Noel Thomas says Galway cannot repeat transport mistakes on Monivea Road
Independent Ireland councillor Noel Thomas has said Galway cannot continue repeating the transport planning mistakes of the past, after serious concerns were raised about the proposed Monivea Road East scheme on the Castlepark side of the city.
The current Galway City Council proposal for Monivea Road East runs for about 1.7km from the Old Ballybrit Road junction to Ballybane Road and includes a two-way cycle track on one side of the road, alongside general traffic lane changes and bus stop upgrades, but no dedicated bus lanes.
Councillor Thomas said this approach risks repeating the same flawed thinking that has already left Galway playing catch-up on key routes.
“Galway cannot keep making the same mistakes and expecting a different result,” said Councillor Noel Thomas.
“On the Monivea Road, we are again looking at a major road scheme where there is no proper bus lane provision. At the same time, there is a proposal for a two-way cycle lane on one side of the road, meaning people travelling in one direction may have to cross the road to access that infrastructure. That is not the kind of joined-up planning this city needs.”
Councillor Thomas said Galway is already suffering because major routes in the city were developed without proper bus priority when the opportunity was there.
“We built major roads in this city in the past without bus lanes and we are living with the consequences of that now. The Western Distributor Road is the clearest example. Galway is still stuck with congestion and delay because proper public transport priority was not built in from the start.
“The frustrating part is that works are now happening on roads across Galway, including Ballybane Road and Castlepark Road, and still we are not seeing the level of ambition needed on bus priority. On those schemes too, the council’s approach has focused on cycling and bus stop upgrades, with wider bus priority pushed into other future projects instead of being tackled properly now.”
Councillor Thomas said the issue is not whether cycling infrastructure is needed, but whether Galway is once again missing the chance to deliver balanced transport planning that works for everyone.
“This should never be a case of one mode against another. Galway needs safe cycling infrastructure, but it also needs proper bus priority. If roads are being redesigned, then we should be designing them for the reality of how people move — workers, families, students, older people, bus users and motorists. We should not be rebuilding strategic routes only to come back later and admit the design was incomplete.”
He also criticised the way major road schemes are brought forward under the Part 8 process, saying many people feel they are being shown a settled plan rather than being genuinely consulted at an early stage. Galway City Council held a public information event on the Monivea Road East scheme on 19 March 2026 and says a Part 8 application with a statutory public submissions period will follow.
“People are tired of feeling ignored,” added Councillor Thomas.
“A drop-in information event and a Part 8 process are not enough if communities believe the real decisions have already been made. Residents, commuters and local businesses should be properly consulted before councillors are asked to consider plans that will shape how these roads function for decades.”
Councillor Thomas said Galway now needs a more balanced and more honest transport approach.
“The lesson should have been learned by now. If you redesign major roads without building in real bus priority, you are storing up more problems for the future. Galway needs transport planning that learns from past mistakes, listens to the public properly, and gets the balance right from the beginning.”
