Two hesitant steps forward, one significant step back

I am a member of Galway City Council’s ‘Integrated Transportation Co-ordinating Group, which was called together to observe the launch of the report of Mayor, Hildegarde Naughtons initiative to sort out Galway’s ‘gridlocked’ traffic, which was held at City Hall, Wednesday March 21.

I was pleased to witness general agreement coming from all present that the work of the group she put together to provide a list of ‘quick wins’ had come up with a number of suggestions designed to get traffic moving again.

The Galway Transport Forum, chaired by Professor Padraic O’Donoghue, Dean of Engineering NUIG, was indeed a valuable step forward to improving public transport, cycling and pedestrian facilities in and throughout Galway .

Its study, Galway Transport: Engage for a Liveable City, has identified and come forward with 37 short-term measures that are proposed for implementation.

Mayor Naughton said “we have an excellent opportunity here to implement some short term cost effective measures that will have an immediate and positive effect on improving traffic flows around the city”.

References were still being made to the need for the Galway City Outer Bypass.

Many of the recommendations made in this forum follow closely on those already included in the programme of measures currently being put in place by Galway City Council’s own Transportation Unit, and were already discussed by the Council’s own Transport and Infrastructure Strategic Policy Committee, as part of wider discussions over Galway City Council’s Smarter Travel Plan and their Walking and Cycling Strategy.

The consensus displayed by all present, was to an extent spoiled by a general assumption that suggestions being put forward were being seen as measures to improve traffic flows in the short term.

The effort would continue, at a political level at least, to bring about the speedy construction of the proposed Galway City Outer Bypass – along a route to which I am opposed.

This project is currently being held up in the European Courts system, where it is yet to be determined if a proper assessment of the alternatives and this roads potential to impact on the natural environment and habitats had been carried out, in strict accordance with European Directives.

The European Court of Justice has recently rejected Spain’s argument that it had performed adequate assessment and that Madrid’s M-501 road was justified on road safety grounds. The city of Madrid may have to remove the motorway as the regional government breached EU environmental impact assessment and habitats Directives in building it.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.