By Chris Ashmore
Concern has been expressed that the delays in developing a modern regional transport hub in Letterkenny will lead to ever worsening traffic jams – not to mention increased costs associated with the planned project.
A number of sites have been considered – but progress has been slow and with the town’s population continuing to soar the need for a proper public transport hub has never been greater.
Donegal County Council has secured €1.7 million under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund “to enable site acquisition” but it is understood that a number of complex issues have arisen.
Sources close to the council’s transport hub plans privately acknowledge that the whole project could drag on for years.
And one target for building the transport hub is almost certainly set to be missed.
The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy adopted by the Northern and Western Regional Assembly back in January 2020 identified the provision of a Regional Transport Hub within Letterkenny town centre as one of nine “critically enabling strategic infrastructure projects for Letterkenny.”
The RSES identified the need as a “critical priority” and targeted delivery “in the short term, by 2026.”
Congestion
With ever increasing bus services to the town, there is already considerable congestion close to the Letterkenny Shopping Centre roundabout area where private and local link services share a small lay-by.
Across the road, the Bus Éireann station has limited space despite strong demand for services there too.
Almost a year and a half ago, local councillors were told that moves were afoot to acquire lands off the Pearse Road – including the former Bacon Factory site.
However, nothing materialised and efforts were then made to look at even a short-term or temporary site for a transport hub, with the lands around the former Golden Grill complex identified by the local authority as one possible option while the former Oatfield Sweets factory side was another.
However, in relation to the Grill site, it is understood that there were legal issues while regarding Oatfield, the owners have intentions to develop the site for rental accommodation.
While the council continues to pursue matters in a bid to get a suitable site, the lack of progress is causing concern.
“We just have to get something sorted,” Cllr. Michael McBride said this week.
Indeed, he added that getting a proper transport hub is “vital for Letterkenny” and warned that without the provision of such a facility then traffic jams are going to become even more frequent.
He also expressed concern that the longer it takes to finalise the plans, the more the project will eventually cost.
Strategy
The concept of a transport hub as part of the regeneration strategy for Letterkenny Town Centre is highlighted in the Letterkenny 2040 Masterplan.
The aim is to “transform the arrival experience and urban environment into a more desirable place, encouraging a modal shift to more sustainable modes of transport.”
The plan also states that a new hub “will be a key origin and destination, connecting people effectively throughout the town centre and in the wider context supported by networks for walking, cycling and associated public transport infrastructure.”
And it adds: “The ambition is for Letterkenny to be serviced by one suitably located and sized interchange for public transport, future proofing the town to 2040 and beyond.”
In essence, the aim is to have one transport hub – with a spacious civic area – for services provided by Bus Éireann, private bus operators, and Local Link, including additional town bus services.
The more recently published Letterkenny Plan and Local Transport Plan 2023-2029 pulls no punches in terms of the stated ambition of having a transport hub and lessening the dependance on cars for travel.
It states: “The urban fabric and functioning of Letterkenny is heavily influenced by the dominance of the motorised vehicle and the infrastructure that perpetuates this dominance, at the expense of other more sustainable modes of transport.
“This prevailing situation has evolved over time due to, inter alia: a longstanding cultural preference for the car; the priority given to roads-based infrastructure and associated investment; a development pattern that encourages use of the car; and the lack of investment in sustainable modes of transport to provide genuine alternatives.”
And it bluntly states: “Collectively, the transportation approach is having an ongoing major detrimental impact on the social and economic functioning, and environmental condition, of the town. This dominance of the motorised vehicle is arguably the most important issue to be addressed in the Letterkenny Plan and Local Transport Plan.
“There is a critical need to set out a coherent and balanced roadmap that will, over time, transform the town to one that offers meaningful sustainable alternatives to the car, whilst at the same time ensuring that the legacy road network deficiencies are addressed as a key element of the overall approach.”
Cllr. McBride also pointed out that the Local Link bus service has been a great success with the number of routes – and frequency – to places like Burtonport and Fanad having been expanded.
And he firmly believes that the provision of more public transport will encourage more people to use it.
Significantly, the aforementioned plans were all drawn up before the publication earlier this year of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review.
The ambitious €37 billion list of recommendations aimed at enhancing and expanding the rail network across the next 25 years included a proposal to re-establish a rail link between Letterkenny and Derry.
Nevertheless, the Letterkenny 2040 plan acknowledged that a future transport hub in the town would “align with objectives for the re-establishment of rail by enabling effective, efficient and high quality walking/cycling/bus/shuttle bus networks throughout the town centre and capable of linking to a future rail terminus.”
Cllr. McBride said that he was not aware of any talk about identifying any land corridors for any railway in the future.
But he concurred with the view of the Into the West rail lobby group that the government’s “Apple money” bonanza should be used for infrastructural projects like road, rail and water.
The Letterkenny 2040 plan contends that a modern transport hub can be part of an overall strategy to encourage people away from the private car.
Other measures include the delivery of walking and cycling infrastructure, the management of an effective car parking strategy – including pricing – and the potential for a pilot bike scheme as examples.
On the hub front, it may well be a case of the cart before the horse.
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