Visit and to move around in
The introduction of a bus fleet in the city is a very positive step forward. We now need to build on this.
My proposed solutions for Kilkenny County Council is that we need to:
- Expand the frequency and coverage of public transport in the city making it a real option for people to switch to public transport.
- Work towards ‘Park and Ride’ locations on the periphery of the city.
- Prioritise the development of a formal transport hub in Kilkenny, which could undoubtedly increase and expand capacity for public transport. The regional services stops at Ormond Road, the Parade/ Kilkenny Castle or MacDonagh Junction are not befitting for a city of our calibre.
- Develop public transport infrastructure for rural areas i.e., Callan, Castlecomer, Bennettsbridge, Thomastown, Inistioge to Kilkenny City. Expanding public transport choices, between urban and rural areas or rural to other larger rural areas could potentially aid the expansion of towns and offer various employment opportunities from area to area, and generate economic opportunities and inclusivity between rural areas. This development and expansion of areas should not be dependent on existing infrastructure, which is currently inadequate. Rather, Kilkenny County Council should construct new infrastructure in order to expand rural area boundaries
- Work towards the development of a link between two important urban centre areas of the South Eastern region- Wexford and Kilkenny, as part of the ‘Enhanced Regional Accessibility’ objective of the National Strategic Outcomes There is currently no rail infrastructure or bus services running between these two areas. Connecting these two urban areas would provide ease of accessibility and increase tourist activities between them. It would also be beneficial for local businesses.
The pause on investment in McDonagh station where platforms are not long enough to accommodate more train carriages needs to be tackled. Services between Kilkenny, Waterford and Dublin need to be extended in the evening time and early mornings where students cannot readily access South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford by public transport or day patients cannot make it to University Hospital Waterford (UHW) before mid-morning.
The future is bright for Kilkenny. Let’s work together!
#AKilkennyworthworkingfor
