a hotel and very very small amount of retail (think the likes of a convenience store and coffee shop)

Jammyd

Not necessarily anything overly exciting but I would love for some form of "Refresh Campaign" to be launched, not living down Wesht anymore but get down to the city whenever I can and when we visited just before Covid we really noticed how an awful lot of businesses and homes in prime spots that people visited had really deteriorated (no doubt from the good old Atlantic weather beating on it) it really let the place down, we went to the city museum and you couldn't even see out the windows onto the Claddagh they where so covered looked like the place hadn't had a clean or lick of paint on the exterior since it opened, same for Salthill, Would love to see a form of incentive to promote city residents and businesses to get a fresh lick of paint while the place is still a bit quiet this along with putting a bit of structure in public areas to promote social distancing (marking out spots on beaches/parks etc) to show that the city is open for business and actively encouraging social responsibility i.e. no more scenes like what happened in Salthill last week.. Also a serious think on how to encourage tourists etc to cycle when in the city

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Like Mervue? (Crown site)

No advantage to building there, needs to be somewhere well outside the city. I'd be thinking somewhere between Galway and Athenry just off the motorway with dedicated on/off ramp. Would be great for access etc without having to deal with any city traffic etc.

You would have a massive catchment area also as it would be a handy spin from anywhere on the motorway and without the traffic issues when you arrive compared to going into the city.

Jammyd

Augustine Hill (Behind the train station https://summix.com/projects/augustine-hill/ ) has a large open air shopping center already planned, given the state of retail cant see any new other major shopping centres being developed outside key town/city centre redevelopments, who knows if CIE/Gerry Barrett will be in a position to deliver that project after Covid. Headford Road was meant to be redone but planning now lapsed

There is huge investment proposed for a large shopping centre in county cork well outside the city that’s currently at the planning stage so I wouldn’t be too quick to discount the possibility.

Large amounts of people who shop in the city come from the county and beyond so there would be no shortage of customers for an out of town centre with loads of free parking and no traffic issues. The fact a lot of Galway people drive to athlone for shopping shows this.

Jammyd

Carl Salty Straightjacket wrote: »

There is huge investment proposed for a large shopping centre in county cork well outside the city that’s currently at the planning stage so I wouldn’t be too quick to discount the possibility.

Large amounts of people who shop in the city come from the county and beyond so there would be no shortage of customers for an out of town centre with loads of free parking and no traffic issues. The fact a lot of Galway people drive to athlone for shopping shows this.

That plan is for a Kildare outlet village centre which is a very different type of retail and I would be surprised if Cork City council doesnt scupper those plans from what I've seen reported in the Examiner and Echo, I think a SC outside Galway city centre is a great idea btw just don't imagine it happening myself given the state of the high street and closures that have ramped up with Covid, Debenhams, Oasis, Warehouse, Laura Ashley etc...

Carl Salty Straightjacket

Carl Salty Straightjacket wrote: »

No advantage to building there, needs to be somewhere well outside the city. I'd be thinking somewhere between Galway and Athenry just off the motorway with dedicated on/off ramp. Would be great for access etc without having to deal with any city traffic etc.

You would have a massive catchment area also as it would be a handy spin from anywhere on the motorway and without the traffic issues when you arrive compared to going into the city.

What you are asking for is an American style out-of-town development. It's literally the worst type of development for a vast array of reasons not least of which it requires customers to be car drivers in order to access it.

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

Whereisgalway

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What you are asking for is an American style out-of-town development. It's literally the worst type of development for a vast array of reasons not least of which it requires customers to be car drivers in order to access it.

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

The cresent in limerick does very well, so does blanch & dundrum

inisboffin

Whereisgalway wrote: »

The cresent in limerick does very well, so does blanch & dundrum

Don't know about the Crescent but the other two are very well served by public transport.

PCeeeee

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What you are asking for is an American style out-of-town development. It's literally the worst type of development for a vast array of reasons not least of which it requires customers to be car drivers in order to access it.

