Galway city residents invited to information meeting ahead of new Active Travel Scheme
Residents near Monivea Road, in Galway city, have been invited to a public information event ahead of the submission of a planning application for a new Active Travel Scheme in the area.
Galway City Council will host a public drop-in event on March 19, giving residents the opportunity to ask the design team questions and learn more about the proposed Monivea Road (East) Active Travel Scheme.
Alongside other active travel projects across Galway, the scheme is expected to see 1.7km of refurbishment along Monivea Road to make walking and cycling routes safer for commuters.
While no plans have been lodged yet, the proposed works would cover the stretch of Monivea Road (R338) from the Ballybane Road junction to the Old Ballybrit Road junction.
“This meeting is an opportunity for all residents to meet the team from Active Travel,” Cllr Shane Forde told the Irish Independent. “Transparency and community engagement are essential.”
“I am urging every resident to attend. It is so important that you view the proposed plans and understand exactly what is being considered before any planning application is submitted for this project.”
Active travel projects have faced backlash over the level of public consultation as schemes have rolled out across the city.
The Monivea Road project will follow national active travel guidelines, similar to the schemes currently under way in Ballybane/Castlepark and Bóthar Stiofáin. These include reducing carriageway width and tightening junctions to encourage lower speeds, as well as widening pedestrian and cycling lanes.
At City Hall earlier this year, Cllr Forde said his support for the Monivea project would be cautious after hearing from council engineers that priority bus lanes were not part of the plans, noting that bus safety has been a key source of frustration with the Ballybane scheme.
During works in Ballybane, buses had no designated pull-in bays, meaning they blocked traffic at each stop – a situation expected to remain even after works are completed.
The most immediate concern, he said, is the new carriageway width, which leaves buses passing within just 8cm. “When works are complete, two private buses will not be able to pass one another,” he said. “There will be no margin for error,” Cllr Forde told the Irish Independent.
Elected representatives have sought further information from engineers on the Monivea project before works begin or a planning application is submitted.
A formal planning application is expected to be lodged in the coming months, then residents in the area are notified and given the opportunity to make submissions.
The information event will take place on March 19 from 3pm to 7pm at the Clayton Hotel in Galway city. All residents are invited to attend.