Galway Bay FM News Archives
Opposition to removing city roundabouts is mounting
Date Published: 02-Jun-2011
By Dara Bradley
The campaign to halt plans to get rid of Galway’s main roundabouts and to replace them with ‘intelligent’ traffic junctions is gaining momentum.
Galway City Council last night held a public meeting to allay fears about the proposal to change Lynch Roundabout (Briarhill) to a signalised junction – it is one of six roundabouts that may be removed and replaced with so-called ‘intelligent’ traffic lights, like those at the Moneenageisha junction.
But opposition to the €6 million improvement works, known as the Bóthar na dTreabh (N6) Multi-Modal Corridor Improvement Scheme, intensified this week ahead of the meeting.
An MEP called the proposals “absurd” while Galway Chamber also voiced its concerns about the plan while retired city businessman, Tom O’Connor this week wrote to all city councillors urging them to vote against officials’ plans to remove the roundabouts.
Already several city councillors and city businesspeople have voiced their opposition to the plan while all 30 county councillors unanimously agreed to send a letter to City Hall to voice their objections.
Michael Coyle, CEO of Galway Chamber, said the majority of members that attended a meeting with Council officials expressed serious reservations about the proposals.
Ireland North West MEP, Jim Higgins raised the issue in the European Parliament this week and asked if the Council is going to “bulldoze” through the proposals without responding to genuine concerns.
The Fine Gael MEP said he was concerned that one of the reason cited by the Council in favour of the plan is that it would improve the circulation of buses on the route.
But at present Bus Éireann do not operate services along the N6 across the Corrib, and in an email to Mr Higgins, Ray McDonagh of Bus Éireann said “there are no current plans to operate a city service over Quincentenary Bridge. This area does not have sufficient population density”.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.
Date Published: 07-May-2013
Galway has a population of young people which is more than twice the national average.
According to information gathered by the Central Statistics Office, Galway’s population of 20 to 24 year olds is more than twice the national average.
The number of 25-34 year olds in Galway is also more than the norm nationally, with the two main colleges thought to be the main reason.
However immigration in Galway is much higher than in other areas at 19.4 percent, compared to the national average of 12 percent.
Date Published: 07-May-2013
A city councillor is encouraging people to donate goods directly to charity shops.
It follows allegations of thefts from clothes banks in Galway and across the country in recent months.
However, cameras are in place at some clothes banks and surveillance is carried out by local authorities.
Speaking on Galway Talks, Councillor Neil McNeilis said the problem of theft from clothes banks is widespread.
Date Published: 07-May-2013
A park ‘n’ ride scheme from Carnmore into Galway city could become a permanent service if there is public demand.
That’s according to the Chief Executive of Galway Chamber of Commerce, Michael Coyle.
The pilot scheme will begin at 7.20 next Monday morning, May 13th.
Motorists will be able to park cars at the airport carpark in Carnmore and avail of a bus transfer to Forster Street in the city.
Buses will depart every 20 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes at offpeak times throughout the day, at a cost of 2 euro per journey.
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