New bus route numbers and timetables from Sun 4 March

The Galway Advertiser has just posted this on their Facebook page -

Following a review of public transport services in Galway undertaken by the National Transport Authority, Bus Éireann is pleased to announce a revised Galway City bus network to provide customers with an improved level of service including more frequent services, increased reliability, clearer timetables, and a simplified network. The changes, which have been approved by the National Transport Authority, will come into effect from Sunday, March 4, 2012.

The key features of the revised network are:

· A simplified network which is easier to understand and simplifies planning your journey throughout the city
· Improved timetables
· More customer-friendly Information Displays
· More frequent services
· Consistent clockface frequencies
· New Route numbers

The routing of most routes will remain unchanged. There are changes to routes 402, 404 and 405. In addition, a new route 410 will operate as a shuttle service to Oranmore via Galway Clinic.

Route 405 will now operate from B&Q at Gort na Bró, via the new bus lanes on Seamas Quirke Road, to Eyre Square. From there, this service continues to Ballybrit Business Park via the Tuam Road and Ballybane Road, thus providing connectivity between the west of the city and the Business Parks in the East.

Route 402 (Seacrest – Eyre Square – Merlin Park) will operate from Seacrest to Eyre Square as it does now, but on the East side of the city will now turn right at Duggan’s shop in Renmore, travel through Lisbeg Lawn and rejoin the Dublin Road at the Dairies (Ballyloughane Road). From there, the service will travel to Merlin Park Hospital.

Route 404 (Newcastle – Eyre Square) will now operate from Westside Shopping Centre via Siobhan McKenna Road, Thomas Hynes Road and Newcastle Road and on to Eyre Square.

In tandem with these improvements, Bus Éireann is also introducing seven new vehicles to its Galway city fleet to replace older vehicles. All seven vehicles, which have been funded by the NTA, feature free Wi-Fi, low floor access and comfort seating. In addition, three double deck vehicles will also be added to the city fleet. This will see all vehicles operating on the high frequency 409 Doughiska route being double deck buses, which will increase capacity on that route.

Galway city bus customers will also benefit from the introduction of real-time passenger information (RTPI) signs by the NTA at 20 of the busiest bus stops around the city later this year. The electronic signs provide bus users with up-to-the-minute information on when the next bus is due at that stop.

“These changes will make Galway’s city bus service easier to use and easier to understand. Combined with the introduction of new vehicles that will enhance comfort and increase capacity, and the launch of RTPI later this year, we believe that these improvements will be of real benefit to people living in and visiting Galway,” said Brian Connolly, Regional Manager, West, Bus Éireann.

Looks like you'll have to change your website slightly! :P

It's about time that we got an improvement in Galway.

muppetkiller

Now if they could only give the drivers some professional training ,a smile and a personality we'd be all set.

Storm 10

All fine but I still cannot understand how you are unable to get a bus from Newcastle to Salthill, as I said before the Eyre Square to Newcastle bus goes as far as the roundabout at Taylors hill, goes around it then back into town, why could it not go onto Salthill and the Salthill bus continue up threadneedle road to Newcastle and Eyre Square. That would be a great link

WesternNight

Ah, the Lisbeg route is back to the old days!

As for the drivers, I find most of them are great. There's a few that could do with a hug or something, and one that needs to find a job he actually likes. But by and large, they're pretty decent.

s_carnage

Any link to the new times yet?

Details are here:
http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1064&month=Feb
I'd put in the tables myself but I still get them wrong.

I noticed this - 403 Eyre Square – Parkmore Industrial Estate - Castlepark
Does it mean this bus will be running all the way to Parkmore now?

GekkePrutser

Those signs will be very handy as most busstops don't even have a paper timetable posted.

But as they will only be posted to the main 20 stops, they should really offer a smartphone app or something so you can check where the bus is at for any stop.

James Forde

Deleted User wrote: »

Details are here:
http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1064&month=Feb
I'd put in the tables myself but I still get them wrong.

