Galway Bay fm newsroom - City chief Brendan McGrath has warned that there will be very difficult decisions to make in the New Year regarding transport in order to overcome the traffic crisis in Galway.
The council has organised a day long workshop for councillors on January 5th to look at the traffic challenges prior to their first meeting of 2018 on January 8th.
The City Centre Transport Management Plan will come before councillors next month, covering the Docks, the city centre, Salthill, Quincentenary Bridge and Newcastle Road.
Many elements of the plan are listed in the council’s Three Year Capital Programme which was published this week.
The programme is the blueprint for developing the city but its elements are aspirational until they are funded.
Officials Uinsinn Finn and Tom Connell said one of the Transport Plan’s main aims is to open up the city centre as a focal point for walking, cycling and public transport, but they stressed this requires substantial funding.
Mr Connell said the pedestrian bridge for the Salmon Weir for example could cost 2 to 3 million euro, while the land acquisitions needed for the Tuam road and Dublin road bus corridors will have a substantial cost.
However, he pointed out that the first phase of the Tuam road one, out to Castlegar Church, does not require any land acquisition and is being discussed in detail at this point.
In response to councillors’ queries he said the decision on the right turn to McDonaghs will be made by the National Transport Authority.
Mr Connell also referenced the Merlin Park environmental study which is tied in to a new entrance for the hospital, another project which has been campaigned for for a long time.
Cllr Ollie Crowe asked if Transport Minister Shane Ross had responded to the council’s invitation to meet them about the problems with the outer city bypass and the downgrading of Galway Port.
He was told there was no response yet from Minister Ross.
