No sponsors yet found for Galway Bike Share scheme

Feasibility reports have been published; a public consultation period was declared; symposiums were held but plans to shift Galway into gear with a public bike share scheme are painfully slow.

It is now imperative that this essential scheme gets freewheeling again.
A feasibility report was published last year which recommended that Galway was well suited to a Bike Share scheme. At a symposium held by the National Transport Authority last November in NUI, Galway officials said if the funding gap could be bridged, it would take 18 months to two years to complete the project.
And now seven months later and with Bike Week upon us, we have reached an impasse, with no sponsor/s found.

Jim Mulloy, Senior Executive Engineer in Galway City Council’s Transport department admitted progress was slow.
“It’s not an impasse as such, but the time scale is slow,” he said. He revealed that efforts were now being put into securing €5,000 per year per company in sponsorship from 10 local companies and stakeholders.
“We are using the big employers in Galway to take a share, so no one company will take a big hit,” he said.

The feasibility report, compiled by the National Transport Authority and Jacobs Engineering recommended that 23 docking stations holding 250 bikes be distributed around the city. The scheme would particularly suit those taking short journeys in the city centre area.
The initial set up cost for Galway is estimated to be €1.55 million, with running costs estimated to be €255,000 per year.

A spokeswoman in the Department of Transport put it: “The scheme hasn’t been put on the long finger. As yet a potential sponsor hasn’t been identified. Initial discussions have been held with a number of companies to identify potential sponsors.”
Galway is an ideal city for a self-service bike rental scheme for a number of reasons. We have severe traffic problems; the cost of parking is high and it can sometimes be time consuming trying to find a car parking space. We have a bus service which is frequently unreliable and timetables are not posted at all bus stops.
The city is not too hilly and we have a high volume of tourists flocking to the city.
The university is close to the city centre. Linking thousands of NUI, Galway staff and students with the city centre via a bike scheme would be a guaranteed success.

It is a recession friendly scheme that is easy on the pocket. The bike share scheme in Dublin charges members just €10 a year to subscribe, with the first half hour of your journey free.

Dublinbikes has been a huge hit with Dubliners and it has only been operating since September 2009. By the end of April 3.5 million journeys were taken. It is one of the most successful bike rental schemes in the world.
Dublinbikes is sponsored by outdoor advertising agency JCDecaux, which received a number of advertising sites across the city in return for sponsoring the scheme.
The proposed schemes for Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford are a public/private models.

According to the Jacobs report it is unlikely that the regional schemes could be entirely funded by advertising.
The scheme could give so much back to the city that it warrants full public funding.
Consider for a moment how much money is spent annually on providing a bus service for 9% of Galway commuters who take the bus. How much is spent on cyclists who make up 4% of the city’s commuters? Very little. (I have taken these percentages from the 2006 census.)

If the money is going to be invested in a public bike share scheme, it needs to be spent right. The Galway Cycling Campaign is adamant that the scheme should be linked in with all other schemes across Ireland.
“The regional schemes must be either integrated with, or compatible with the Dublin scheme. It has to operate a national membership. A Dublin bike user should be able to get off the train and use a Galway bike and vice versa,” said Oisin Ó’Nidh, Galway Cycling Campaign Chairman.
He also pointed out that access improvements for cyclists in the city centre should be implemented, such as two-way cycling on one-way streets and allowing access to pedestrianised areas.

Maintenance of the bikes, docking stations and online subscription services must be maintained to a high standard if the scheme is to be a success. The location of the docking stations must be chosen carefully and placed in suitable spots around the city. What is particularly important for a rainy city like ours is that all bikes be equipped with mudguards and chainguards. Designers also need to think of docking stations that will blend in with the surroundings well. A distinctive and recognisable logo and colour scheme (maroon for Galway maybe?) for the bicycles is important.
Local politicians need to shout louder about this. NUI, Galway and the HSE should give this their full backing. Galway Transportation Unit need to make this their flagship project and put their energies into presenting a highly persuasive case for sponsorship forward to Galway’s multinational companies. This is vital if they want this project to go to tender in August, as Mr Mulloy has indicated. He hopes the work will start in early 2013.

Fáilte Ireland also need to realise the tourism potential of it.
Cian Gallagher, founder of galwaybikes.ie makes the point: “1.2 million tourists come to Galway annually. Fáilte Ireland should be stepping up to the mark and be more involved than they are in this.”
Not having a bike scheme in place for an event such as the upcoming Volvo is an opportunity missed.

The Jacobs report, referring to international research, cite the “shot in the arm” effect of the introduction of a bike share scheme to any city. It’s an all round feel-good win-win situation resulting in an overnight increase in the visible presence of cyclists on city streets. It gives commuters the option of cycling without the headache of maintaining a bike or worrying about it being stolen.
If the government want to spend any money on cycling, this is the scheme to invest in. It will be a major success, and once established Galway will never look back.

Galway cyclists face obstacles at scenic city cycle path

Picture credit: Simon Comer

This is a copy of a letter sent by Galway Cycling Campaign to Stephen Walsh, Senior Executive Parks Superintendent, Galway City Council on 23 January 2012.