I noticed this - 403 Eyre Square – Parkmore Industrial Estate - Castlepark
Does it mean this bus will be running all the way to Parkmore now?

That's what it sounds like, will be good if true, handy for the mornings as going up doughusice is a pain in the backside.

snubbleste

No BÉ route using the Quinncentenary Bridge?

surime

muppetkiller wrote: »

Now if they could only give the drivers some professional training ,a smile and a personality we'd be all set.

I think bus drivers in Galway are wonderful - seriously, 80% are lovely man. Unfortunately could not say the same think about 2 women drivers I know. ( grumpy and very unpleasant!)

Mrs OBumble

boneyarsebogman wrote: »

Looks like you'll have to change your website slightly! :P

Indeed

I’ve been expecting changes for some time, and became aware of this on Saturday evening thanks to Google Alerts. And I've just done a news announcement about it now.

There was an announcement on the BE site last Thursday, and there’s a new more detailed announcement today: http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1064&month=Feb

I was hoping the route maps on GalwayTransport.info would become unnecessary. But Bus Éireann’s website, makes me think that’s not the case. So update planning started on Saturday night, and a good deal of new content is already on my Dev-site, just waiting to be checked and published.

It’s still not clear exactly where routes 403 and 405 will go, and maybe I won’t get them finalized until this Sunday when I can actually ride the buses.

Yes, that's right: there is less than one week before these changes are implemented. Don’t be expecting too many notices on bus stops – or indeed new bus stops – to appear in that time! RTPI sounds great, but we’ve still got a lots of stops without bus-shelters.)

Also, despite BE’s spin, these changes aren’t good for everyone. The way I see it, in terms of routes:

Winners:

• Oranmore and Galway Clinic – hourly service 7am – 7pm
• Knocknacarra north – bus to B&Q, which runs out to Liosban and beyond
• Parkmore Industrial – gets routes 409 (was 9) and 403 going there (still not in to the estate though) – this opens up new area accommodation areas for people working there (Bohermore, either Riverside or Monivea Rd, Ballybrit)
• Castlepark – has buses going in both directions – easy to get from there to Parkmore

Losers:

• Knocknacarra south – no more route 2d, so only a bus every 30 mins in the daytime
• Salthill – no more route 1d, means a reduction in services and area covered
• Old Mervue / Mervue shops – route 8 cancelled - unless the 403 or 405 somehow spins in here?
• New Mervue - route 5e become 405 and goes via Liosban –it’s not clear where it goes after that , but the trip will be longer, and may or may not circle the church as it does now
• Ballifoyle / Bothan an Chóiste – service reduced to every 40 minutes.

But there are some winners in terms of service times too: eg first bus 403 is at 6:45am, last bus from Eyre Square to Knocknacarra is at 11:30pm – and that includes Sundays. Haven’t checked them all yet, but I suspect that most routes have improved at the ends of the day. That said, some of the times are just-not-early-enough for workers in places at the end of the route (eg Bioware, Galway Clinic)

I'm seriously unimpressed with timetables that say “6:40am , 7:20am and then every 40 minutes until 7:20pm” – what will the average bear think if they look at a timetable at, say, 3pm.

Oh - and rather than bad news, I see this as a good chance to get more SEO-friendly URLS ( I’ve learned a LOT since I started back in 2009). Kind of annoying that it’s happened just as my day job hots up, but ya get that. So far I’ve found that the “architecture” is holding up – doing all these changes isn’t too painful at all.

surime

At last they thought of people starting job at 7 am! I couldn't believe few years ago when I actually got the job starting 7 am there was no way I could get to city center before 8 and I wasn't driving yet at time! Ridiculous, so as no timetables on bus stops and no proper shelters - no wonder people do everything to drive and town is blocked every day.
-existing bus shelters doesn't protect from rain at all! With few hundred people working in parkmore and using public transport its a disgrace they've built the same tiny imitation of shelter which can fit maybe 10 people and they will get wet anyway...

