Advocates for a very light rail network for Galway city presented their case to Galway City Council’s strategic policy committee for Transport this week.
Brendan Holland, Seamus McManus and Robert Canavan of the Gluas group asked councillors on the committee to press the Department of Transport to initiate an assessment of preferred routes for an east-west tram across the city.
The Gluas advocates estimate a funding allocation from the National Planning Framework (NPF ) of between €1m and €2m is necessary to asses routes in Galway after the National Transport Agency (NTA ) published a positive feasibility study for light rail for Galway last October.
“We were asking the [committee] to support our efforts to move on to the next stage. That is to identify the emerging preferred routes for the tram. This is the stage that Cork has just reached to much acclaim,” said Holland, after the meeting. “The Taoiseach said about Cork Luas that it would be transformational for Cork. The Gluas team are convinced it could be the same for Galway,” he said.
The Gluas group are expecting an invitation to present to the full city council soon.
In a response to questions from the Advertiser, the Department of Transport did not comment on political commitments to include Gluas in the NPF which indicates funding priorities for the government’s next National Development Plan (NDP ).
A spokesman said last October’s Gluas feasibility study noted the importance of assessing a full range of public transport options as part of the Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.
“The feasibility study will form part of the evidence base used as an input into the development by the NTA of the new Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, which will be subject to a full environmental analysis and a public consultation process in due course. Implementation of any recommendations identified in the new Strategy will be subject to the availability of funding as might be available under a relevant National Development Plan,” he said.
