One thing to improve Galway?

Paddico · 10-04-2014 12:22pm

If money is no expense, build a Galway subway system

Flippyfloppy · 10-04-2014 12:25pm

Liven up the whole dock area properly

BeardySi · 10-04-2014 1:24pm

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Liven up the whole dock area properly

Agreed, close the road, pave the lot. convert the dock into a marina, lots of bars and restaurants with outdoor seating and maybe some live music.

Would be fantastic, though I've no idea what the hell to do with the traffic - Galway Port Tunnel maybe??

Birroc · 10-04-2014 3:50pm

kevin700 wrote: »

Outer bypass

Is there even planning for this anymore? I know it got blocked recently due to rare snails or something, is it completely blocked?

Links234 · 10-04-2014 11:10pm

Treadhead wrote: »

Agreed, close the road, pave the lot. convert the dock into a marina, lots of bars and restaurants with outdoor seating and maybe some live music.

Would be fantastic, though I've no idea what the hell to do with the traffic - Galway Port Tunnel maybe??

Birroc wrote: »

Is there even planning for this anymore? I know it got blocked recently due to rare snails or something, is it completely blocked?

Build bypass, snails relocated to french restaurant in marina

Mr Keek · 11-04-2014 1:32am

Use the race course for a massive concert, or music festival!

Relocate Pearce Stadium! Complete **** of a place for county football or hurling!

Develope\Intregrate the docks into a social/recreational area, seating, bars, restaurants, tourist zone.

***Edit, just saw that 'threadhead' posted the exact same idea about the docks above; Great minds.....!

pat25c · 11-04-2014 1:51am

Well if the outer bypass was built , it would eliminate a lot of the traffic going through the docks, wasn't a lot of the cie rail yard sold a few years ago, or am I remembering that wrong. I wonder if there is a development plan of some kind for galway ?

pat25c · 11-04-2014 2:31am

Another thing that could conceivably be done is to reopen the prospect hill rail tunnel & link it up to the conamara Greenway using the rail bridge in Woodquay , the exit of which is just across the road from the embankment leading to the bridge , why I'm thinking of the tunnel is if the proposed greenway from sligo to athenry ever gets the go ahead , a cycle/walking path could run alongside the rail line from athenry to Galway & link the whole thing up To the Westport-achill greenway ( which there are plans for anyway). I know the open tunnel could be a draw for anti-social elements at nights , but it could be locked up @ nights , Blue sky thinking maby , but could be done.

pat25c · 11-04-2014 3:34am

Ok the tunnel part couldn't work, just looked it up on Google maps

D Trent · 11-04-2014 3:40am

pat25c wrote: »

Ok the tunnel part couldn't work, just looked it up on Google maps

How the Argos/Lidl development ever got the go ahead I will not know
Stupid city planners

aaronosiochain · 11-04-2014 11:36am

Paddico wrote: »

If money is no expense, build a Galway subway system

Only if one of the stops was in Tigh Coili. The stairs down to the jacks reminds me of the subway every time I am there.

WallyGUFC · 11-04-2014 11:55am

Make Tesco 24 hour again

ErnieBert · 11-04-2014 11:09pm

Get rid of Tesco.

And Argos.
And Currys.
And McDonald's.

Mrs OBumble · 11-04-2014 11:30pm

ErnieBert wrote: »

Get rid of Tesco.

Dunnes Stores. The difference is we're Irish.

Our stores are badly organised, with a limited range of products. We treat our staff badly, knowing that's how they'll learn to treat our customers. And we charge plenty for our products. We're old fashioned - it's only recently that our staff stopped having to call managers Mr So-and-so.

Get rid of Tesco? Yeah, right.

WallyGUFC · 12-04-2014 2:30am

ErnieBert wrote: »

Get rid of Tesco.

And Argos.
And Currys.
And McDonald's.

And get rid of how many jobs in the process?

Skittlemon · 12-04-2014 2:46pm

ErnieBert wrote: »

Get rid of Tesco.

And Argos.
And Currys.
And McDonald's.

I understand you're anti-multinational stance, give me McDonaghs over McDonalds anyday

But the removal of these franchises/multinationals is not an answer to any problem, social, economical or even nutritional. Influencing and encouraging shifts in policy might be a better idea

12-04-2014 2:50pm

Remove the buskers from shop street. Honestly, there's nothing worse than sitting outside one of the cafe or bars there and having to listen to someone badly play the sane few songs over and over again. The guy outside Easons last week with the drum is terrible and just makes a god awful racket.

