A permanent cycleway can still be developed in Salthill providing other promenade users are also catered for, according to Independent Galway City West councillor, Donal Lyons.
Monday's gruelling online meeting of the Galway City Council eventually concluded with 13 councillors voting on Cllr Peter Keane's motion to revoke a resolution passed in September to implement a temporary cycle way.
"There are no winners in this situation," Cllr Lyons [pictured below] told the Galway Advertiser. "I fully support a permanent cycle way along the promenade in Salthill as long as it takes into consideration all promenade users, not just cyclists. A lot more people use the promenade than just cyclists.
'Beggars belief'
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"We were going to be looking at the reduction of 214 car parking spaces. For a tourist resort that depends for a long part of the year on people coming into Salthill. Even the night activities, where were those people going to park as a result of the removal of such high numbers of parking spaces.
"It beggars belief, and I have said this before, that the National Transport Authority were prepared to put €1 million into a temporary cycle way. I think everybody knows if that cycle way had gone ahead on Monday night it was in permanently, not on a temporary basis because the same campaign would have been there to have it remain."
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During a lengthy debate on the issue lasting more than three and a half hours Cllr Lyons responded to Mayor Colette Connolly, who recommended removing the one way cycle lane from Blackrock to the Barna Road.
"The fact that the Mayor at the very last stage tried to bring in - what was in my mind a motion - and I asked the chief executive on a number of occasions to seek legal advice regarding bringing that recommendation," he said. "That was seconded by Cllr Frank Fahey with regard to looking for legal advice because as far as I was concerned it was changing what already had gone out on display."
Changes needed
Cllr Lyons acknowledges that changes need to be made and is hopeful that a new cycle way can be developed.
"It has to be well thought out and not a knee jerk reaction, bringing in something temporary which we all know was going to stay in," he added.
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"I am all in favour of a fully integrated cycle way, off the road, with full public consultation taking place about it. That we have full plans, not miniature drawings that you could hardly decipher in the proposals that came before us, so that all users, particularly people with mobility issues that they would be catered for too.
"I'm not looking for the status quo to remain, certainly there was a button pushed that would have taken away so many parking spots and disenfranchised so many people, particularly the westbound carraige ceasing at Pollnarooma. That would have a devastating effect on traffic in the area.
He concluded: "The blue light services in their submissions on the cycle way in the non statutory public consultation they came out saying their response times would be clearly hindered and reduced as a result of having to traverse up Threadneedle Road."
