Dear Editor,
I see that a decision is due from An Bord Pleanala at the end of August concerning the proposed Outer City Bypass for Galway. My sincere hope is that it doesn't get the go ahead.

We are currently at a stage where we have a great opportunity for Galway to become a model, sustainable city for the rest of the country. We can become pioneers of public transport and cycling in line with best practice around the world. We all want to breathe clean, fresh air, yet everyone seems to want to drive around in cars. We need to break our love affair with the private car and become more efficient at how we travel.

I watch day after day as car after car passes by with one person in each one. It's complete madness. I know what the response is: 'Well we have no alternatives!' That is why it's imperative that we support politicians who do not follow the old-fashioned road building antics. What people need to do is support public transport initiatives that will get cars off the road. We need park and ride centres at various locations on the outskirts of Galway city and a public transport system for the city itself. This will prevent the clogging up of road space in the city and all the negative health aspects associated with it. A public transport system can take many forms, i.e. trams, bus lanes etc, but what is also needed as a matter of urgency is an undertaking by the city council to promote Galway as a cycling city and give greater priority to cyclists and less to motorists.

Cities like Copenhagen, which has a worse climate than Galway, have managed to achieve this, through very simple measures to start with, such as reducing car park spaces and increasing bicycle parking. To make it safer for cycling, enforcement of speed limits in the city for vehicles is badly needed and one way this could be done is with number plate recognition speed cameras.

Ultimately, road building does not solve traffic problems, as seems to be the popular belief. On the contrary, it encourages more people to drive. Research from the UK and other countries backs this up. After all, how long did it take for the Quincentenary Bridge to fill up after it was constructed? In turn, with more cars on the road, emissions increase, traffic jams get worse, leading to universal frustration. We see this on the roads today, but it will just get worse until we decide to stop building more roads and focus on alternative, healthier modes of transport. Ireland likes to think of itself as ahead of the game and in keeping with European guidelines. There seems to be the perception that road building will make Galway a modern city to be looked up to. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

Also, many people are of the opinion that we have advanced as a society since we have cars to bring us places and we don't have to walk and cycle any more. While we have advanced to an extent, the car is used in a grossly irresponsible way, where alternatives exist. The policy of constructing highways, ring roads etc is a remnant from the sixties and is outdated. One only has to look to the other side of the country, to the M50, to see the detrimental effect ring roads have on traffic flow. To make the same mistake here would be incomprehensible. Why not implement a public transport system before considering a hugely wasteful outer bypass? Why should the roads always get built first?

I believe that the public needs to take some of the initiative as well. While the public transport system isn't the best at the moment, why not use it where possible, or else cycle to get the message across to the city council officials that what Galway wants and needs is not more roads but a decent, reliable transport system and better facilities for cyclists.

We are at a fork in the road. Do we go down the path of just being another boring car-oriented city or will we become a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable city, saving millions, if not billions in the future. The decision this month will truly be a defining moment in the history of Galway.

Yours,
David Brady,
Renmore
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