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Galway light rail, my idea for a route

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 81 ✭✭blueshark2


    I always think it's funny how it's generally considered outlandish for Galway to have a light rail system. Yet for 39 years we actually had one! The Galway-Salthill tramway. That's when Galway City had a population of around 13,000.

    One reason for the attitude is obviously how much the cost of transport infrastructure construction has spiralled. I'd love to see a comparison of the cost of a historic system when adjusted for inflation. Often a project like this is estimated, but they spiral up to the latest high tech tram solution when perhaps it can be done cheaper with some "minimal viable" option.

    Another reason is I think Galway has a small town attitude. That contributes hugely to the charm of the city, but I think it also leads to us thinking big projects are only for "the big cities". I find myself guilty of that attitude.

    Maybe we should dream big again, maybe we can have the shiny things (with an electric motor this time rather than horses)!

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway_and_Salthill_Tramway

    http://www.tramwaybadgesandbuttons.com/page148/page149/styled-245/page668.html

    518708.jpg

    Eyre%20Sq%20Tram.jpg

    518707.jpg

    Postc236.jpg

    Galway_and_Salthill_Tramway.jpg


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,470 ✭✭✭Whereisgalway


    Galway is a large town not a city


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,724 ✭✭✭timmyntc


    From a practical point of view - where is there the land to fit a light rail track?
    Space is already at a premium, unless we dig up the few bus lanes and stick in tram lines instead?


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,818 ✭✭✭donvito99


    timmyntc wrote: »
    From a practical point of view - where is there the land to fit a light rail track?
    Space is already at a premium, unless we dig up the few bus lanes and stick in tram lines instead?

    If you can CPO for a bypass you can CPO/restrict car access for public transport.

    Trams and buses could share a lane, although buses and trams have mixed poorly in Dublin as of late with both systems suffering as a consequence.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,079 ✭✭✭✭JCX BXC


    blueshark2 wrote: »
    I always think it's funny how it's generally considered outlandish for Galway to have a light rail system. Yet for 39 years we actually had one! The Galway-Salthill tramway. That's when Galway City had a population of around 13,000.

    Clifden had a railway, West Clare had a railway, are those lines also viable, simply because they had one before?

    Bizzare thing to say. Historical demand doesn't mean current demand.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,315 ✭✭✭fergiesfolly


    If I can ask the stupid question... when we say tram, do we mean 3,4 or 5 carriages?
    Would a tram in the city work with only one or two? Surely that would work in the city centre?


  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    I don't know what OP had in mind but if we consider that double decker buses have approx 80 seats then you'll need 2 modules to cover that.
    But they should probably add on more

    16170459017-0d5570a3ea-b.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭CowboyTed


    The main thing I was getting at before... Galway people don't use public transport and correspondingly Galway has a poor public transport system...

    But look at the Westside where there is a bus lane, it is pretty unused and doesn't carry any where near what the car lane does during peak hours... The lane while having potential to carry a lot of people faster than a car, the reality is that it is slower and less efficient use of space.

    The same can be said for the cycle lane from Knocknacarra to Ballybrit...

    So before we go down the route of an expensive light rail system, shouldn't we know even for a few weeks that Galway people would use public transport?


  • Registered Users Posts: 41 averagejoesgym


    I think trialling ideas like those mentioned bendy buses, temporary additional bus lanes and trial uninterrupted cycle lane Knocknacarra to Ballybrit would be a great idea.

    With regards to light rail I was thinking a good step forward would be to identify a route across the city connecting residential and working areas. Designate it as a potential future light rail line and take the light rail line into account in future planning decisions.

    Any green field site that the potential light rail track runs on could be now converted into an extra wide cycle lane. If the light rail never came to fruition, it would be no harm to have extra cycle lanes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 41 averagejoesgym


    timmyntc wrote: »
    From a practical point of view - where is there the land to fit a light rail track?
    Space is already at a premium, unless we dig up the few bus lanes and stick in tram lines instead?

    I was thinking along the lines of making the roads affected by having track on them into one way roads.

    Making lough atalia and college road one way temporarily before didn't seem to work out too badly.

    Although the difficult I see with running a light rail on roads would be the overhead line would affect trucks or any tall vehicles turning at juntions.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭CowboyTed


    I think trialling ideas like those mentioned bendy buses, temporary additional bus lanes and trial uninterrupted cycle lane Knocknacarra to Ballybrit would be a great idea.

    With regards to light rail I was thinking a good step forward would be to identify a route across the city connecting residential and working areas. Designate it as a potential future light rail line and take the light rail line into account in future planning decisions.

    Any green field site that the potential light rail track runs on could be now converted into an extra wide cycle lane. If the light rail never came to fruition, it would be no harm to have extra cycle lanes.

    he way I see trailing is say start in Easter holidays (2 weeks) and if successful push for another 4 weeks and then review...