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

I have to say I like the sound of it. Perhaps you could expand of the reasons it's a bad idea?

ben.schlomo

PCeeeee wrote: »

I have to say I like the sound of it. Perhaps you could expand of the reasons it's a bad idea?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcv4jxs/revision/2

cooperguy

Whereisgalway wrote: »

The cresent in limerick does very well, so does blanch & dundrum

And Limerick city suffers because of it. The last thing Galway needs is an out of town shopping complex, sucking the life out of the city. It really would be a bad idea

PCeeeee

ben.schlomo wrote: »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcv4jxs/revision/2

Would you belive I found that also when I looked up the cons. It is unconvincing to me at any rate. As were other list of disadvantages.

That is why I was asking given that the responce to Nox's idea was so categorical. Still seems like a good idea to me.

Whereisgalway

cooperguy wrote: »

And Limerick city suffers because of it. The last thing Galway needs is an out of town shopping complex, sucking the life out of the city. It really would be a bad idea

Strongly disagree, Itd reduce the traffic in around the city centre. People would still use the city when they wanted. Galway is more compact than limerick. The CC Prob have to reduce rates and parking so they’d have a problem with that

cooperguy

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Strongly disagree, Itd reduce the traffic in around the city centre. People would still use the city when they wanted. Galway is more compact than limerick. The CC Prob have to reduce rates and parking so they’d have a problem with that

Limerick city is a worked example of how bad an idea this is, ignoring that and recreating it in Galway is craziness. You would just turn the centre of town into some sort of tourist bubble and move all the shopping to a large, bland, out of town centre
Increasing and fixing the public transport is how you help traffic. Developments like Augustine hill and the plans for the O'Connell's side of Eyre Square are how you increase facilities in the city.

JoeA3

Galway is hopeless for shopping. So for once I somewhat agree with Nox.

Dundrum, Blanch, Liffey Valley, etc, all do very well in Dublin and are far more accessible to most than trekking into the city centre. Likewise Kildare Village. All are fairly well served by public transport too though, which of course is the perennial problem in Galway.

AFAIK, there were plans back in the pre-2008 crash to develop a shopping centre on the outskirts, at the end of what was then the new M6, near Ballybrit.

Somewhere on the M6 near Athenry or the Supermacs Plaza seems ideal to me.

Mrs OBumble

inisboffin wrote: »

Don't know about the Crescent but the other two are very well served by public transport.

The Crescent is too. I've made a few trips there, using PT.

The Crescent in Limerick is not an out-of-town development given that there are thousands of residences surrounding it, it is accessible by PT and within walking and cycling distance of thousands. It is an edge-of-town development in a similar manner to Briarhill or Gateway

What was proposed was a development between Oranmore and Athenry with its own motorway exit.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against shopping centres. For example I would wholeheartedly support the Comer's getting off their collective bums and building the long promised one in Galway city.

But a shopping centre in the middle of nowhere, nope. If the only benefit is to avoid traffic, then go earlier/later/walk/cycle.

Also, given that this thread is "How to get Galway back on track", I don't see how something that pulls people away from Galway does anything to get it back on track.

what_traffic

Deleted User wrote: »

Also, given that this thread is "How to get Galway back on track", I don't see how something that pulls people away from Galway does anything to get it back on track.

Exactly - this white elephant proposal has nothing to do with Galway City.

what_traffic

Deleted User wrote: »

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

Not alone are they not building them, many of them have been shutting down before Covid19 (online shopping) and now the pandemic is accelerating the process even further.

Whereisgalway

what_traffic wrote: »

Not alone are they not building them, many of them have been shutting down before Covid19 (online shopping) and now the pandemic is accelerating the process even further.

Any ideas yourself?

cooperguy

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Any ideas yourself?

Build Augustine Hill

Whereisgalway

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Any ideas yourself?

