Galway Bay fm newsroom - A plan to provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists that results in reduced parking space in the Renmore and Ballyloughan area was met with strong opposition from many City Councillors last evening.
However, a similar type plan for the Doughiska area was met with general agreement.
City Councillors had a sometimes tetchy meeting last evening when a plan for more space for cyclists and pedestrians in the Renmore, Ballyloughane and Doughiska areas came up on their agenda.
The other side of such plans is that parking along the public roadways can be severely reduced.
Councillor Eddie Hoare summed up the early exchanges in a few words - Doughiska was workable but Ballyloughane was not.
Engineers Michael Lally and Uinsionn Finn from the City Council agreed that there would be impacts but that there were positive sides to the plan.
Councillors such as Terry O’ Flaherty and Declan McDonnell argued that people going to the local church, schools and to sporting events in the Renmore area would be hugely inconvenienced. Councillor Frank Fahey instanced situations where a number of games would be taking place on local pitches. Where he asked would people park.
Council CEO, Brendan McGrath pointed out that many parts of the City may face similar issues as other plans for walking and cycling emerge, in the future.