L'Enfer du Nord · 12-04-2014 3:02pm

Only allow Bongo drums between 11.00 and 15.00, also require license (might raise a bit of revenue as well as reducing overall bongo levels).

Not opposed to an outer by-pass in principle, but can't help but feel it wouldn't solve any problems, it would just move them. I'm not convinced that many vehicles crossing the Corrib want to by-pass the city completely (after all Connemara isn't exactly densely populated). The city centre is already by-passed, problem is there's loads of development along the by-pass route. Same **** would happen with a new one. A new by-pass also probably just lead to new bottle necks on access roads tom and from it. E.g. what ever the shortest/quest route from the by-pass to NUIG/ The Hospital would choked with traffic at rush hour.

L'Enfer du Nord · 12-04-2014 3:09pm

Improve the station. The way pedestrians are filtered past bus queues makes the whole place like Calcutta. Annex the ground floor of the Merrick and have passengers walk out through a spacious foyer on to an improved Eyre square. You'd improve visitors first impressions of Galway considerably.

L'Enfer du Nord · 12-04-2014 3:28pm

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Demolish all the buildings in Salthill and start again.

Seriously who the hell gave planning permission to all the architectural atrocities?

Yeah it's a disaster other than the Prom itself. Hardly any places between the round-a-bout and Blackrock were you can get a drink, coffee, meal with a sea view. Doing so outside is even harder. Instead you have a few derelict hotels, an unopened cinema(?) a refugee centre (is this still open), crazy golf, hotel car parks. There is a decent park which looks Victorian to me and an other park which is quite nice but barely used.

Given a blank cheque I'd put the road under ground, also all the parking. Open up the area which is now the road and parking to restaurant terraces (covered obviously) and other amenities.

MadYaker · 13-04-2014 9:09pm

Change the licensing hours so bars and clubs can stay open as late as they want.

Naux · 14-04-2014 10:30am

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Only allow Bongo drums between 11.00 and 15.00, also require license (might raise a bit of revenue as well as reducing overall bongo levels).

Not opposed to an outer by-pass in principle, but can't help but feel it wouldn't solve any problems, it would just move them. I'm not convinced that many vehicles crossing the Corrib want to by-pass the city completely (after all Connemara isn't exactly densely populated). The city centre is already by-passed, problem is there's loads of development along the by-pass route. Same **** would happen with a new one. A new by-pass also probably just lead to new bottle necks on access roads tom and from it. E.g. what ever the shortest/quest route from the by-pass to NUIG/ The Hospital would choked with traffic at rush hour.

The main problem is the bridges over the Corrib. All the traffic is funnelled through them and as we know they are all fairly close together. A bypass with a bridge farther out is needed. People living and working on opposite sides of the city would not need to go into the middle of the city to get to work/home. I'd say that this would help Galway enormously. Maybe the public transport system could then be improved in the inner arteries of the city?

Outer Bypass +1

Iwannahurl · 14-04-2014 11:06am

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Not opposed to an outer by-pass in principle, but can't help but feel it wouldn't solve any problems, it would just move them. I'm not convinced that many vehicles crossing the Corrib want to by-pass the city completely (after all Connemara isn't exactly densely populated). The city centre is already by-passed, problem is there's loads of development along the by-pass route. Same **** would happen with a new one. A new by-pass also probably just lead to new bottle necks on access roads tom and from it. E.g. what ever the shortest/quest route from the by-pass to NUIG/ The Hospital would choked with traffic at rush hour.

There is something in what you say. This is what the proposed Bypass is for, according to the Connacht Sentinel (3rd December 2013):

Quite simply [sic], we need a facility to remove traffic that doesn't need to traverse the city itself, if we are to facilitate the smoother flow of cars that actually do need to be in the heart of town.

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Only allow Bongo drums between 11.00 and 15.00, also require license (might raise a bit of revenue as well as reducing overall bongo levels).

In the same spirit, I suggest that a by-law be passed which would make home schooling compulsory. See above for rationale.

Galway K9 · 14-04-2014 11:58am

Bypass from Salthill / docklands to Oranmore for traffic
A pedestrianized bridge built parallel to the existing bridge at the cathedral (Death trap) to the court house
Redo Eyre Square and bring it back to what it was like in the 90s
Have a Death Ray attached to the roof of Bank of Ireland and evaporate any scum bags loitering and begging for money.

Iwannahurl · 14-04-2014 12:13pm

Galway K9 wrote: »

Have a Death Ray attached to the roof of Bank of Ireland and evaporate any scum bags loitering and begging for money.

