An “unworkable” plan “lacking in ambition”, or a necessary “brave step” towards reducing car dependency? The public consultation on the Salthill Cycleway proposals may have closed, but no heat has left the debate on the controversial proposals.
This week saw Fine Gael Galway City West councillor, Clodagh Higgins, call for the cycleway “in its proposed form” to be halted as it is “unworkable”. Concerns about the plan, and how it will negatively impact road use for both cyclists and public transport, have also been raised by the eco-socialist party, An Rabharta Glas - Green Left.
However, Green Party Galway City West councillor, Niall Murphy, said he will continue to support the temporary cycleway, as it is vital that measures be taken to reduce car dependency and emissions.
‘Bring Galway to a standstill’
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Cllr Higgins [pictured above] is a supporter of cycling infrastructure for Salthill and is keen to see a cycleway that would work in tandem with existing road usage, but she is opposed to the two options being considered:
Option 1 is for one-way vehicular traffic along the R336 (from the Grattan Road junction to the Barna Road junction ). Option 2 is for two-way vehicular traffic from the Grattan Road junction to the Pollnarooma West junction, and one way vehicular traffic from the Pollnarooma West junction to the Barna Road junction.
Cllr Higgins has called on the Galway City Council not to proceed with either option on Monday February 14, when a report will be presented to the elected members analysing all submissions from the public.
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“I can categorically state I will not be supporting either option,” she said, “and I am calling on my fellow councillors to follow suit.”
Cllr Higgins argues that the proposals will result in pressure on Kingston junction, “which is already at capacity”, by diverting cars down Taylors Hill and Threadneedle Road. “These are residential areas, and roads that are already not suitable for the traffic they carry,” she said.
She also highlighted that Option 1 could result in difficulties in parking and delivery for local businesses, which, she contends, could result in turnover for Salthill businesses being reduced by “50 per cent or more”.
She also said the current designs could adversely impact the ability of emergency services to get to their destination quickly. “We have to be reasonable if people’s livelihoods and well-being are at risk,” she said.
'Time to work together'
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Cllr Higgins further contended that, as proposed, the Salthill Cycleway will result in “cutting off one of the main arteries to the city”, and “bring Galway to a standstill”.
There was controversy last week when the National Transport Authority granted €1 million for the temporary cycleway, but Cllr Higgins said this money should be used to develop and realise better cycleway proposals for the area.
“The community has been mobilised as a result of this. Now is the time to work together,” she said. “If we want to effect change, we need to bring people on the journey, including the disabled, residents, businesses, and all users of the promenade, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.”
‘Missed opportunity’
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The cycleway plans have also come in for criticism from An Rabharta Glas. It called the current proposals “a missed opportunity”, lacking in ambition, and expressed concern that there were no public transport elements.
Conor Dowd, An Rabharta Glas Galway East representative, said it was a shame that the proposals ended up with cycling groups and disability groups “having to argue over parking spaces”.
Mr Dowd said the council should have initiated Part 8 of the planning process, which, he said, would have allowed the council to remodel the road along the prom which would have enabled two-way traffic to remain, albeit with a westbound bus lane.
“This would also allow for the disabled persons parking spaces to remain close to where they currently are beside the beach, and allow for maximum emissions reductions through encouraging modal shift,” he said.
Climate change
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Cllr Niall Murphy [pictured above] said it was clear to all councillors during previous votes on this issue, “that giving some priority to cyclists over cars was going to be part of the plan”.
He said the opposition from some councillors and motorists was based on an attitude of “demanding to be allowed to do what they have always done”, but that a “position of no-change” was not in Galway’s long term interest.
“This is a cultural change as much as it is an infrastructure issue,” he said. “As a population we have to reduce car usage in order to reduce traffic, and even more importantly to manage climate change.”
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Cllr Murphy pointed out that the next 15 years will see a 50 per cent increase in population of Galway city, and that if decision making at local government level continues to be car-centric, a “50 per cent increase in population means a 50 per cent increase in cars and traffic”.
“Once that happens it will be impossible to find parking in Salthill and the streets will be clogged,” he argued. “Blocking cycle lanes now means fewer people using an alternative to the car in the future, and that guarantees traffic chaos.”
Cllr Murphy said that if the Salthill cycleway is defeated in order to maintain the priority of car traffic, “we will set a template” for the “very tough decisions” that will face the council in terms of traffic management and climate action. He concluded: “The time to be brave is now.”