(plus the last 409 should leave Parkmore at 00:15 -evening shift in Medronic finishes at 00, so they have no chance to catch this but-so stupid!)

Iwannahurl

Anyone know anything about proposed new bus stops in the Rahoon/Knocknacarra area, eg six of them along the Western Distributor Road?

First I heard of these specifics (that I can recall) was a notice that I chanced to see while walking along the WDR last week. It consisted of a crumpled laminated A4 sheet with a lot of text on it, tied to a pole. Kind of in the style of City Direct timetables from a few years back.

It listed proposals for bus stops in several locations across the city, and gave the closing date for submissions as 20th March, IIRC.

biko

No offence boney but title update to show the changes.

muppetkiller

surime wrote: »

I think bus drivers in Galway are wonderful - seriously, 80% are lovely man. Unfortunately could not say the same think about 2 women drivers I know. ( grumpy and very unpleasant!)

You might think they are lovely but it would be nice if they turned up for work on time and put the Bus time table ahead of their fag breaks.

yer man!

Does this mean that Oranmore - Galway will be the same as other city buses? it's €3.60 single right now....

Stevolende

Just realised that the 9 bus is now timetabled for different stops around town. Up to now, when traffic is light the bus has tended to pass the G hotel before 9 minutes past departure from Eyre square. Does this 9 minutes past thing mean the driver now has to hang around at that stop until the time the timetable says.
Is he going to do so?

Do wonder where the time estimates are coming from. Driver input or computerised average or something.

GekkePrutser

JustMary wrote: »

I was hoping the route maps on GalwayTransport.info would become unnecessary. But Bus Éireann’s website, makes me think that’s not the case. So update planning started on Saturday night, and a good deal of new content is already on my Dev-site, just waiting to be checked and published.

For what it's worth, I think your route maps (the ones in Google Maps) are brilliant.

Although they have been improved a bit over the old hand-drawn ones they used to provide, the Bus Éireann map isn't very specific in relation to exactly where the stops are (I believe a lot of them aren't even on their map) and I've had a hard time locating bus stops I didn't use frequently. Yours is spot on and explains the route very well. Just want to say that the work is appreciated

foxy_19-89

I've lost out on the fact that the new 404 route (old number 4) doesn't go out to Merlin Park, which means I've to get two sets of buses to college in the mornings, a tad annoying but I'm sure this is part of the 'simplifying' of the service. Just means I've to get the monthly pass to ensure I dont spend €3.40 back and forth every day! Will the monthly pass still work on all services?? I'm also confused about the new departure stop of the Newcastle bus? It used to go from lets say the Westwood, down Thomas Hynes Road, Browne Roundabout, Seamus Quirke Road (the final part of it) then on to town via NUIG/Cathedral. Now it will go from the Shopping centre via Shiobhan McKenna road. The map just throws me off because it looks like it goes back up Thomas Hynes Road?

map: http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1330013695-Galway_Map.pdf

I also find the "Every 45 mins" thing that JustMary mentioned odd, like she said what if you arrive at a stop at 3pm.....get the calculator out?

GekkePrutser

Hey, I just noticed there's finally a bus linking "straight" from west to east (although still through Eire Square)

However, I was wondering, if I were to take the 405 all the way from Rahoon to Ballybrit, would I have to pay the 1.70 once or twice? It looks a bit like 2 separate routes on their map.

snubbleste

GekkePrutser wrote: »

Hey, I just noticed there's finally a bus linking "straight" from west to east (although still through Eire Square)
However, I was wondering, if I were to take the 405 all the way from Rahoon to Ballybrit, would I have to pay the 1.70 once or twice? It looks a bit like 2 separate routes on their map.

There were always buses going west-east through eyre square.

