REVEALED: Permission sought for new Park and Ride facility in Limerick
The National Transport Authority has lodged a planning application seeking permission to construct the first of three planned Park and Ride hubs for Limerick city
PLANS have been revealed for a new Park and Ride facility with nearly 300 car parking spaces on the outskirts of Limerick city.
The National Transport Authority has formally lodged a planning application with the local authority seeking permission to construct the first of three planned Park and Ride facilities in Limerick.
The proposed development, which will also include dedicated bus bays, EV charging points, bicycle facilities and other Active Travel infrastructure, will be located on a site directly north of the TUS Coonagh Campus, close to the N18-Limerick to Shannon dual carriageway.
The Park and Ride facility, if approved, will allow commuters to park their cars before availing of public transport to travel into the city centre or elsewhere. It is envisaged, the facility will serve as an endpoint for BusConnects routes 50, 54 and 55A, overhauling public transport links for people living and working on the western side of the city.
According to planning documents, it’s hoped the new facility will reduce the number of single-occupant journeys which are currently being made every day.
“The proposed facility will provide a key intervention point along the N18/R445 corridor for intercepting and transferring a section of the single-occupancy car trips to public transport at the proposed facility. A significant percentage of journeys along the N18/R445 corridor during peak hours consists of single occupancy private vehicles,” reads the application which adds that the proposed development has been designed “in mind with the existing surrounding road network and the proposed BusConnects Limerick Services”.
Future plans aim to create roughly 800 passenger parking spaces across major traffic corridors in Limerick, with similar Park & Ride hubs planned for Raheen, at the Mackey Roundabout and at Ballysimon.
These developments will ease traffic congestion and improve local bus services by 70%, with a new state-of-the-art cashless ticketing system and a 24-hour service connecting the city centre to areas all across Limerick.
The proposed development features a car park with 275 spaces, including dedicated spots for standard vehicles, mobility-impaired drivers, and electric vehicle charging bays. Four bus bays, passenger shelters and secure bicycle storage will also be built.
The site will be connected to the existing L8075 roundabout by a newly constructed entryway.
Improved walking and cycling infrastructure, along with a path connecting TUS’s Northern and Southern Coonagh Campuses will be built as part of the proposed Park and Ride development.
The planning application was submitted to Limerick City and County Council on Monday and will now enter a five-week consultation process where members of the public and local business owners can submit any feedback or formal observations regarding the project.
A decision is expected to be made early in the new year.