You really mean the B of I boardroom ceiling, right?

L'Enfer du Nord · 14-04-2014 12:17pm

Iwannahurl wrote: »

There is something in what you say. This is what the proposed Bypass is for, according to the Connacht Sentinel (3rd December 2013):

In the same spirit, I suggest that a by-law be passed which would make home schooling compulsory. See above for rationale.

Hmm...There's way too much school related traffic in Galway, I used to cycle 3 km work past various primary schools on the west side of the city. Each had traffic jams outside them. These were older parts of the city so perhaps the kids didn't live locally and were being transported from newer areas without enough school places. Anyway in a city surely most kids should be able to walk to school.

Also there's apparently significantly less traffic during school holidays. How will an outer by-pass reduce school related traffic.

The Quincentenary bridge was the outer-by-pass of its day, now it's just an other bottle neck.

Naux · 14-04-2014 1:01pm

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Hmm...There's way too much school related traffic in Galway, I used to cycle 3 km work past various primary schools on the west side of the city. Each had traffic jams outside them. These were older parts of the city so perhaps the kids didn't live locally and were being transported from newer areas without enough school places. Anyway in a city surely most kids should be able to walk to school.

Also there's apparently significantly less traffic during school holidays. How will an outer by-pass reduce school related traffic.

The Quincentenary bridge was the outer-by-pass of its day, now it's just an other bottle neck.

Yep, the Quincentenary was the outer-by-pass of it's day............... but Galway has gotten bigger and busier. Imagine the city today if we did not have the Quincentenary "bottleneck".

L'Enfer du Nord · 14-04-2014 9:52pm

Naux wrote: »

Yep, the Quincentenary was the outer-by-pass of it's day............... but Galway has gotten bigger and busier. Imagine the city today if we did not have the Quincentenary "bottleneck".

As you say four Bridges haven't solved the traffic. I admire people's faith in a fifth one. However you'll forgive me if I lack faith in our local and national government because of there propensity for bad planning and execution. the new bridge won't be much use if there's an entrance to mega-mall at one end
And the only exit for the University, The hospital and NUIGALWAY at the other.

antoobrien · 15-04-2014 11:49am

Naux wrote: »

Yep, the Quincentenary was the outer-by-pass of it's day

Newcaslte, & Tirellan existed long before the QB was planned, so how the f**k could this ever have been an "outer bypass".

Revisionism at it's finest.

Mrs OBumble · 15-04-2014 1:21pm

antoobrien wrote: »

Newcaslte, & Tirellan existed long before the QB was planned, so how the f**k could this ever have been an "outer bypass".

Ahh, because it goes through the outer suburbs, and is a long way outside the inner city.

There's no rule that says an outer-bypass has to go right outside everything that already exists.

FWIW, even I support an additional bridge, becuase the system at the moment is just so fragile: if something happens on the Quin, then the whole city snarls up.

Iwannahurl · 15-04-2014 2:24pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, because it goes through the outer suburbs, and is a long way outside the inner city.

There's no rule that says an outer-bypass has to go right outside everything that already exists.

Any anyway, the proposed route is really a ring road.

Another thing that would improve Galway is a coastal greenway. Not sure if that has been mentioned already.

L'Enfer du Nord · 15-04-2014 4:04pm

antoobrien wrote: »

Newcaslte, & Tirellan existed long before the QB was planned, so how the f**k could this ever have been an "outer bypass".

Revisionism at it's finest.

A) The quincentenary Bridge does 'by-pass' the city centre.

I meant 'the outer by-pass of its day' as in it being hailed as the solution to traffic problems. I'm sure the guy cutting the ribbon it wasn't basking in the reflected glory of opening a new bottleneck.

Enjoy the new ring road when it happens (I think it probably will eventually). It may alleviate traffic for a bit. I'm just skeptical because the only city I've been in for any lenght of time that didn't have serious traffic jams was in Switzerland. I can see Galway is littered with nonsensical planning decisions. Plus generally poor planning. A prime example is putting the GAA stadium West of the Corrib when 90% of the fans are access the city from the east. Additional roads seldom solve traffic problems in the long term, given Galway's record I wouldn't bank on an outer by-pass bmaking much of a difference.

Birroc · 15-04-2014 4:18pm

Ah lads, stop being pedantic. Bypass smypass, ring road smring road.

