[article] Higgins calls for regional transport planning in Galway
 

Byway of complete coincidence..

I'm sure you would find our local representives in Meath too open to discussion on rail - look Navan Drogheda...

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Lorna Siggins, Western Correspondent, Irish Times, 22/05/2006

Future transportation needs for Galway must be planned for on a regional rather than local basis, said Labour Party president Michael D Higgins.


The Galway West TD was commenting on the publication of an independent plan for a light rail system for the western capital, which was endorsed by him as "imaginative" at a public meeting hosted by the Labour Party in Oranmore last week.

The proposal to address Galway's increasing traffic congestion involves introducing a two-line light rail network, with the first line running from Knocknacarra and Rahoon in the west of the city to Oranmore in the east. The route would take in Terryland, Mervue/Wellpark, and Ballybane/Ballybrit.

The second line would run from Eyre Square to Moycullen via Newcastle, where there would be an interchange between the two routes at NUI Galway. Total network length would be 28kms (17 miles), and there would be minimal disruption as less than 10 per cent of the track-length would be "on street".

The investment could be recouped in 15 years, said independent transport researcher Brian Guckian, who drew up the proposal as one of a series of lines for a number of urban areas which he has submitted to the Department of Transport and local authorities.

Mr Guckian said the concept is not based on the existing Luas in Dublin, but on a much lower cost and flexible model which has been developed on the Continent and in Britain. Light rail technologies can be built for as little as €1.5 million a kilometre, whereas new road schemes can cost up to €10 million a kilometre and more, he said.

Light rail will become an essential part of urban transport as commuting becomes uneconomic, due to the energy crisis, he said.

Mr Guckian agreed that the Corrib light rail proposal should be viewed as "part of a wider sustainable and innovative transportation strategy" for Galway given the area's rapid development.

A "partnership of community and public representatives" could come up with a final proposal which would be submitted to a feasibility study, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Higgins has criticised CIÉ for giving an "absurdly short" timescale for public submissions on the €750 million redevelopment of its 14-acre site at Ceannt station in Galway city.

The company agreed to accept public submissions up until last Friday t but emphasised that the proposal was still at the pre-planning stage.

The redevelopment will include bus/rail facilities, and may also include a retail, office and residential space.

© The Irish Times

In fairness, that is what Brian was talking about..

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...s-1398547.html

Gluas - whatever that means!

http://gluas.com/technical-details/

Who's paying for this?

So there are 64 stops in 21km, thats like one every 330m, when standard practice would be one every 1 to 1.5km

This is not an RPA nor DoT sanctioned study. Amusing none the less.

If Luas means speed in Irish what does Gluas mean? G-speed?:)

The bodies involved are:

An Taisce
Galway Chamber of Commerce
Galway City Business Association
Galway City Community Forum
Galway Green Party/Comhaontas Glas na Gaillimhe
Galway Healthy Cities Project
Kenny Group
NUIG (representatives from Engineering, Geography and Political Science and Sociology)
Student Union (NUIG)
Tram Power Ltd.

Seems to be it is cutting costs on the quantity of infrastucture needed.

I take it Gluas is a watered down Luas in the same guise that Metro-West is a watered down Metro North and Metro North is a watered down actual metro system? God, when do we ever do anything straight up in this country?:D

The only official talk about this is coming out of the West. I think what the powers that be are doing is "talk about it enough and they will have to build it".

But (as Cork man, you will be suprised to here me say this) our cities outside Dublin are too small to support rail projects of this size. I can't speak for Galway as I don't know the city too well. But I think a luas, at this point in time is over kill.

Where the "regiional" cities (I hate the word regional) really need improvement is in the bus infrastructure. I live on a road in Dublin that is serviced by 5 bus routes. FIVE. Do you think you would get this level of service around the country.

The powers that be in Galway should stop looking for photo ops, and work on something that is deliverable and beneficial. Like strong commuter rail projects from towns around Co. Galway which are INTEGRATED with an easy to use, convient local and city bus routes.

Gluas, it really isn't worth it.

This verges on laughable. 64 stops is particularly amusing. With a stop every 11 tram lengths (station every 330m, tram length 30m), it would be pathetically slow. On the plus side, the investment needed would be minimal since max line speeds would only need to be about 20kph... Stopping writing spoof business plans Glue sniffers of Galway

I suppose there will be a demand for a Cork version: CLUAS. (they have their ear to the ground, you know..)

Looking at the map, quite possibly the 64 stops include some duplicate stops, ie one stop on two lines.

Booz Allen Hamilton recently completed a bus study of Galway. Still no talk of its implimentation.

"Gluas" literally means "gloss", in the sense of "an explanatory note placed in the margin or bottom of a page". Make of that what you will.

Hmm, Tram Power. Their prototype incinerated itself on the Blackpool system last year. http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources..._Blackpool.pdf

There's talk about using LR55 type tracks for the Galway Luas:

http://www.lr55.com/
http://www.lr55-rail-road-system.co.uk/

I'm not an expert on this, but I just thought I'd let ye know. Mark Gleeson can maybe give us his thoughts on this, though I imagine that such a discussion should be in the technical forum.

Can't be that good a method of laying tracks or every new tram system would be using it. Anyone able to give a non-technical list of disadvantages? (phrased in terms of effects on passengers to keep MG happy ;) )

I haven't got a clue about the technology but I do know that this lacks:

1) Money
2) Political Backing

Lets look at this sensibly. The railway line to Navan has "money" and "backing" and even a Minister behind it. However we all know that due to challenging economic times it will be put on the very long finger.

Gluaisteán?

They(?) still haven't spotted my financial defacement of this : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrib_Light_Rail

uh-huh. I'm sold. :rolleyes:

So cheap they use a pictures that look like they could be hand drawn!:confused:


It makes sense to put trams in the other major "cities" of ireland, but this is slightly insane. How can they justify stopping trams that frequently? How would it make money that way?

Surely its better to force people to walk to stops so that you make more money at each stop then wasting money maintain more stops than you need.

In this day and age tram's are needed again, and yet they come up with inadequet and baffonish ideas like this?


But then again whats the distance between Fatima and Rialto? Thats tiny isnt it? You couldnt fit 11 trams in there:p

Ive always thought that about Fatima and Rialto too. Rialto should be done away with and also Goldenbridge should be removed. I reckon that would save 4 or 5 mins. Add to that the journey time reductions at the red cow when it is finished and you could be looking at shaving 8 mins off no?

http://www.dto.ie/web2006/images/Fatima.pdf

http://www.dto.ie/web2006/images/Goldenbridge.pdf

Eh dont you mean fatima should be removed!:mad:

I use the rialto stop to get too the locker room in james's on placement, it saves more than 5 minutes!