How to get Galway back on track?

Whereisgalway

What Initiatives would you like to see around the city to make up for lost time

I like the extended cycle path out to salthill. I don’t know where cars will park but hopefully the cycle lane is here to stay.

Government back mortgage are a decent idea. Hopefully GCC get on board and don’t block it https://jrnl.ie/5110994

Restaurant street tables to be trialled as part of other county’s recovery plans. Be great to see here aswell.

A change in the traffic flow around the city when it’s relatively quieter

cal naughton

Since all the pubs, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Is there anywhere with public toilets in the city centre that is still open?
This should definitely be looked into.

inisboffin

cal naughton wrote: »

Since all the pubs, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Is there anywhere with public toilets in the city centre that is still open?
This should definitely be looked into.

This is mentioned over and over and I agree needs to be addressed.
Technically these businesses have *nothing* to do with public toilets (their toilets have always been, in theory, for their customers only), but with so many doing take away (and it won't all be eaten/drank at home), then it's a big problem. In practice of course we've all 'nipped in to the loo' (if I don't buy anything I'd always do it somewhere I am a regular and if not, ask. Usually there's no problem, but places closes to the Arch etc are inundated and not as happy with 'pop ins'.

They are spendy but worth it, those self sanitising toilets that you see in big cities like Paris etc. There was talk of getting them before I think. They have auto timers and self clean between uses. Can't think of another way bar a staff member there beside them to clean between uses. Can't see that going well.

gordongekko

Im taking it they are closed due to the pandemic. People are still not supposed to be making unnecessary journeys. The virus is known to survive on surfaces so opening toilets may lead to a spread of the virus.

Mrs OBumble

inisboffin wrote: »

They are spendy but worth it, those self sanitising toilets that you see in big cities like Paris etc. There was talk of getting them before I think. They have auto timers and self clean between uses. Can't think of another way bar a staff member there beside them to clean between uses. Can't see that going well.

I'm pretty sure that the public toilets in Eyre Square are like this- don't know if they're open or closed though.

Installing the self sanitising ones won't be quick or cheap.

There's now a portaloo in Upper Abbeygate St, but it's for the security guard who's stationed in the AIB deposits lobby, and only s/he has the key.

what_traffic

Whereisgalway wrote: »

What Initiatives would you like to see around the city to make up for lost time

I like the extended cycle path out to salthill. I don’t know where cars will park but hopefully the cycle lane is here to stay.

This is already part of Galway City Council plans for a Coastal Cycle route - installing a temp one now would speed that up if they retained it. Better cycling infrastucture and public transport to Salthill would eliminate some of that car parking demand.

inisboffin

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that the public toilets in Eyre Square are like this- don't know if they're open or closed though.

Installing the self sanitising ones won't be quick or cheap.

There's now a portaloo in Upper Abbeygate St, but it's for the security guard who's stationed in the AIB deposits lobby, and only s/he has the key.

Yeah wasn't sure if a couple of them were trialled or not. I haven't had to use one yet!

inisboffin

gordongekko wrote: »

Im taking it they are closed due to the pandemic. People are still not supposed to be making unnecessary journeys. The virus is known to survive on surfaces so opening toilets may lead to a spread of the virus.

God bless your camel bladder if you had to do anything on town or were 5 k from home and were caught out! Not everyone can hold it in :pac:
There's no way people should be encouraged to use even more food and drink facilities without having a loo provided.

Whereisgalway

I’d love to see a large shopping centre built on the outskirts of the city, somewhere just off the motorway.

GerardKeating

cal naughton wrote: »

Since all the pubs, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Is there anywhere with public toilets in the city centre that is still open?
This should definitely be looked into.

The tiolets in the Galway shopping cente, headford road are still open.

Mrs OBumble

Whereisgalway wrote: »

I’d love to see a large shopping centre built on the outskirts of the city, somewhere just off the motorway.

Like Mervue? (Crown site)

JoeA3

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Like Mervue? (Crown site)

Dreadful location for it imo! I'm surprised that project was resurrected.

zell12

JoeA3 wrote: »

Dreadful location for it imo! I'm surprised that project was resurrected.

Why?

JoeA3

zell12 wrote: »

Why?

Too near the city centre. It’s an already heavily congested traffic area.

Jammyd

The Crown site isn't being developed as a shopping center anymore the current development is office led with a hotel and very very small amount of retail (think the likes of a convenience store and coffee shop)

Jammyd

Not necessarily anything overly exciting but I would love for some form of "Refresh Campaign" to be launched, not living down Wesht anymore but get down to the city whenever I can and when we visited just before Covid we really noticed how an awful lot of businesses and homes in prime spots that people visited had really deteriorated (no doubt from the good old Atlantic weather beating on it) it really let the place down, we went to the city museum and you couldn't even see out the windows onto the Claddagh they where so covered looked like the place hadn't had a clean or lick of paint on the exterior since it opened, same for Salthill, Would love to see a form of incentive to promote city residents and businesses to get a fresh lick of paint while the place is still a bit quiet this along with putting a bit of structure in public areas to promote social distancing (marking out spots on beaches/parks etc) to show that the city is open for business and actively encouraging social responsibility i.e. no more scenes like what happened in Salthill last week.. Also a serious think on how to encourage tourists etc to cycle when in the city

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Like Mervue? (Crown site)

No advantage to building there, needs to be somewhere well outside the city. I'd be thinking somewhere between Galway and Athenry just off the motorway with dedicated on/off ramp. Would be great for access etc without having to deal with any city traffic etc.