Galway needs an "outer bypass ring road" so that traffic from the east travelling to say Clifden or Spiddal can completely avoid the city and vice versa. Even when the Quin bridge was built, people knew it would not be enough. A great jumping spot in College though.

what_traffic · 16-04-2014 9:51am

Bike parking on every street similar to the car parking provision in the city.
Outdoor market similar to the Milk Market in Limerick - convert one of the surface car parks like Mill Street or Bowling Green for this.

Naux · 16-04-2014 4:54pm

antoobrien wrote: »

Newcaslte, & Tirellan existed long before the QB was planned, so how the f**k could this ever have been an "outer bypass".

Revisionism at it's finest.

OK Lets build a "real" outer bypass this time. Based on your thinking/criteria it will be the far side of Headford somewhere :eek::eek:

kippy · 16-04-2014 4:56pm

A second public Swimming Pool/Leisure facility.
Even if Leisureland is reopened a significant portion of the population of the city and county would be better served by a pool on the East side of the county.

Spring Onion · 16-04-2014 5:12pm

Naux wrote: »

OK Lets build a "real" outer bypass this time. Based on your thinking/criteria it will be the far side of Headford somewhere :eek::eek:

I think the perfect spot is near the head of the river. Near Menlo/Glenlo.
The whole southern end of Lough Corrib is surprisingly shallow and has good bedrock so you could easily build a road there too. The northern part of Lough Corrib is very deep so no chance.

Galway K9 · 16-04-2014 5:19pm

Spring Onion wrote: »

I think the perfect spot is near the head of the river. Near Menlo/Glenlo.
The whole southern end of Lough Corrib is surprisingly shallow and has good bedrock so you could easily build a road there too. The northern part of Lough Corrib is very deep so no chance.

Id imagine there must be some conservation there with the heritage etc. Also, we cant devalue the politicians houses in menlo and glenlo / moycullen now can we.

antoobrien · 17-04-2014 2:27pm

Naux wrote: »

OK Lets build a "real" outer bypass this time.

Bypass definition: "a main road built to avoid a city or other congested area"

The current road never did this, all it did was move traffic from the front of the hospital to Newcastle. To access it one still have to walk/drive/cycle through the city, through residential and commercial areas that have existed since the 50s.

So yes build a real bypass, one that does not go through residential & commercial that have existed since the 1950s.

Naux wrote: »

Based on your thinking/criteria it will be the far side of Headford somewhere :eek::eek:

What drive to Cong:rolleyes::eek::rolleyes::eek::rolleyes::eek::eek:

?

Many of the people that have essentially shut down discussion on the GCOB probably think that this is a viable alternative, I think it's plain brain-dead.

Naux · 17-04-2014 4:02pm

Sarcasm is lost on some people!!!

Daisy78 · 18-04-2014 3:23pm

A municipal park with space to host open air events. Much as I love the prom I really think galway needs a decent park near the city environs. So if there are any galway city/county planners and councillors reading this...Please can you make provision for this in the next development plan for galway. ...

If I could sneak in two more.....an opera house (similar to wexfords) and a decent seafood restaurant. .

Daisy78 · 18-04-2014 3:35pm

A mad wishlist kind of idea;an observatory and planetarium. I would love to have access to something like that although I can't really think of anywhere in Ireland or the UK that have it, possibly for good reason,but still.[/quote]

Have to say I love love this idea.

Mrs OBumble · 18-04-2014 5:08pm

Daisy78 wrote: »

A municipal park with space to host open air events. Much as I love the prom I really think galway needs a decent park near the city environs. So if there are any galway city/county planners and councillors reading this...Please can you make provision for this in the next development plan for galway. ...

If I could sneak in two more.....an opera house (similar to wexfords) and a decent seafood restaurant. .

I see potential in Merlin Woods now its not going to have a bus lane going thru it.

bobbyss · 19-04-2014 6:45pm

pat25c wrote: »

if money was no object & you were able to do one public works project to improve Galway city , what would it be , I would clean out the eglinton canal replace both lock gates @ parkavara & replace the rail bridge with one for pedestrians & cyclists .

your turn!

Ban dogs from Buttermilk Lane. It is the most dreary walkway in the city. Always damp and dark and always full of poo. How can a busker play the fiddle sitting down beside a dump load of poo!!!!

Make traffic lights amber late, late at night -early morning -when there is little or no traffic.

Ban bus/HGVs from using the Salmon Weir Bridge. It is sad to see a bridge suffer so much. An accident waiting to happen.

