Mayor in bid to have two-way bus lane in Limerick's O'Connell Street scrapped

MAYOR of Limerick John Moran has come out against plans for a two-way bus lane on O’Connell Street in the city centre.

The proposals, unveiled as part of the Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (LSMATS) in 2022 have proven deeply unpopular.

As it stands, just one lane is for buses in O’Connell Street - but under the new proposals, private cars will be banned entirely from the street.

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Among the groups which have spoken out in opposition to it are Limerick Chamber.

Now, Mayor Moran has held talks with the National Transport Authority (NTA) in a bid to have them change tack - and introduce a bus lane which doesn’t impact the main thoroughfare.

“What is the very strong justification for the existing preferred route for buses,” he asked, referring to the O’Connell Street plan.

“It seems to be that it impacts unfairly on the retail businesses in O’Connell Street. But equally importantly, on the objective I have to convert the rest of the street all the way up to the O’Connell monument into a residential street,” he added.

Mayor Moran believes streets which are exclusively public transport corridors are “unfriendly” to people who want to live in these areas.

“If we are serious about converting the Georgian Quarter into a residential quarter, then I think we need to analyse this,” he said.

Instead, the mayor wants to see Parnell Street as the location for a two-way bus lane, pointing out this would provide a better link to Colbert Station.

He also argued this could lead to increased frequency of buses making public transport more of a natural choice for people.
Fine Gael councillor Sarah Kiely questioned the mayor directly on his thoughts on the O’Connell Street bus lane at this month’s council meeting.

She has spoken out on many occasions against a two-way bus lane and has welcomed the mayor’s remarks.

“I regularly spend time in the city. Patrick Street is totally congested and it doesn’t need to be. The left lane onto O’Connell Street should be used for traffic going straight on too,” she said.

It is vital, she said, that retailers in the city are listened to.

“I hope we can work together with our traders to prioritise their need and in turn bring vibrancy and footfall to our city. Let’s put our shoulder to the wheel together for the good of the people who provided our business, employ our people and add to our offering,” Cllr Kiely said, adding that local shoppers must “think twice” before shopping online.