Enhance the public realm

• People visiting a town centre are increasingly doing so with a focus on the experience. The customer experience in-store and on-street is becoming more important, and ensuring a pedestrian friendly, permeable and attractive environment is essential.
• Local heritage and history should be embraced. Utilising and enhancing natural and built heritage assets is not only important in reinforcing sense of place, but is important in creating a sense of destination.

Manage parking and public transport effectively

• Rationalise parking through the use of Park & Ride facilities and the elimination of all on-street parking
• Ensuring effective and efficient public transport and prioritising pedestrians and cyclists ensures a more accessible high street, where dwell time is likely to be longer.
• Traffic speed restrictions can reduce noise and pollution, improve safety and offer a more tranquil social environment.

Use incentives and dis-incentives

• Flexibility by the local authorities with regards to rates and taxes can create more of an incentive to high street investment.
• Tax relief and grants can be used to improve buildings and shopfronts with a collaborative local authority led approach the most effective way of implementing this, in tandem with a design guide.
• A grant relief scheme can be used to incentivise take-up of vacant premises.
• Disincentives can be utilised in terms of penalising land owners for land hoarding and dereliction.
• Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO’s) can be a useful instrument in enabling acquisition of key sites.
• Transparency on budget allotment and dedicated spend to stimulate local enterprise, specific to economic rejuvenation. An annual, bi annual council public accountability presentation open forum could be held to discuss what was done, what wasn’t and why not as well as strategy for forth coming 6-12 months. Consistency is vital in delivery in the medium to long term.
• Vacant units, particularly if they stay empty for a long time or there is a sudden increase, can be a very clear sign that all is not well, and can prompt a mass exodus of visitors and businesses. The temporary use of empty units – often called “meanwhile use” – for public and community purposes such as artistic displays and galleries, pop-up shops or market stalls, or by community groups, can temporarily turn these spaces into part of the public realm and nip area decline in the bud by maintaining a sense of energy as well as adding to local diversity.

Simplify planning and adapt to the changing commercial landscape

• Currently the processes that exist for a change of use are more complicated than they should be. Simplifying the option to change a vacant commercial property to use as residential or other purposes would make it easier to bring buildings back to life, while recognising that Galway needs more mixed uses.

Enhance a sense of place

• Support for, and attraction of, indigenous retailers such as craft and food stores can encourage production of locally produced goods, create employment and bring diversity and personality to the city.

Reclaiming the space

• Shared and public spaces can in themselves also provide a venue and a reason to visit – for example a space in which to work, to play, or to exercise.
• Interactive maps, planters, trees, water features, wireless internet access, art and sculpture can provide reasons to slow down, to stop and reconnect with the world around us.
• Carefully placed street seating and pavement cafés enable people to rest, to talk, and take time to soak up the experience.
• Community growing projects in otherwise neglected spaces can create colour and interest and turn eyesores into attractions
• Pop-up stalls, stands and markets can add colour, enticing smells and noises, and energy to the streetscene, and can encourage people to move along from one part of the street or town centre to another less frequented part
• The evening and night-time economy should not be ignored – not just in terms of outside seating areas for pubs, bars and restaurants, but also events such as night markets, outdoor concerts and theatre, firework displays, and night-time street performances. These need to be sensitively and carefully managed to preserve acceptable noise and crowd behaviour.
• Clever lighting can highlight attractive or historical features and architectural details, deter anti-social behaviour, and increase safety.

what_traffic

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Any ideas yourself?

It aint going to be Out of Town shopping centres thats for sure.
Hard to even find a Developer who is even going down that path.

Dacor has covered it very well. Just taking the first topic point: Enhance the public realm

Local heritage and history should be embraced.

Why for example are some of the old market areas glorified car parks?
Small Crane and Woodquay are examples of that.

The big change I would make.
Reform local Gov. As it stands currently its not in any shape to do anything much.
The Galway Corportation back in 1960's Galway City had far more power to do things on the ground.
Have a directly elected Mayor instead of the CEO and have full time paid up Cllr's.
Need more professionals and attract younger people to become a Cllr's .
Reduce no of seats down to 9. 3 per ward.

ben.schlomo

what_traffic wrote: »

It aint going to be Out of Town shopping centres thats for sure.
Hard to even find a Developer who is even going down that path.