Make Bus Eireann wake up to competition from City Link an Go Bus.Put on 24 hour bus services to Dublin. Wake up Wake Up !!!

Revamp the local bus services.

Turning left from Newcastle to town at the hospital. Is there any particular reason these is an acre of cement to the left of your turn when the actual space for a car on the road is tiny!!!

I could go on.

D Trent · 19-04-2014 7:29pm

bobbyss wrote: »

Make Bus Eireann wake up to competition from City Link an Go Bus.Put on 24 hour bus services to Dublin. Wake up Wake Up !!!

I could go on.

Why do you want 24 hr bus Eireann buses?

bobbyss · 19-04-2014 11:48pm

D Trent wrote: »

Why do you want 24 hr bus Eireann buses?

To match City Link and Go Bus which seem to have buses traveling to/from Dublin on the hour almost every hour. These buses are on the go after midnight while Bus Eireann's inter city buses close down at 8 pm?? Also competition will bring down prices.

While I am at it. Think of a blissering hot day in Salthill and you are walking the prom. You have just kicked you heel at Blackrock are you are dying for an icecream or coke. What? I have to walk a mile back to get one? Why not some stalls along the prom to sell same??? Come on Galway wake up!

Why is the roundabout at the entrance to the motorway at the Galway Clinic so incredibly small? It verges on dangerous. And wait. Do you see acres and acres of open land around there. Could the engineers not foresee how small it is and see all the land around and make it bigger? Incredible.

Almost as incredible as the development of Eyre Square. What a nondescript square it is now. How much was spent on it? 12 million euro? Would you see 12 million euro in it? Those beautiful ornate railings-gone. Oh Dear.

civis_liberalis · 20-04-2014 2:19am

bobbyss wrote: »

To match City Link and Go Bus which seem to have buses traveling to/from Dublin on the hour almost every hour. These buses are on the go after midnight while Bus Eireann's inter city buses close down at 8 pm?? Also competition will bring down prices.

Not that it matters but BÉ services run until 9.30pm.

There seems to be plenty competition there already. Adding BÉ to the night-time line-up would, imo, likely hurt customers in the long run as it would mean less custom for the two private operators who I feel are keeping each other in check well and are offering good value. Burke buying 4 brand new buses (with sockets for every passenger) to replace "older" ones that BÉ wouldn't dream of retiring for another 20 years is a good example of how the market seems balanced well enough.

Having BÉ going 24 hours more or less, just for the sake of it doesn't sound like a good idea. It sounds like I'm oversimplifying your argument, but that's what I feel it boils down to.

In any case, why would BÉ add sevices at times already saturated by GoBus and Citylink? I know half their services stop in every bloody town from here to Lucan, but the market for buses to serve them towns at night couldn't be viable as Citylink already serve them.

civis_liberalis · 20-04-2014 2:23am

Encouraging MORE people to drive into Galway city probably doesn't sound like a brilliant idea, but I would build a number of large capacity underground car parks at sensible locations around the city and provide high-frequency shuttles to the city centre.

I haven't really thought that out very well, as I can see a number of problems even as I write it and it is more than one thing, but it would be a step in the right direction, if not altogether perfect.

bobbyss · 20-04-2014 11:15am

civis_liberalis wrote: »

Not that it matters but BÉ services run until 9.30pm.

There seems to be plenty competition there already. Adding BÉ to the night-time line-up would, imo, likely hurt customers in the long run as it would mean less custom for the two private operators who I feel are keeping each other in check well and are offering good value. Burke buying 4 brand new buses (with sockets for every passenger) to replace "older" ones that BÉ wouldn't dream of retiring for another 20 years is a good example of how the market seems balanced well enough.

Having BÉ going 24 hours more or less, just for the sake of it doesn't sound like a good idea. It sounds like I'm oversimplifying your argument, but that's what I feel it boils down to.

In any case, why would BÉ add sevices at times already saturated by GoBus and Citylink? I know half their services stop in every bloody town from here to Lucan, but the market for buses to serve them towns at night couldn't be viable as Citylink already serve them.

Thanks for your response. I have not looked ta BE timetable for quite some time but I don't know how many of their inter city services are direct and non stop to/from Dublin. I know they are required to provide a social service and run buses that end up not being competitive. But why wouldn't BE not get involved in these types of services? They could offer times/services to Dublin not offered by the other two companies. Even on a trial run?

Little My · 20-04-2014 12:30pm

Park and rides on the west, north/east and south/east sides which would swing past major business parks. Free school buses for children like the american system.

One thing to improve Galway?

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