Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this very important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The Department of Transport has responsibility for the provision of funding and setting of policy in relation to transport issues, including active travel. The NTA has responsibility for the allocation of funding to projects at local authority level and works with local authorities to ensure delivery of same.

I thank Deputy Connolly for his very insightful and in-depth diagnosis of the issues involved. The Deputy is right; congestion is choking up Galway. Recently, I was struck by the level of congestion as I approached Galway coming from the Cork side. As the Deputy knows, a significant increase in funding has been allocated by the Department of Transport to walking and cycling infrastructure projects in recent years, following a commitment of approximately €360 million per annum in the previous programme for Government across that Government’s lifetime. The NTA’s active travel programme receives most of this funding each year, with around €290 million allocated through that agency across all local authorities this year. Galway City Council has received a funding allocation of €8 million this year, of which €390,000 has been allocated to the Western Distributor Road active travel scheme. The Western Distributor Road cycle scheme is cognisant of the Galway bus network redesign implementation by providing new bus stops along the corridor. The new BusConnects network designed for Galway city envisages different levels of bus services running along the different sections of the Western Distributor Road. To the east of the Clybaun roundabout, a minimum of nine buses an hour will be operating on the road in each direction, namely, routes 3, 9A and 9B, and this increases to a minimum of 15 buses an hour operating on the road in each direction along the section from the retail park to the junction with Bishop O’Donnell Road, namely, routes 1, 9, 10B and 424.

The level of service along these sections of the Western Distributor Road from the junction with Clybaun Road to the junction with Bishop O’Donnell Road warrant and require continuous bus priority to be provided. This will be delivered under a separate future BusConnects project. Hence, along these sections only minimal cycling and wheeling interventions are proposed at this stage. Along the section of the Western Distributor Road between Cappagh roundabout and Clybaun Road roundabout, the new BusConnects network envisages only a single route, route 9A, operating along this section. This route is planned to operate at a 20-minute frequency, representing three buses in each direction per hour. This frequency level does not warrant the same level of continuous bus priority as the eastern sections. Accordingly, as further development of bus lanes is not proposed along this section west of Clybaun roundabout, it is intended to proceed with the provision of a high standard of pedestrian, cycling and wheeling facilities along the section of the route between Cappagh roundabout and Clybaun Road roundabout. The NTA has advised that rapid-build measures, namely, the installation of bollards along existing cycle lanes, would be preferred for the three easternmost road links of the route, between Clybaun Road roundabout and Deane roundabout. This is to cater for the future redesign of the bus network along the route where bus lanes are to be added, where required, at a later date. Therefore, active travel improvements for these road links are measures that are less permanent in nature and will be easier and more cost effective to upgrade at a future date.

Between the Cappagh roundabout and the Clybaun Road roundabout, the future redesigned BusConnects network does not include a frequency of bus service which warrants dedicated bus lanes. Accordingly, it is intended to proceed with the provision of a high standard of pedestrian, cycling and wheeling facilities along this section of the route. The design also entails the construction of safer segregated cycle, pedestrian and wheeling facilities at the Ballymoneen, Clybaun Road, Bóthar Stiofáin, An Logán Estate and Deane roundabouts.

I will take back the concerns the Deputy expressed. I very much hear his frustration and those of the residents of Galway, because it is a city that needs to be freed up, whether that is by more active travel, more buses or a different road network. It is congested. I fully understand the frustration and thank Deputy Connolly for raising the matter this morning.

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