Dear Mr Walsh,
I am writing on behalf of Galway Cycling Campaign to make a complaint concerning the cycle and walkway amenity at South Park in the Claddagh.
I am also writing to seek answers to questions we have concerning the development.
The Galway Cycling Campaign is a lobby group which advocates for the rights of cyclists in Galway City. We wholeheartedly support the addition of the South Park walkway and cycleway to the city’s recreational facilities. There is no doubting that it is a wonderful amenity for the people of Galway.

However, the main problem we have with the facility is the presence of the metal kissing gates, one at the Mutton island entrance and the other at the Nimmo’s Pier side. The presence of these gates act as a barrier to cyclists. At the Nimmo’s Pier end, cyclists are forced to stop and dismount. They are faced with a choice, either attempt to squeeze their bike awkwardly through the kissing gate or else physically lift their bicycle over the wall. The stile in the wall adjoining the gate is not wide enough to fit a bicycle through.
This design also makes is very difficult for parents to wheel their prams or buggies through or for wheelchair users to gain access.
For parents who cycle with a trailer attached transporting their young children, entry to the amenity is physically impossible. These trailers are becoming more and more popular in Galway for parents who wish to take their children on recreational cycles.
At the Mutton Island entrance cyclists must also interrupt their journey to halt and dismount, before attempting to squeeze themselves and a bicycle through the kissing gate. Access is possible through the roadway; however there are no dished kerbs installed to enable cyclists to mount what is a particularly elevated kerb.
The overall result is that the gates, which prevent cyclists from cycling through, act as a barrier to cyclists attempting to access the very facility that was built for them.
Here are the questions that the Galway Cycling Campaign is seeking answers to. I look forward to a response from you as soon as possible.

1) I understand that one of the reasons the gates were installed was to stop motorcyclists from accessing the facility. Is this true? If so, what is the nature and extent of inappropriate motorcycle access to cycle and pedestrian facilities that do not have kissing gates installed elsewhere in the city?

2) What guidelines should ideally be followed by Galway City Council when constructing such a facility? What guidelines were followed or whose advice was sought in this instance? Please specifically name the particular individuals, organisations, policy documents etc. that were consulted?

3) Was there any public consultation conducted with relevant stakeholders (cycling and pedestrian groups, disability organisations or parent organisations) prior to the building of this amenity?

4) What was the overall cost of the walkway/cycleway? What was the cost of installing the individual kissing gates? What was the name and address of the contractor who carried out the work?

5) I understand another reason for the existence of the kissing gates is to ensure cyclists slow down on approaching Nimmo’s Pier. Can you explain to me in detail where this policy originated from, and on what research it is based?

Kind Regards,


Mairéad Ní Chaoimh

Is Michael D too old to be our President?

The age of Michael D Higgins is one of those issues that can't be openly used as a weapon in the battle for the Áras.
It would be political suicide for any of the other candidates to focus on the fact that if Michael D gets elected, he will be three years shy of 80 by the time he retires.

Sean Gallagher, who is 49 years old, has already taken an oblique potshot at Higgins by saying the office is not for retiring politicians and demands huge energy and drive. But he would not want to go any further than this, as he runs the risk of being accused of ageism.
However the issue is in the minds of the electorate.

People remember when the Áras was a retirement home. It is incredible to recall that Eamon De Valera was 90 years old when he retired as President of Ireland.When we voted in Mary Robinson, we voted for youth and change. And the appetite for this is still prevalent.
David Norris is 67, Martin McGuinness is 61, Dana is 60 and Mary Davis is 57. Michael D celebrated his 70th birthday in April and is the oldest in the field.
Is he too old to be our President?
Higgins has so much going for him: he has the stature of a statesman, he is a visionary, he has vast political experience and multiple accomplishments. The idea of having our own Vaclav Havel in the Áras is compelling, especially at a time when we know how culture is one of the things we do best in this country.
However, is he likely to have the same amount of energy in the later years of his (potential) Presidency?
Is he capable of giving it his all towards the end of the seven year term?
His health became headline news last year when he fractured his kneecap while visiting Trócaire projects in Colombia. This was simply an accident though; in general he is in good health.
An interview with him printed in the health section of The Irish Times last month revealed that he has been making a special effort with his diet in the past 18 months; he was trying to eat a more energy-giving diet with more fish and vegetables and less desserts. He had started going to yoga classes, which he said were fantastic.
I see his age as being the biggest weakness to his campaign.
The average age of African presidents is around 70.
Africa, with more corrupt governments than you can shake a stick at, is hardly a trend we want to follow. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s President since 1980 is now 87 years old and still clinging to power.
We need to look to our progressive friends in Scandinavia instead. They have notably young heads of state. Denmark got their first female prime minister last week; she is 44. The Swedish Prime Minister is 46 and the Finnish PM is just 39.
Having said all that, anyone who knows Michael D personally know that he is a powerhouse of energy and that he is in great shape for somebody his age.
But for people outside that circle, he needs to demonstrate to them how his age is not a disadvantage to be an Irish President in 2011.