BusConnects Limerick

Poxyshamrock

I know this was briefly mentioned in the Limerick Improvement Projects thread but I feel it may warrant a lot of discussion so probably best to have a separate thread

Under the proposals within the Limerick bus network redesign report, the level of bus services in Limerick city and its suburbs will increase by approximately 70%. 61% of people in Limerick city would be located within 400 metres walk of a bus stop, up from 53%. The added service levels will be enabled by the extension of bus services to new areas, more routes with frequent services, an enhanced Sunday timetable and a new 24-hour route.

A lot of changes proposed, the most notable being the introduction of a 24hr service on proposed route 4 (current 304).

Some areas are still seeing spare enough 30-60 minute services including St Mary's Park and Ballynanty.

The consultation period is open and all info is available here: Limerick | Busconnects

adaminho

Just had a quick look at it and it's shocking! The 304 moved to the Dublin road leaving anyone in Linwood, Norwood, Woodlawn, old Cork Road and most of Garryowen without a route to the Crescent, UHL and the industrial estate. I'll now have to walk into town to get a bus to work.

Poxyshamrock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274756#Comment_120274756

I know they state their reason not to have an orbital route but I really feel a direct route between Raheen and Castletroy along the Childers Road should be the exception.

I'll certainly be making a case for it.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274756#Comment_120274756

Did you completely miss the 2 route?

Old Cratloe Road - TUS Moylish - Sexton Street - Clancy’s Strand - Sarsfield Bridge - City Centre - Mulgrave Street - Childers Road - Bloodmill Road - Groody Road - Dublin Road - Milford Road - University of Limerick - University Bridge

Every 15 mins.

Then there's the 6 route

Ennis Road - Sarsfield Bridge - City Centre - Cathedral Place - Garryowen Road - S Claughan Road - Claughan Fort - St Patrick’s Road - Dublin Road - Golf Links Road - School House Road - Castletroy Shopping Centre - Dublin Road - Milford Road

Every 30 mins.

The Old Cork Road has never had a city bus service. It will under these plans with the 3B every 30 mins.

The areas you list above will be well served.

adaminho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275850#Comment_120275850

None of which go to the destinations I mentioned. It seems the plan is to change bus in town and then travel onwards. Its funny as the maps all show the areas as the oldest demographic, least car dependent and highest density and yet remove the main bus route. I'll be submitting my thoughts on it as well as contacting my local councillors.

Limerick91

Adaminho, the fact that it is in consultation stage make your objections known

Berty

Is there yet a tap in/tap out service like other cities/countries so that when you switch a bus you don't have to pay again?

I still remember a passenger on the Corbally bus annoyed that the driver was not going onwards to Raheen and he'd have to get and pay for a second bus when the route he was on should be going that way.

Cookiemunster

A 90 minute ticket is to come in.

pigtown

The Dublin and Cork BusConnects programmes have a network redesign and a physical infrastructure element. Will the NTA roll out bus lanes here too? I don't trust our councillors to do it given their recent carry on

bennyl10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274756#Comment_120274756

The route 2 passes as close to those areas as the bus does now?

the route 6 which will pass the top of hilcroft (same as the 305 now)

the 6 will link with the dooradoyle

They’ve taken the one stop that was outside the spar away in this proposal but that seem to be it?

access for those estates to the crescent/Castletroy is the same as it is now only with greatest frequency?

yes the direct dooradoyle route is gone, but you currently need to go to sarsfield street and wait anyway?

this system should see a reduced journey time for that trip

Red Silurian

24 hour routes will be welcomed by the pubs and night clubs, I can't imagine the taxi shortage is good for their businesses

In my mind I have a vision of buses from Castletroy and Garryowen pulling into a stop on O Connel Street at the same time, passengers switch between them to get to their final destinations and the buses pull away at the same time. Not impossible but difficult to implement with buses caught in traffic

Poxyshamrock

Did anyone go to any of the public consultations?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120339902#Comment_120339902

Fek I forgot yesterday.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279353#Comment_120279353

I think you would not have to pay again in that situation. He should have given a transfer ticket.

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120339902#Comment_120339902

I went to the South Court. Nothing to see or hear that isn't available on the website - think it might be for those who are unfamiliar with the internet.

pigtown

There are two online consultation sessions: 14th and 21st at 6.30pm.

