Joint initiative to address public transport delays and disruption in Limerick

  • Limerick City and County Council

A multi-agency initiative is to begin to address some of the causes of delays and disruption to public transport in Limerick over the past number of months.

A series of high level meetings have taken place between Limerick City and County Council, Bus Éireann, An Garda Síochána and the National Transport Authority to discuss the current situation in Limerick with a view to introducing new initiatives in the short term to help alleviate issues on the route network.

Over the past 12 months there has been a significant growth of public transport numbers in Limerick – from 2.9 million users to 3.5 million users (a 20% increase), as the local and regional economy continues to recover.

Timetabling changes are to be made to city centre bus routes especially the 304 and 304A cross city routes to improve reliability and reflect real-time scheduling and these will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Bus Éireann are also reviewing the routes that are currently in operation in the greater city network with a view to changes in the coming months.

A joint initiative between Limerick City and County Council and An Garda Síochána will consider towing away vehicles parked at bus stops and there will be a refocus on the enforcement of the Regulations in respect of bus lanes and bus stops.

These actions are designed to guarantee safe accessibility for users, including vulnerable users, of the bus service, and to increase the growth in public transport usage numbers by ensuring journey times.

Limerick City and County Council is working with the National Transport Authority and Bus Éireann to identify locations and practices along bus routes, which contribute to journey times and schedule service delays on routes - for example pinch points - with a view to remedying them.

When these plans are fully implemented, bus customers will experience an improvement in overall public transport service delivery.

Improvements have already taken place over the last few years with the rollout of a number of bus corridors on certain city routes, but the delivery of these has been hampered by concerns in assigning road space from parking to public transport.

Other improvements include the ongoing rollout of 20 upgraded bus shelters, which incorporate real time passenger information, at key bus stops in the greater Limerick area. The National Bus Fleet has recently been upgraded and it is currently among the most modern in Europe.

In recent years, Limerick City has experienced a welcome new phase of growth guided by the Limerick 2030 strategy.  Consequently, the city centre has experienced growing transport issues, due mainly to reliance on the private car, limited public transport network and cycling facilities, a large rural hinterland and its location at a national crossroads.

Our road and street network has not evolved at sufficient pace to accommodate the increasing high traffic flows currently prevalent, and this has contributed to increased peak time congestion and delays, including significant delays to peak time public transport services, affecting quality of life and impacting on the functionality of the city.

To address this congestion in a sustained manner, a fundamental shift is needed towards sustainable travel, reducing the dependency on the private car, and taking action to make the Limerick city region more accessible and connected via a quality public transport network, which will enhance the quality of life for all.

Under the National Development Plan, the Bus Connects programme aims to overhaul the current bus system in Ireland’s cities by implementing:

  • a network of ‘next generation’ bus corridors (including segregated cycling facilities) on the busiest bus routes to make bus journeys faster, predictable and reliable
  • a complete redesign of the bus network
  • simpler and more convenient fare structures
  • real time public transport service information
  • cashless payment system and a state-of-the-art ticketing system
  • new bus branding, integrating bus vehicles of different operators and types
  • park-and-ride facilities
  • new bus stops and shelters
  • low-emission ‘green’ vehicles

In the longer term, significant further investment will be required in building a network of Core Bus Corridors (CBCs) and park and ride facilities in the suburbs.

Current proposals being worked on by Limerick City and County Council include the development of a showcase East to West public transport corridor. It will run from a possible Park and Ride in Annacotty, serving key destinations such as the National Technology Park, the University of Limerick, the City Centre, the Crescent Shopping Centre, University Hospital, Raheen Business Park, and finishing in a Park and Ride in Raheen.

Building this high quality public transport network will require significant financial investment and will also require tough decisions to be made in relation to assignment of road space to public transport and road improvements.

Making the right decisions over the next few years will put in place a public transport network that will allow Limerick to grow in a sustainable manner and achieve its potential as a compact large urban centre.

To underpin this, Limerick City and County Council, in partnership with The National Transport Authority and Clare County Council, has already commenced work to develop a new Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (LSMATS).

LSMATS, when completed, will advise on the integration of land use and transport planning within the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area and what investment in transport infrastructure and services is required over the short, medium and longer term to promote and encourage sustainable transport use.

It will consider all transportation modes including walking, cycling, buses, coaches, Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRTS), light rail, heavy rail, taxis, car sharing and private cars in developing a comprehensive transport strategy for the Limerick Shannon area.

The LSMATS will set out a series of actions and measures, covering infrastructural, operational and policy elements to be implemented in the Limerick Metropolitan Area over the next 20 years to deliver Bus Connects and other important sustainable transport projects, and will outline a framework to deliver the projects in a phased manner.

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