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Athenry, Co.Galway, Ireland

Athenry Local News Archive

City transport plan backs Galway-Athenry-Tuam rail link
A PARK and Ride facility in Oranmore, commuter rail to Tuam and Athenry and a clamp-down on commuter parking are just some of the measures recommended in the Galway City Council’s Draft Development Plan in a bid to provide for an integrated sustainable transport system.

According to the plan, the Galway area has experienced strong economic and population growth, but this growth has not been without costs. As the development of public transport has not kept pace with increased development most of the commuting is carried out by car, which has resulted in traffic congestion on the approach roads to and within Galway City.

Longer journey times to jobs and services, underdeveloped and eroded public transport, unequal access to jobs and services for those without access to a car and unacceptable levels of congestion prevail in the city, according to the plan.

As growth has generated greater employment opportunities in the city, a significant travel to work pattern of up to 30 km radius out from the city has developed. Without a structured policy on settlement and transport there will be an almost total reliance on the private car for transportation, which is unsustainable.”

The plan recommends improvements in the national public transport system. It recommends improvements in main line rail service from Galway to Dublin, investigation into the potential Western Corridor Links from Sligo-Galway-Limerick-Cork and the development and consolidation of Inter-City Expressway services.

Arrow rail service

The strategy also recommends further investigation into the feasibility of a light rail study and investigation into the potential for an ‘Arrow’ rail service between Athlone-Galway with a possible extension serving Athenry-Tuam. In this regard the City Council plans to reserve land for a possible commuter rail stop at Murrough, Merlin Park.

To encourage further reduction in car based commuting to Galway and thereby reducing traffic congestion within Galway City, the transportation strategy recommends the provision of cheap, frequent and more convenient public transport services than those currently available.

The recommendations for commuter public transport include development of an improved fixed bus route service that is able to offer hourly or half hourly weekday services to Galway City from the settlement areas in the county.

The City Council plan to investigate the provision of a pilot park and ride facility at Oranmore on council owned lands.

Park and Ride facilities, if attractive, can reduce the amount of commuter traffic entering into the city and thus contribute to a reduction in traffic congestion,” according to the Development Plan. It is also hoped to provide park and ride facilities in conjunction with the Galway City Outer By-pass.

To discourage commuter parking, the Council say they will continue to introduce disc-parking zones in areas where commuter parking is prevalent.