Dacor has covered it very well. Just taking the first topic point: Enhance the public realm

Local heritage and history should be embraced.

Why for example are some of the old market areas glorified car parks?
Small Crane and Woodquay are examples of that.

The big change I would make.
Reform local Gov. As it stands currently its not in any shape to do anything much.
The Galway Corportation back in 1960's Galway City had far more power to do things on the ground.
Have a directly elected Mayor instead of the CEO and have full time paid up Cllr's.
Need more professionals and attract younger people to become a Cllr's .
Reduce no of seats down to 9. 3 per ward.

Ya Woodquay and the Crane have great potential if they were pedestrianised/had parking removed.

Would love to see cars removed from Woodquay. Great potential there as mentioned above.

Mrs OBumble

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Ya Woodquay and the Crane have great potential if they were pedestrianised/had parking removed.

Am guessing your not a resident of either of those areas.

Small Crane residents have repeatedly rejected having their neighbourhood turned into a public drinking area.

Can't say I blame them: the best bit of the pandemic has been the reduction in piss and puke on the inner-city streets.

Notice that most streets which have been pedestrianised have few residents left on them. This is at least partly because of the type of public realm behaviour which pedestrianisation generates.

2pm latte-sippers are not the problem. 2am drinkers, fighters and fúckers are.

ben.schlomo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Am guessing your not a resident of either of those areas.

Small Crane residents have repeatedly rejected having their neighbourhood turned into a public drinking area.

Can't say I blame them: the best bit of the pandemic has been the reduction in piss and puke on the inner-city streets.

Notice that most streets which have been pedestrianised have few residents left on them. This is at least partly because of the type of public realm behaviour which pedestrianisation generates.

2pm latte-sippers are not the problem. 2am drinkers, fighters and fúckers are.

You're anti pedestrianised areas, tell us something we don't already know.

bodyguard1

Introduce a Park & Ride Facility from the Airport which is owned by Galway City & County Council thus reducing the amount of traffic traveling into the city from the east of the county

bodyguard1

bodyguard1 wrote: »

Introduce a Park & Ride Facility from the Airport which is owned by Galway City & County Council thus reducing the amount of traffic traveling into the city from the east of the county

Tried and failed due to no bus priority infrastructure. No point parking there, getting on a bus, and then being stuck in the same traffic.

It failed so badly they cut the trial short.

Laviski

tried and failed.
somehow P&R from racecourse does better but distance between the two isn't massive.

lemmno

cooperguy wrote: »

And Limerick city suffers because of it. The last thing Galway needs is an out of town shopping complex, sucking the life out of the city. It really would be a bad idea

Kildare village has had the opposite effect on its neighbouring towns. Newbridge and Naas make lots of money on people who make the trip to Kildare Village. There aren't many places to stay in the immediate vicinity of the outlet so the hotels of Naas and Newbridge gain those tourists, not to mention the pubs and restaurants. There are a lot of tour companies who have Kildare Village as a 'stop', bus loads of people come, and they stay overnight in either Naas or Newbridge, spend hundreds in the area, some even thousands.

It also hasn't killed the Whitewater or the high street, as it is a totally different shopping experience. You won't ever find H&M, River Island or Penneys in the outlet for example, you'd have to go to Newbridge for that. Kildare Village really has been great for the area. People who come to Kildare for racing at the Curragh, Punchestown or Naas will often stay an extra night purely for a day at the outlet. Not to mention all the local jobs it has created.

I think something similar just off the motorway into Galway would actually enhance and draw more people into the city. Shuttle buses from the big hotels or the city centre etc.

The more investment into Galway and it's surrounding areas the better. The place really needs it.

Mrs OBumble

ben.schlomo wrote: »

You're anti pedestrianised areas, tell us something we don't already know.

Feel free to suggest some changes for your own neighbourhood.

