Galway City Council seeks submissions on plans for cycle lanes

From the Galway City Tribune – The Council is moving forward with plans to provide cycle lanes along the Ballybane and Castlepark roads.

The local authority has released details of its proposals for the Ballybane Road which include an approximately 1.2km cycle route beginning just north of the Skerrit Roundabout at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and running as far as the Monivea Road.

This scheme is to link in with the separate BusConnects project on the Dublin Road at ATU which provides for cycle lanes from the G Hotel as far as Galway Clinic.

In addition, cycle lanes on the Castlepark Road will extend from the junction at the Ballybane Road and will span 1.24km to connect with the Monivea Road, with the Council committing that “improvements proposed to the Monivea Road will form part of a separate scheme”.

The plans provide for a two-metre-wide protected cycle track alongside a two-metre footpath on both sides of the Ballybane and Castlepark roads, “reducing in places where constraints exist”.

To achieve this, it is proposed that the road carriageway widths will be reduced and junctions will be realigned.

Some additional lands are required at various points to make way for the proposals, while existing taxi ranks and bus stops are to be realigned as part of the process.

Raised pedestrian crossings are to be introduced on all junctions along both routes alongside “straight-through cycle lane crossings on all side road junctions”.

The existing controlled pedestrian crossing at ATU is to be upgraded to a toucan crossing – a wider form of crossing which provides for cyclists and pedestrians to traverse the road at the same time.

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It is proposed that the junction between the Ballybane Road and Castlepark Road be upgraded to a signalised junction with dedicated phases for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.

A similar signalised junction is suggested at the junction between Castlepark Road and the Monivea Road.

Toucan crossings are also provided for just beyond the turn from Ballybane Road onto St James’ Road, Mervue; in two places linking Rahylin Glebe and Árd Aoibhinn at either side of the junction with Walter Macken Road; and near the entrance to Ballybane Shopping Centre.

Shared cyclist and pedestrian areas are proposed on both sides of the Ballybane Road where it links into the Monivea Road, providing four metres of space at either end for pedestrians and cyclists heading into Mervue and for those travelling towards Castlepark.

On the Castlepark Road, a series of toucan crossings are also proposed alongside the continuous cycle lanes at either side of the route.

The plans have been released as part of seeking planning permission and are open to written submissions or observations until Thursday, June 8, at 4pm.

When that process closes, a report of all submissions will be compiled for city councillors who will vote on the scheme.