Stevolende

foxy_19-89 wrote: »

I've lost out on the fact that the new 404 route (old number 4) doesn't go out to Merlin Park, which means I've to get two sets of buses to college in the mornings, a tad annoying but I'm sure this is part of the 'simplifying' of the service. Just means I've to get the monthly pass to ensure I dont spend €3.40 back and forth every day! Will the monthly pass still work on all services?? I'm also confused about the new departure stop of the Newcastle bus? It used to go from lets say the Westwood, down Thomas Hynes Road, Browne Roundabout, Seamus Quirke Road (the final part of it) then on to town via NUIG/Cathedral. Now it will go from the Shopping centre via Shiobhan McKenna road. The map just throws me off because it looks like it goes back up Thomas Hynes Road?

map: http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1330013695-Galway_Map.pdf

I also find the "Every 45 mins" thing that JustMary mentioned odd, like she said what if you arrive at a stop at 3pm.....get the calculator out?

Doesn't the 2 bus work ok for getting to NUIG? If that's what you're looking for, looks like it now takes on the extra bit of the 4 route that's now gone. At least if I'm thinking right. 2 stops on the road connecting Cathedral and UCHG so you can get into the campus on the quad side. & even St Anthonys is only about a 5-10 minute walk from there.
Or are you coming the other way Newcastle to GMIT?

Stevolende

So now neither 1 nor 8 heads out of Eyre Square in Ballybane direction? Does anything cover that side of town, is it a case of take the 3 or 5 and walk the rest of the way?

I was a bit confused by that route anyway since buses headed up to that Mervue Post Office as 8s and headed out again as 1s and there was no 1 bus stop heading that direction from Eyre Square. Was that section just 8s in one direction and 1s in the other.

Will mean that people coming out of night classes at the FAS centre have to walk down to the G/Huntsman before being able to get a bus and therefore cause some level of confusion for first while.
Also that anybody who was set up with Mervue post Office as sign on from the Doughiska side of town will find it even harder to get to. Wonder if it will eventually mean Post Office disappearing cos of lack of usage.

antoobrien

Stevolende wrote: »

So now neither 1 nor 8 heads out of Eyre Square in Ballybane direction? Does anything cover that side of town, is it a case of take the 3 or 5 and walk the rest of the way?

The #1 never did (to my recollection), it was always the Salthill bound part.

It looks from the map that the 403 is going out past the Moneen/Galway Community College and the 405 is now going out the Tuam Rd (not sure where it used to go). If this is accurate there's no need for the old #8 route as the 403 route now takes care of that (though it could still use the stop, we'll see next week).

God but that's a bad map, could they not get a decent city map and overlay it on that?

Also I love the way Castlegar is now Castlegate

antoobrien

JustMary wrote: »

There was an announcement on the BE site last Thursday, and there’s a new more detailed announcement today: http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1064&month=Feb

It’s still not clear exactly where routes 403 and 405 will go, and maybe I won’t get them finalized until this Sunday when I can actually ride the buses.

The press release has it in there that the #3 will continue along the current route: Tuam Rd to Connolly Ave (the trappers) then along the Monivea Rd. This is at odds with the map, which has it going past the moneen (maybe they mean the small gate at the back).

The majo rchange to this route seems to be that instead of going down the "dead route" along the DC they'll go up to Parkmore to turn the bus back into town. I hope they've the timetables worked out properly because there's only enough room up there for one bus to be waiting.

The 405 is supposed to use the same route out from Eyre Square to Mervue, then will continue past Royal Tara & Covidien and left on front of the Church. It looks like it will use the turning facilities being provided by the works at Ballybane to turn the bus.

foxy_19-89

Stevolende wrote: »

Doesn't the 2 bus work ok for getting to NUIG? If that's what you're looking for, looks like it now takes on the extra bit of the 4 route that's now gone. At least if I'm thinking right. 2 stops on the road connecting Cathedral and UCHG so you can get into the campus on the quad side. & even St Anthonys is only about a 5-10 minute walk from there.
Or are you coming the other way Newcastle to GMIT?

