An initial grant of €560,000 by the Border, Midland and Western (BMW ) Regional Assembly under the European Regional Development Fund grant scheme for the region’s designated gateways and hub towns has been paid to Galway City Council this week. The money will go towards the recently constructed bus and cycle corridor on the west side of the city.
The strategic bus and cycle corridor on the Bishop O’Donnell Road and Seamus Quirke Road comprises 1.6km of four-lane divided carriageway, a dedicated bus lane, and a two metre wide footpath with a two metre wide off-road cycle lane in each direction. The scheme incorporates five upgraded and signalised junctions, all of which have pedestrian and cycle facilities. Traffic signals have been integrated with the Urban Traffic Management Control system, which has its control room in City Hall. The linkage to City Hall has been provided by a new fibre optic cable which has been installed for this purpose.
“We are delighted to have been in a position to provide financial support towards this project in Galway, which has the potential to increase the uptake of sustainable travel [cycling, walking, and public transport] among the estimated 5,500 people who live in Westside and work or study at NUI, Galway, Galway University Hospital, or attend the numerous schools located within short travel distances of Westside, and we congratulate all those involved in this important project,” said Gerry Finn, director of the BMW Regional Assembly.
“Funding is provided by the assembly from the BMW Regional Operational mniProgramme under its Gateway and Hub Development Programme,” Mr Finn added. “This programme represents a strategic investment by the BMW Regional Assembly in the region’s gateways and hubs as identified in the National Spatial Strategy. In these constrained economic times it is vital that the development of the identified drivers of economic growth in our region continue to receive as much financial and strategic support as possible.”