I'll suggest some for mine:

1) Convert 1/3 of on-street parking to parking for two-wheelers. Some of it with fixed some bicycle stands, some left free-format for other vehicle types (motorcycles, bicycles with cargo wagons. Accompany this with a strict policy of removing bicycles which are left littered on footpaths.

2) Convert 1/3 of on-street parting to short-stay (15 minute) pick up and drop off zones, between 7am and 11pm. The rest of the time, this is free parking for central city residents and their visitors. This is available for all vehicles, not just commercial ones, and is to facilitate the newly grown call (or click) and collect trends.

3) Use the existing process to allow businesses to apply for licences to put outdoor seating outside their premises. Review the charges - reduce if possible.

4) Tell the heritage officer to get over himself when it comes to applications to put canopies over areas outside businesses over or where people queue to get into shops. The needs to currently-living people should outweigh the desire to keep things as they ever were.

5 Develop bird-control measures which drastically reduce the number of birds nesting on city-centre buildings. The major litter problem in the city streets at the moment is bird-****. Sitting or queuing outside certain inner city buildings is very risky, if there's a nest above. You can tell which ones this is - they've got high concentrations of white-splattering on the ground.

gordongekko

1 Pedestrianisation of woodquay from Fridays to Sundays for a period of 12 months. Businesses in the area can use the outdoor area for food and drink. The set up of a market in the area for the period.

2 Dominick street down to the west blocked from traffic from 7pm nightly to allow for outdoor seating of resturants . Same for middle street.

3 5 euro congestion charge for anyone travelling into town after 7pm via car.

4 increased public transport.

5 Massive expansion of the public bike scheme to the suburbs.

6 24/7 trading hours allowed for all businesses for a trial period.

7 Expansion of the current market into St Pats school and a removal of parking from that location.

ben.schlomo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Feel free to suggest some changes for your own neighbourhood.

I'll suggest some for mine:

1) Convert 1/3 of on-street parking to parking for two-wheelers. Some of it with fixed some bicycle stands, some left free-format for other vehicle types (motorcycles, bicycles with cargo wagons. Accompany this with a strict policy of removing bicycles which are left littered on footpaths.

2) Convert 1/3 of on-street parting to short-stay (15 minute) pick up and drop off zones, between 7am and 11pm. The rest of the time, this is free parking for central city residents and their visitors. This is available for all vehicles, not just commercial ones, and is to facilitate the newly grown call (or click) and collect trends.

3) Use the existing process to allow businesses to apply for licences to put outdoor seating outside their premises. Review the charges - reduce if possible.

4) Tell the heritage officer to get over himself when it comes to applications to put canopies over areas outside businesses over or where people queue to get into shops. The needs to currently-living people should outweigh the desire to keep things as they ever were.

5 Develop bird-control measures which drastically reduce the number of birds nesting on city-centre buildings. The major litter problem in the city streets at the moment is bird-****. Sitting or queuing outside certain inner city buildings is very risky, if there's a nest above. You can tell which ones this is - they've got high concentrations of white-splattering on the ground.

Oh I do apologise, I didn't realise mods had changed the thread title to 'propose changes to your local neighborhood'. Dunno how I missed that.

Daisy78

JoeA3 wrote: »

Too near the city centre. It’s an already heavily congested traffic area.

A shopping centre wouldn’t be the very first thing that comes to mind but I do think Galway is very lacking when it comes retail outlets of a certain scale. Would think somewhere like Briarhill/Oranmore would be ideal. Love the idea of a cycle path too.

Mrs OBumble

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Oh I do apologise, I didn't realise mods had changed the thread title to 'propose changes to your local neighborhood'. Dunno how I missed that.

Really hard to see how making life unpleasant for residents of the Small Crane and Woodquay could get the city back on track.

Until Covid-19 goes away, our economy needs to be based on things which do not encourage mass-gatherings




I'm delighted to see that the Fringe Festival is going ahead with a programme of home, outdoor and on-line events. (ref)