Sorry I failed to mention I'm going from Newcastle to GMIT!

Mrs OBumble

antoobrien wrote: »

It looks from the map that the 403 is going out past the Moneen/Galway Community College and the 405 is now going out the Tuam Rd (not sure where it used to go). If this is accurate there's no need for the old #8 route as the 403 route now takes care of that (though it could still use the stop, we'll see next week).

God but that's a bad map, could they not get a decent city map and overlay it on that?

Yeah, there's some interesting contradictions between press releases, maps and timetables. Think I'll definitely be riding some buses on Sunday. TG for the monthly ticket!

I've had a first go at doing route maps - the only links to them are from this announcement so far. (I'll be adding links from the main city buses page soon ... maybe not tonight, it's been a busy few days!)

And I've done a new version of the city-bus-summary-map, which shows BE and CD inside Google Maps.

Not convinced that any of them are 100%, yet, but they'll get there.

Mrs OBumble

foxy_19-89 wrote: »

I've lost out on the fact that the new 404 route (old number 4) doesn't go out to Merlin Park, which means I've to get two sets of buses to college in the mornings, a tad annoying but I'm sure this is part of the 'simplifying' of the service. Just means I've to get the monthly pass to ensure I dont spend €3.40 back and forth every day! Will the monthly pass still work on all services?? I'm also confused about the new departure stop of the Newcastle bus? It used to go from lets say the Westwood, down Thomas Hynes Road, Browne Roundabout, Seamus Quirke Road (the final part of it) then on to town via NUIG/Cathedral. Now it will go from the Shopping centre via Shiobhan McKenna road. The map just throws me off because it looks like it goes back up Thomas Hynes Road?

My take on the 404 route - am pretty sure it's right. Instead of a circuit around Newcastle, it does a there-and-back, with a circuit around Westside shops.

And did you know there's a day-pass: all the city buses you can ride for E3.70 per day. Buy it from the driver on the first bus you get.

Mrs OBumble

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Anyone know anything about proposed new bus stops in the Rahoon/Knocknacarra area, eg six of them along the Western Distributor Road?

First I heard of these specifics (that I can recall) was a notice that I chanced to see while walking along the WDR last week. It consisted of a crumpled laminated A4 sheet with a lot of text on it, tied to a pole. Kind of in the style of City Direct timetables from a few years back.

It listed proposals for bus stops in several locations across the city, and gave the closing date for submissions as 20th March, IIRC.

That was a planning notice for new shelters, I think. Pretty sure I saw it somehwere too. Some out west, and one in Rosshill (a major bus location ... NOT ... unless the new Oranmore bus comes into town that way).

Possible the WDR ones are to be used by City Direct.

Mrs OBumble

GekkePrutser wrote: »

For what it's worth, I think your route maps (the ones in Google Maps) are brilliant.

Although they have been improved a bit over the old hand-drawn ones they used to provide, the Bus Éireann map isn't very specific in relation to exactly where the stops are (I believe a lot of them aren't even on their map) and I've had a hard time locating bus stops I didn't use frequently. Yours is spot on and explains the route very well. Just want to say that the work is appreciated

Thanks. I've had a lot of fun, and learned heaps along the way.

But I can't help but think it'd be better if it was maintained by an employee of Bus Éireann or the council or the National Transport Authority or someone, instead of a citizen-volunteer

Mrs OBumble

Noticed today that the bus-stop on Merchants Rd, by the entrance to Dunnes Stores carpark has plastic sign saying it won't be in use any more from Sunday 4 March.

Maybe that means the buses coming in from Salthill aren't coming up that way any more?

The map published in the Tribune in January showed them turning around at the top of Merchants Rd, but perhaps that's changed.

If anyone (eg bus drivers) has seen detailed maps and wants to share a few anonymous hints, feel free to drop me a PM