    If it works great... If not it was either only 2/4 weeks mistake... No problem, learn and get back to fixing it...

    Everything I see is slow and unchangeable... No trial and error... Error is important, Error is learning... It also builds trust...

    I personally would love to trail a HOV solution... I don't know if it would work but I know to get it a 4 week trail is a lot simpler...


  • Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭ceatharloch


    Two different comments on the light-rail-route, if we were to have one line:

    1) Go to GOOGLE maps for Galway City and suburbs, and put an X wherever there is a large shopping center. So, from the west, we have (Galway Retail Park (Knocknacarra)) - (Westside) - (Eyre Square Shopping Center) - (Galway Shopping Center (Terryland) - (Wellpark) - (Briarhill Shopping Center). Then, try to join the dots. You'll find you can more-or-less draw a straight line through the Xs (except for towards the "center" of Galway, where you'd have to chose either Eyre Square Shopping Center or Galway Shopping Center). What about this for a TRAM route?
    2) Methinks way too much emphasis is placed on tram that would bring people from residential areas to suburban "work areas". Consider (a) Such routes are used for MAX 3 hours in morning and 3 in evening Mon-Fri (30 hours per week), (b) After current pandemic, many more people may work from home, (c) what about trams linking shopping areas, city center, cinemas/libraries/churches/sports-complexes, etc.? A sizable fraction of Galway City works near the City Center - a tram going near there serves those workers, and serves everyone else who goes to the city center any time to shop/leisure/restaurants/pubs, and of course, what is never mentioned, get to Train/Coach stations to get to Dublin City and Dublin Airport.


  • Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭CowboyTed


    Two different comments on the light-rail-route, if we were to have one line:

    1) Go to GOOGLE maps for Galway City and suburbs, and put an X wherever there is a large shopping center. So, from the west, we have (Galway Retail Park (Knocknacarra)) - (Westside) - (Eyre Square Shopping Center) - (Galway Shopping Center (Terryland) - (Wellpark) - (Briarhill Shopping Center). Then, try to join the dots. You'll find you can more-or-less draw a straight line through the Xs (except for towards the "center" of Galway, where you'd have to chose either Eyre Square Shopping Center or Galway Shopping Center). What about this for a TRAM route?
    2) Methinks way too much emphasis is placed on tram that would bring people from residential areas to suburban "work areas". Consider (a) Such routes are used for MAX 3 hours in morning and 3 in evening Mon-Fri (30 hours per week), (b) After current pandemic, many more people may work from home, (c) what about trams linking shopping areas, city center, cinemas/libraries/churches/sports-complexes, etc.? A sizable fraction of Galway City works near the City Center - a tram going near there serves those workers, and serves everyone else who goes to the city center any time to shop/leisure/restaurants/pubs, and of course, what is never mentioned, get to Train/Coach stations to get to Dublin City and Dublin Airport.

    Rent a bunch of bendy buses, take the streets for 4 weeks (first week can be schools off, allow to bed in) and trial it... Give over bus lanes where tram lanes would exist... Run a timetable and see how it goes...


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,470 ✭✭✭Whereisgalway


    CowboyTed wrote: »
    Rent a bunch of bendy buses, take the streets for 4 weeks (first week can be schools off, allow to bed in) and trial it... Give over bus lanes where tram lanes would exist... Run a timetable and see how it goes...

    The attitude of see how it goes is a recipe for disaster, I’d sooner whatever is in charge doesn’t allow themselves to be influenced by lobby groups, actually does Research and sticks & stand by to the decisions they make


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,818 ✭✭✭donvito99


    The attitude of see how it goes is a recipe for disaster, I’d sooner whatever is in charge doesn’t allow themselves to be influenced by lobby groups, actually does Research and sticks & stand by to the decisions they make

    Replace "see how it goes" with 'trial period'. Disaster averted. Some buses and some repurposed streets will cost next to nothing, the only expenditure would be in political capital, some signs and some enforcement.


  • Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭ceatharloch


    Following my last post - I'm not necessarily saying this is the right criterion to use, but see picture of how colinear all the shopping precincts in Galway City are.......
    routeS.jpeg


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,470 ✭✭✭Whereisgalway


    Following my last post - I'm not necessarily saying this is the right criterion to use, but see picture of how colinear all the shopping precincts in Galway City are.......
    routeS.jpeg

    Where ya getting the funding from?


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    This is on the long finger again

    From the NDP published today

    while the feasibility of light rail in Galway will be considered again as part of the review of the Galway Transport Strategy (which will commence in 2022).

    So the next GTS review, starting in 2022, finishing in 2023, possibly 2024, will say a feasibility study should be done.

    The feasibility study will be put forward in 2025, maybe get funding by 2027, get started by 2028 and completed by 2030.

    Then it will take 1-2 years more while its being reviewed.

    Then it will go through the 13 year process to actually get built, making it about 2045 by the time it will actually open. I'll be able to use the free travel pass by then ugh



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