Cork - BusConnects

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41832182.html

De Paper is reporting that the Bishopstown corridor of BusConnects has been dropped in its entirety since the publication of the new Luas route (last Friday!). The corridor has indeed vanished from the map on the BusConnects website (but is still mentioned in the section below) - https://busconnects.ie/cities/cork/cork-sustainable-transport-corridors/

This seems to be a big change late in the game. There are gaps now in the active travel infrastructure which were supposed to be part of the BusConnects upgrade but weren't included in the Luas maps that I could see (Bishopstown Avenue treatments, a cycleway on the Glasheen Road and modifications to the Mardyke, for example). Not inspiring, especially the line in the report that the BusConnects team had to wait for publication of the new route to have a clear idea of what the Luas team were actually planning.

The planning submission deadline also seems to have shifted according to the website, and rather than being completed by Q4 2026 the submissions will only "begin in 2026".

Great actually, all these new builds, need a a school. There are as lot of areas for kids to play in already and for people to exercise around the Marina though. Would this kind of investment be better in different part of cork city maybe??

As for the Bus Connects are we surprised by it being watered down each year to nothing?? NIMBY and certain councilors get what they want

One thing i was thinking of was corridors and investment

Western Suburbs - Ballincollig/Bishopstown gets the Luas

Blackrock/Mahon gets the Luas

North Side Cork City - Blackpool and BLARNEY and East Cork - gets train improvements

Therefore, should bus connects focus and invest on areas outside these corridors

1. Carrigaline
2. Douglas
3. Togher
4. Airport to Kent
5. Holyhill across to Blackpool perhaps
6. Glanmire

Some ideas in my head like a proper bus lane with high frequency from Airport to Kent

Bus lanes connecting Carrig to Douglas over Carrs Hill

Lee to Sea Greenway connecting Carrig to Douglas

I agree that there are valid reasons why things have been delayed, but I'd still consider it a total failure. It has been years now and we've seen essentially nothing outside of some bus stops and the 31. I know Tivoli has started construction now, but I feel it has been long known that that (or something similar) would be needed. Fair enough about funding, but if the government are as serious as they say they are about making Cork the fastest growing city in the country, they should be flinging money at these problems. I understand somewhat the corridors being delayed, but zero movement on any route change outside of the 31 makes no sense to me

But maybe I'm being too glass half empty

I don’t know, demolish it I think. Yes the greenway will go all the way up past Navigation square from the marina.

The whole plan is a very exciting development and I’m not sure why it hasn’t been advertised more. It’s also very real and in motion.

There’s a website here but it doesn’t properly reflect the scale of development. Cork, that side at least will be one of the best places to live when this is finished

https://corkdocklands.com/

A general stop is fine too, doesn't need to be the exact road/stop name. Even just saying town (city centre) or the neighbourhood name (Douglas, UCC, The Lough, etc) is fine

Very minor progress. The Dublin Transport Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 was placed before the Dáil on Friday. This amends the law to allow the NTA to put through the planning for Cork BusConnects (and projects elsewhere in the state in future).

It has to pass both houses of the Oireachtas but hopefully can go through quickly as it seems uncontroversial. (Famous last words…)

If enacted quickly it could allow the NTA to keep to its latest target of all three schemes submitted to ACP by year’s end.

Will they actually apply CMATs, great for a report or strategy but do they ever actually build it in real world?

I was thinking during the week

• Nort Side and East Cork = CARC and rail expansion
• Western Suburbs and Blackrock/Mahon = Luas
• Therefore should bus connects focus on other parts of the city e.g. Douglas, Carrigaline, Blarney, Airport, Togher etc. There is no hope of an extended railway line or Luas coming to these parts in the next 50+ years. So should Bus connects go here first and link up these areas with the Luas and new train stations. Like I didn't see the point of Bishopstown having both Luas and Bus connects!

I think you are so right @Aontachtoir

Depressingly true on so much of the above. How far away is the Northern Distributor Modal Road? 10-15 yrs? Which means the SDR is at least 20-25 years away?

I think some really smart focused AT investment could make a huge impact. Carrigaline to Ringaskiddy, Glanmire to city, Ballincollig to UCC, Douglas to Passage. I would prefer money invested here and not the Kinsale greenway.

The Luas and Rail projects are amazing and I full support. But my fear is that they will only really serve and benefit a sliver of people along the Lee or east to Midleton. We simply have to get Bus connects delivered to connect other areas to the proposed Luas and Train stops.

This current government really seem to have AT and PT down the list of priorities

Personally, I think that the "green" label should be more or less retired, or at least put on hiatus. It belongs to a different political era. "Sustainable" is okay and still meaningful going forward, because our unsustainable growth is causing so much misery that most people can see we need to change course.

However, I do think that for every time a politician uses the word "sustainable", they should say "better quality of life" three times. The two are intrinsically and inseparably linked, but people are understandably much more likely to support changes that are justified as improving their quality of life rather than improving society's sustainability (even though these are usually the same). It would also require opponents of better public transport etc to explain why they are not "anti-better quality of life."

Separately, the Dublin Transport Authority Amendment Bill to permit the NTA to put through planning for Cork BusConnects has now passed the second stage in the Dáil, and has been sent on to the committee stage. I listened to part of the debate, and was cheered a little to see the volume of support for public transport (very little mention of active travel) coming from around the Dáil. All the opposition parties I heard warmly welcomed the bill, although many had their own complaints about bus route changes, BusConnects rollout in Dublin etc (and Minister Buttimer spoke out against the new Cork Luas route in Bishopstown). Hopefully this means the Bill can proceed and be on the books by the summer recess.

Absolutely true, so many newer developments in carrigaline, ballincollig, glanmire, Lehnenaghmore are not liveable under your definition.

Massive housing developments, with nothing in them to build a community and make friends, no local shop, no local school, or playground or cafe or safe space for kids to play and gain independence. No bus lanes or proper connected though out AT and PT. The "planning" department in cork city and county council are terrible. We are turning into American society where we are utterly car dependent in our never ending sprawling suburbs.