Councillor calls on Galway City Council to follow Dublin city and make Galway a cycle-friendly place

Fine Gael, Galway City Councillor, Clodagh Higgins has today said she fears that Galway City’s transport infrastructure is poorly equipped to deal with life post-Covid-19. The Councillor and member of the Transport Strategic Policy Committee has called on Galway City Council to follow the example of Dublin city management and put in place the necessary infrastructure to allow for greater movement around the city for cyclists and walkers when the worst of the pandemic passes.

Dublin City Council has moved to expand footpaths and introduce cycle-ways around the city during the Covid-19 pandemic as the significant decrease in traffic has allowed for such essential works. The move is to help contain the virus through enabling people to access their workplaces without resorting to public transport.

Councillor Higgins said “Galway is reputed to be one of Ireland’s worst cities for traffic-gridlock which has no doubt cost us enormously in terms of attracting further multinational investment. Coupled with this many leaders have urged people not to avail of public transport services while the coronavirus is impacting our society which leaves people with no alternative but to use their private vehicles or alternatively cycle or walk to work when they return to their offices”.

“My acute fear is that Galway is poorly equipped to deal with the new demands on public infrastructure when we start to re-emerge from lockdown. We have to recognise the need for our thinking to shift to accommodate peoples preferences to continue to social distance and maintain their health and safety”.

“We need a proper, well thought out plan for the city which encompasses defined cycleways and enlarged footpaths. Serious efforts must be made to implement such measures in the short term. If we wait for the medium to longer term we will have missed the boat, pushed people onto public transport where social distancing cannot be abided by, and cause all sorts of health and safety issues with unsuitable cycling infrastructure where paths are not delineated. Something as simple as creating cycle-path markings along the Prom to differentiate between cycling and walking would make a difference and help the people of Salthill and Knocknacarra make their way to the city safely without compromising their safety. I called for this to be introduced at a budget meeting in November and to date the Council has failed, refused or neglected to act”.

“It is extraordinary that Galway City Council are not following national best practice and looking to what Dublin City Council are doing to ensure the free and safe passage of their communities” Councillor Higgins concluded.