Registration in the link

https://busconnects.ie/limerick/

The CW

I submitted a proposal to BusConnects Limerick as follows: I would like to propose a Route 6A. This would start at the University of Limerick going through Monaleen via Castletroy Shopping Centre, Kilmurry Road, School House Road & Golf Links Road. It would join the Dublin Road and continue to the Parkway Roundabout the same as the proposed Route 6. However instead of continuing onto the City Centre and Caherdavin via Garryowen, the Route 6A bus can turn left at the Parkway Roundabout to travel down the Childers Road past Childers Road Shopping Centre, Roxboro Shopping Centre, Roxboro, Janesboro and Ballinacurra. It would then turn left onto O'Connell Avenue and continue onwards to the Crescent Shopping Centre, University Hospital Limerick and St. Nessan's Church before looping around the Roundabout at Raheen Industrial Estate and returning back the same way. The Route 6A could also run every 30 minutes, this is an okay service provision. It would work even better if Route 6 and Route 6A timetables as proposed were offset by 15 minutes. That way people in Monaleen should have a bus arriving in either direction every 15 minutes. This would be a major improvement in terms of bus service provision for the Monaleen area while also maintaining bus service provision for the residents of Roxboro, Janesboro and Ballinacurra. It also connects several different shopping districts including cinemas and residential areas to the University of Limerick, Plassey Industrial Estate, University Hospital Limerick and Raheen Industrial Estate, allowing residents of these areas to access work and shop in a greater number of locations. This would also be the sole orbital route in Limerick. I'd appreciate any feedback on this proposal. P.S. Don't forget about the Webinar in 10 minutes, you can register at Limerick | Busconnects and click on Limerick Online Webinar Registration. Enter your Name and Email address and you should see a link for a Zoom meeting. Don't worry if you miss the one today, there will be another next week on the 21st of March also @ 6:30PM. All the best.

The CW

Having just got back from the webinar, the feedback I received from the BusConnects Limerick Team is that while they agree the service of a Route 6A would be good for either end i.e. Monaleen/Castletroy and Dooradoyle/Raheen it may not be possible to route busses along the Childers Road due to traffic constraints and few houses along its length. Instead I will make an alternative submission for Route 6A that will go from UL/Monaleen via Garryowen and the City Centre to Dooradoyle/Raheen. Hopefully this will also address some of the issues raised above with access to Crescent, UHL and Raheen from Garryowen as it is the same issue going to these areas from Monaleen.

Cookiemunster

Few houses along its length? Did they never hear of Ballincurra Gardens or Weston or Rathbane or Janesboro or Southill or Kennedy Park or Glasgow Park or Norwood Park or Castletroy View etc? Places where there are plenty of people wanting to go to Plassey or Raheen without going onto the city center first. The proposed routes won't get any of these people onto public transport.

The CW

I know that there's plenty of housing nearby, but that's the feedback they provided and their reasoning. I'm just a private citizen, I can't force them to route busses that way if they don't want to. Maybe if more people make submissions asking for it, they'll reconsider it. I made submissions for UL/Monaleen to Raheen/Dooradoyle going both by Childers Road or City Centre. So I'll have to wait and see which if any of them could be included in the final draft.

breezy1985

A 6A ruins the 6 route if it means only half the amount. Northside connectivity is a joke as is. No bus or motorway to UL and no bus or a toll to UHL.

Would be better to reroute a different bus like the current 304/304A does.

The CW

What I proposed is a different bus, not a branched route.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120359478#Comment_120359478

Fair enough using A usually means a split.

Would be better if they just gave it a new number then.

I did notice a few numbers missing and was wondering is that because the green buses will keep their routes.

The CW

Well they could number it a 7 instead of a 6A, but I went with 6A as part of the route from the Parkway to UL via Monaleen is identical to the 6. Also the A in this case means Alternate/Alternative as it connects Monaleen to Dooradoyle instead of Caherdavin, a branched route would also have a 6B going in another direction from 6A linking back to 6 which I didn't propose. They also said that the prooposed bus route numbers are not final and are subject to change.

The CW

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120359357#Comment_120359357

Also the other reason given for not routing busses via childers road is due to the disused rail line near greenmount avenue which could come back into use and delay busses. I personally don't think it's a big deal if the bus gets delayed by 2mins due to a train however there isn't even tracks there at present.

LeoD

The current proposal has the 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 4, 4A, 4B & 5 stopping outside UHL - that'll be 22 buses in either direction per hour. With routes 1 (15m), 1A (30min), 1B (60min), 1C (60min) & 5 (30mins) starting and stopping outside the hospital, I can imagine the place getting clogged with buses as the routes with longer interval times wait for their scheduled departure time. As that is the only entrance into the hospital, I can't see them turning the road outside it into a bus depot. This route is also meant to be a primary cycle route so is the expectation for regular folk cycling at 20kph to share a bus lane with a bus coming every 2.5 mins behind them?

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362517#Comment_120362517

Yes, ironically enough they've made it so that it might be better to drive to UHL. You should always drive to a hospital anyway, especially if sick or visiting sick people - in case you pick a bug up on the bus

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120359635#Comment_120359635

So they don't want a route going over a disused railway line but they are happy for Route 14 to cross the active Limerick-Ennis/Galway line once an hour?

Smells like something an adult male of the cattle species would excrete....

Poxyshamrock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362622#Comment_120362622

Should you not go shopping or to work ahead of visiting the hospital too? In case you pick up a bug.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362622#Comment_120362622

That makes absolutely no sense. How are they making it harder to get a bus ?

I suppose we should sack all the hospital staff who get the bus to work too.

pigtown

Was there any talk of new bus lanes etc. as per BusConnects in other cities?

The CW

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362803#Comment_120362803

Yes, they talked about bus priority measures and bus lanes. They also said that it will take time as the final draft will determine where new bus lanes etc. are needed. They also mentioned that the new routes could possibly be phased. BusConnects in Dublin is currently rolling out in 11 phases, Cork is in 3 phases, they haven't decided if Limerick will be in 1,2 or 3 phases. Unsure about Galway and Waterford as they weren't mentioned with regards phases.