Sir, – Harry McGee accurately depicts how Galway city has become one of the most inhospitable cities for anyone not moving by private car (“Galway: Where the car is still king and ‘glaciers move faster than the council’”, Environment, August 13th). As a native Galwegian who returns every summer, I am concerned that little regard seems to be given to the many tourists who do not travel to Galway by car and are confronted with a city where the options for cyclists, for public transport and even for pedestrians are far below European standards.
The argument being put forward is that all improvements to cycling infrastructure and public transport have to wait until the “bypass” is complete, despite the fact that the proposed bypass will consume all the funds and is highly questionable both in design and concept. It is being promoted by politicians and officials who have not to date put forward a comprehensive vision of what the future of Galway looks like. Decisions are being taken in Galway that run in the face of the lessons learned from Dublin to Dubrovnik. Nobody believes that throwing roads at traffic problems is a solution anymore, apart from in Galway.
The city is too precious for all of Ireland to allow the car and developer-led lobby to continue to destroy it. – Yours, etc,
NIALL HEFFERNAN,
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