Councillor Mike Crowe has this week reiterated his call for a large part of the city centre to be pedestrianised for the rest of the summer, saying that it is “time for a real change in Galway City and one that will bring a benefit to everyone.”
He told the Advertiser last evening that he attended a meeting with the Chief Executive of the City Council and head of Transportation Unit on this very matter and pressed his belief that Middle Street, Cross Street, Market Street, Upper Abbeygate Street and Eglinton Street should all be restricted to pedestrians and cyclists on a trial basis with a review in September.
“A couple of those streets may have also to be open to buses but other than that there should be no private cars or other vehicles permitted,” he said.
“I understand that there may be concerns by some people for such a radical move, but the world has changed and is continuing to change. Galway City must adopt to this change. This proposal will benefit everyone, particularly pedestrians, cyclists, and business operators. Some people may not think so, but I feel it will and I urge them to give it a chance.
“As well as been hugely beneficial to the people living here, Galway has now an opportunity to become much more tourist friendly in preparation for next season’s international tourist, but also for the domestic tourist who I believe will come to Galway as we move into the summer.”
He said that the aforementioned streets along with Shop Street and surrounds are the epicentre of Galway and we must preserve and develop this heartland in a sustainable modern manner.
“I think if we do this, we will attract more people into the city than ever before. This will lead to businesses having a chance to make up for the lost revenue they are currently going through, and people can enjoy the open-air streets.
“Overall, the city can become much more attractive which will then entice more people to come into it.The streets that I mentioned such as Market Street and Eglinton Street need a revival.
“In effect more life needs to be brought to them. Add in some appropriate plant life and street furniture and suddenly it is a whole new ball game.
“All this will greatly help the fabric of the area and people will want to operate businesses there and more people will want to visit these streets,” he said.
Cllr Crowe has been seeking the changes outlined above for the last number of weeks and is hopeful that at least some if not all of what he has proposed will come into effect in the very near future.
To strengthen his case, he has submitted a motion for next week’s council meeting seeking the support of his fellow councillors for the changes.
