Chapter 4: Sustainable Mobility and Transportation

RE: Galway City Draft Development Plan 2023-2029. Chapter 4: Sustainable Mobility and Transportation

Dear Planner,

Galway City Council owns and operates car parking facilities at 5 locations in the City :

• The Greyhound Track, College Road
• Dyke Road (beside the Black Box Theatre)
• Galway Cathedral Car Park
• Mill Street
• Bowling Green, Newtownsmith

I would like to propose that these locations are upgraded to facilitate forms of transport other than cars. For example push bikes, eBikes and cargo bikes.

The locations would be ideal for sheltered and secure bike parking. Sheltered and secure infrastructure is an important consideration for cyclists both today and in the future. Trends indicate a significant growth in urban cycling in coming years hence national and EU funding has been made available for such initiatives (Referenced in Chapter 4: Sustainable Mobility and Transportation, 4.4 Sustainable Mobility - Walk and Cycle.*)

In Ireland the temperate oceanic climate differs from east to west coasts. Galway, on the west coast is one of the wettest cities in Ireland seeing on average 232 days of rain vs 128 days (Dublin Airport) in Dublin making sheltered facilities an important part of Galway’s cycling infrastructure plan.

It's important to note there has been significant progress by the council adding Sheffield style bike parking facilities at strategic locations in the city during 2021.  It has been such a success the locations are frequently full. However, every cyclist is concerned with the rise in bike thefts and vandalism. Sadly this is part of city life but cities can do more to alleviate these concerns by installing security cameras. They have never been more sophisticated, affordable and easy to maintain than they are today.

Galway’s golden ratio for bicycle parking is 6:1. The standard car space can accommodate 6 standing bikes. That’s 6 cyclists to every 1 car. Utilising just 4 car parking spaces in each of the 5 locations increases the city’s cycle parking by 120 modern, safe and suitable sheltered bike parks. That is a 500% increase in the utilisation of just 4 spaces per location.

Galway has to be more ambitious and match the predicted growth in cycling and multimodal travel with investment. Suitable facilities are part of the solution to reduce congestion and pollution while creating a template for a sustainable cycle friendly city future generations can continue to improve. In a short twitter poll 89.7% of (156) respondents indicated that such facilities would make “cycling more attractive … than taking a car” [Fig 1.]. The positive reception of the proposal prompted me to raise this request to the 2023-2029 CDP Public consultation.

Providing safe and sheltered bike parks is only one pillar of the broader need but at these locations I feel it is in the councils control to quickly showcase a commitment to active transportation in Galway.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Brian H. Fitzsimons

Supporting information :

Camera: 5 ReoLink 4G 1080p weatherproof Cameras €1000 total (inc VAT) https://reolink.com/ie/product/reolink-go

Connectivity: Vodafone VSIM €150 per year (inc VAT) connectivity for 5 cameras https://eshop.v.vodafone.com/ie/v-sim

Brooklyn sheltered bike shelter [Fig 2.]. Prices vary https://pittman.ie/brooklyn-bike-shelter.html

• “The NDP 2021-30 recent commitment to €360 million a year for active travel measures will help to enable a significant modal shift to cycling and other sustainable modes with the corresponding benefits for climate action, health and air quality. This will also be facilitated through the NTA’s five year Walking and Cycling infrastructure Delivery Plan 2021-25.