Bus-only plan for Galway city bridge moves forward as key council committee backs proposal
Turning the Salmon Weir bridge into a bus-only corridor is one step closer to becoming a reality as a Galway City Council committee has backed the proposal.
Galway Commuter Coalition made a presentation before the Project Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) calling for Salmon Weir Bridge to operate as a bus-only corridor from 7am to 7pm to help ease traffic congestion.
The proposal would offer a short-term measure that could improve bus priority and journey reliability in the city centre while being a stepping stone in the implementation of Bus Connects Galway Cross-City Link, the group argued.
The Project Development Strategic Policy Committee made a unanimous decision to pass the proposal. It will now be brought before the Corporate Policy Group (CPG) of the council, which consists of the Mayor and the Chairs of each of the other SPCs. If approved, the proposal will go on the agenda for a full Council vote.
Figure of bus to car comparison. © Galway Commuter Coalition
In the proposal, Galway Commuter Coalition showed the already planned corridor under the BusConnects scheme however, they highlighted that time is of the essence as Galway City is at a traffic “standstill”.
The group said: “This report aims to demonstrate why Galway cannot afford to, and does not need to, wait for any lengthy legal battles to conclude before transforming how people get around our city, particularly as any Galway BusConnects scheme has a construction lead time of 1-2 years if it is allocated funding.”
The estimated cost of the Salmon Weir bridge project is €28,820. The NTA allocated €11.6m in funding this year for active travel and public transport.
The coalition also cited data they said demonstrate flaws in the West Regional Model (WRM), which is intended to underpin the BusConnects scheme. According to the group, the 2024 Galway Cordon Survey recorded 25,900 public transport users, while the WRM estimated the figure at just 5,700.
“With nearly 30pc of trips already by bus, and growing rapidly, the Salmon Weir Bus Corridor offers a practical, immediate and low-cost first step towards a more efficient and reliable bus network. The current modelling severely underestimates Galway City’s bus demand by relying on regional data that dilutes the city’s real bus demand,” the proposal reads.
“This proposal is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity, and ready to implement. For under €30,000, already covered by existing NTA funding, the council can take a first step towards a more sustainable, working, and efficient transport network.”