People in the west of the city, as well as tourists wanting to get quickly to Salthill, and who want the option to cycle, are being neglected with the contined failure to extending the city bike scheme to Salthill and Knocknacarra.
This is the view of Green Party Galway City West candidate Pauline O’Reilly, who said providing different means of transport such as regular buses across the city, bike parking, cycling infrastructure, and a “functioning city bike scheme” would “transform” Galway into a “modern, liveable and healthy environment”.
In 2018, plans to extend the city bike scheme to Salthill and Knocknacarra were abandoned and omitted from the service delivery plan. Ms O’Reilly has called for the extension to be put back on the agenda as its inclusion will only enhance cycling in the city.
“To be really successful, city bike schemes need to be sufficiently far apart to make the perfect cycling distance,” she said. “Right now they are located solely in the centre of the city and some parts of the east. They also have taken what limited parking there is for bicycles in the city. This makes absolutely no sense from a planning perspective.”
She says there are “many steps needed” to make Galway cycle ready, but “extending this scheme to the west of the city and putting in bike parking would certainly be a step, or cycle, in the right direction”.
