Four years ago, I attended a meeting of the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee, then chaired by Hildegarde Naughton. The Committee heard about the potential, and the necessity, for a switch to #SustainableTransport modes.

I corresponded with Deputy Naughton afterwards, pointing out that the #Galway City Ring Road would increase CO2 emissons by 37%, reduce cycling mode share and increase car mode share.

That she still supports the road is unconscionable. #GCRR

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/hildegarde-naughton-says-ring-road-most-common-issue-raised-by-public/

@sinabhfuil @costellop I couldn't agree more. I was housesitting for a friend in Moycullen, #Galway last week and we were completely car dependent. This is the only bus stop in the town. There are only seven buses into Galway each day and only one which could be considered a commuter bus.

We're never going to coax people out of their cars with that quality of service.

Their local FG TD is one of the loudest proponents of the Galway City Ring Road. #GCRR #PublicTransport #SustainableTransport

@sadhbhoneill is reporting on Twitter that the Galway City Ring Road has been quietly dropped from Transport Infrastructure Ireland's strategic plan for 2040.

I'm not convinced. There is no explicit reference to it but I don't think that means anything really. And there are several mentions of the need for bypasses to improve connectivity.

#GCRR #Transport #SustainableTransport

https://www.tii.ie/tii-library/strategic-planning/national-roads-2040/TII-NR2040-Final-Report-EN-April-2023.pdf

Letters in today's Irish Times on #Galway City Council lashing back at An Bord Pleanála for its own failings, by @d_mathieson and yours truly

#GCRR #planning https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2023/04/27/galway-city-council-and-car-dependence/

#Galway County Council keep trying to build social houses on poorly serviced peripheral sites with no social amenities. They argue that the Ring Road will provide the connectivity needed for these sites.

An Bord Pleanála rightly reject these projects on the basis that a) the ring road is not and might never be built, and b) it is perpetuating car-dependency amongst the least well-off.

#GCRR #Planning #housing

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2023/04/24/galway-council-chief-surprised-and-disappointed-by-an-bord-pleanala-refusals-for-social-housing-in-city/

The designer of #BusConnects #Galway "is confident that the changes can be implemented on the existing road network but points out that a number of infrastructural changes to the city's road network would also enhance the plan."

I don't think she's talking about a €1bn ring road here.

#GCRR

https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2023/0424/1378736-bus-galway/

"Cllr Alan Cheevers has asked the Taoiseach and Tanaiste to insist on the Outer Ring Road in Galway, and the Limerick-Cork motorway to be included in the strategy for car free zones"

What drugs are these people taking?

#GCRR #DemandManagement #Galway

https://www.galwaydaily.com/news/traffic/city-councillor-hits-out-at-congestion-charges/

#Galway 🙄

#GCRR #ActiveTravel

Carlos subsequently named the councillor as the anti-Traveller Independent Councillor, Noel Larkin

#Galway County Councillors claiming that the Ring Road is necessary to solve Galway's traffic problems when all evidence presented by the council itself in their submission to An Bord Pleanála demonstrates that it won't solve the problems and will, in fact, make it worse on many routes.

@amckinstry is the lone voice of sanity on the council

#GCRR
https://connachttribune.ie/cllrs-claim-park-ride-cannot-succeed-without-ring-road/

New #Galway transportation strategy will be published by end of year, including a Light Rail feasibility and a review of the Ring Road in the context of the Climate Action Plan

#GCRR

https://connachttribune.ie/new-galway-transportation-strategy-will-be-published-by-end-of-year/

On Friday, People Before Profit in #Galway published their vision for transport in the city.

It supports a move away from car-dependency and towards sustainable transport through investment in public transport (buses, light rail and rail) and active travel (walking and cycling)

It also rejects the proposed Galway City Ring Road as "an environmentally disastrous, ineffective and expensive mistake"

#SustainableTransport #ActiveTravel #GCRR

https://pbpgalway.ie/2023/03/26/people-before-profits-galway-transport-vision/

Fantastic endorsement for the Green Party from Cllr James Charity:

“The Green Party is playing a blinder in terms of their remit,” said Cllr Charity as he expressed doubt that there would be progress on either project for as long as the Greens controlled the Department of Transport.

#GCRR

Not to be outdone by their city cousins, #Galway *County* Council are also throwing €3,000,000 down the drain on car infrastructure

#GCRR #Carmageddon
https://connachttribune.ie/another-e3m-to-be-spent-on-ill-fated-galway-city-ring-road/

Good piece by Dara Bradley on the Galway City Ring Road acknowledging that the road is less about solving traffic problems than it is about opening up more development land. This has been the unspoken truth about the road since it was first mooted.

#GCRR

https://connachttribune.ie/galway-ring-road-as-much-about-city-growth-as-traffic/

Spot the difference!

#Galway #Sundays4Safety #GCRR #ActiveTravel #Sustainable Transport

"€3 million is being provided to enable Galway County Council prepare further studies in relation to the Galway Ring Road project."

What. The. Actual. F...

#GCRR #Galway #Motonormativity

https://connachttribune.ie/galway-gets-e50m-for-road-projects-with-half-for-moycullen-bypass/

@d_mathieson In any case, I think the planning application documents predict a 22% increase in public transport trips, not 28%.

The interesting bit is that the Galway Transport Strategy *without* the Ring Road is predicted to increase PT trips by 17%. The impact of the Ring Road on public transport trips is minimal, it's the other provisions of the GTS that are doing the heavy lifting.

#GCRR

No traffic issues in #Galway on this mid-term break morning, not even on the infamous Bóthar na dTreabh - it's almost as if the traffic problems could be solved if school children were able to bus or bike to school.

#Sundays4Safety #GCRR #ActiveTravel #SustainableTransport

"The figures in the submission for the GCRR to An Bord Planála claim that the public transport use will increase by 28% by 2039. We have already passed that without a ring road. It is a myth that we need a ring road in order to provide public transport. What we actually need to provide public transport is more busses." - Cllr Niall Murphy also writing for the Advertiser.

#GCRR #Galway

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/133973/a-myth-that-we-need-ring-road-in-order-to-provide-better-public-transport

"There can be no doubt where Fine Gael stands on this. The Galway Ring Road is part of the Programme for Government. If An Bord Pleanala grant permission, the road will be funded by Government." - Hildegarde Naughton writing in the Galway Advertiser.

The PfG actually commits to the Galway Transport Strategy, not specifically the Ring Road. That strategy is currently up for review and the revised strategy will have to align with the Climate Action Plan.

#GCRR #Galway

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/133974/programme-for-government-commitment-to-galway-ring-road-will-be-honoured-naughton