You would have a massive catchment area also as it would be a handy spin from anywhere on the motorway and without the traffic issues when you arrive compared to going into the city.

Jammyd

Augustine Hill (Behind the train station https://summix.com/projects/augustine-hill/ ) has a large open air shopping center already planned, given the state of retail cant see any new other major shopping centres being developed outside key town/city centre redevelopments, who knows if CIE/Gerry Barrett will be in a position to deliver that project after Covid. Headford Road was meant to be redone but planning now lapsed

There is huge investment proposed for a large shopping centre in county cork well outside the city that’s currently at the planning stage so I wouldn’t be too quick to discount the possibility.

Large amounts of people who shop in the city come from the county and beyond so there would be no shortage of customers for an out of town centre with loads of free parking and no traffic issues. The fact a lot of Galway people drive to athlone for shopping shows this.

Jammyd

Carl Salty Straightjacket wrote: »

There is huge investment proposed for a large shopping centre in county cork well outside the city that’s currently at the planning stage so I wouldn’t be too quick to discount the possibility.

Large amounts of people who shop in the city come from the county and beyond so there would be no shortage of customers for an out of town centre with loads of free parking and no traffic issues. The fact a lot of Galway people drive to athlone for shopping shows this.

That plan is for a Kildare outlet village centre which is a very different type of retail and I would be surprised if Cork City council doesnt scupper those plans from what I've seen reported in the Examiner and Echo, I think a SC outside Galway city centre is a great idea btw just don't imagine it happening myself given the state of the high street and closures that have ramped up with Covid, Debenhams, Oasis, Warehouse, Laura Ashley etc...

Carl Salty Straightjacket

Carl Salty Straightjacket wrote: »

No advantage to building there, needs to be somewhere well outside the city. I'd be thinking somewhere between Galway and Athenry just off the motorway with dedicated on/off ramp. Would be great for access etc without having to deal with any city traffic etc.

You would have a massive catchment area also as it would be a handy spin from anywhere on the motorway and without the traffic issues when you arrive compared to going into the city.

What you are asking for is an American style out-of-town development. It's literally the worst type of development for a vast array of reasons not least of which it requires customers to be car drivers in order to access it.

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

Whereisgalway

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What you are asking for is an American style out-of-town development. It's literally the worst type of development for a vast array of reasons not least of which it requires customers to be car drivers in order to access it.

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

The cresent in limerick does very well, so does blanch & dundrum

inisboffin

Whereisgalway wrote: »

The cresent in limerick does very well, so does blanch & dundrum

Don't know about the Crescent but the other two are very well served by public transport.

PCeeeee

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What you are asking for is an American style out-of-town development. It's literally the worst type of development for a vast array of reasons not least of which it requires customers to be car drivers in order to access it.

They don't even build these in the US anymore because of the amount of negatives

I have to say I like the sound of it. Perhaps you could expand of the reasons it's a bad idea?

ben.schlomo

PCeeeee wrote: »

I have to say I like the sound of it. Perhaps you could expand of the reasons it's a bad idea?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcv4jxs/revision/2

cooperguy

Whereisgalway wrote: »

The cresent in limerick does very well, so does blanch & dundrum

And Limerick city suffers because of it. The last thing Galway needs is an out of town shopping complex, sucking the life out of the city. It really would be a bad idea

PCeeeee

ben.schlomo wrote: »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcv4jxs/revision/2

Would you belive I found that also when I looked up the cons. It is unconvincing to me at any rate. As were other list of disadvantages.

That is why I was asking given that the responce to Nox's idea was so categorical. Still seems like a good idea to me.

Whereisgalway

cooperguy wrote: »

And Limerick city suffers because of it. The last thing Galway needs is an out of town shopping complex, sucking the life out of the city. It really would be a bad idea

Strongly disagree, Itd reduce the traffic in around the city centre. People would still use the city when they wanted. Galway is more compact than limerick. The CC Prob have to reduce rates and parking so they’d have a problem with that

cooperguy

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Strongly disagree, Itd reduce the traffic in around the city centre. People would still use the city when they wanted. Galway is more compact than limerick. The CC Prob have to reduce rates and parking so they’d have a problem with that

Limerick city is a worked example of how bad an idea this is, ignoring that and recreating it in Galway is craziness. You would just turn the centre of town into some sort of tourist bubble and move all the shopping to a large, bland, out of town centre
Increasing and fixing the public transport is how you help traffic. Developments like Augustine hill and the plans for the O'Connell's side of Eyre Square are how you increase facilities in the city.

JoeA3

Galway is hopeless for shopping. So for once I somewhat agree with Nox.

Dundrum, Blanch, Liffey Valley, etc, all do very well in Dublin and are far more accessible to most than trekking into the city centre. Likewise Kildare Village. All are fairly well served by public transport too though, which of course is the perennial problem in Galway.

AFAIK, there were plans back in the pre-2008 crash to develop a shopping centre on the outskirts, at the end of what was then the new M6, near Ballybrit.

Somewhere on the M6 near Athenry or the Supermacs Plaza seems ideal to me.

Mrs OBumble

inisboffin wrote: »

Don't know about the Crescent but the other two are very well served by public transport.

The Crescent is too. I've made a few trips there, using PT.