Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Transport
Period
1 May, 2020 to 31 Aug, 2020
Specific Details
Public Transport Infrastructure, Tralee, County Kerry
Intended results
1. For a town such as Tralee it has become even more critical that sustainable transport and access to our urban centre is maintained and it has become even more critical that all elements of our society can safely access essential services and integrate with the community. Over the next eight years as a town we are working with the key stakeholders to plan for a population increase of in excess of 30% from its current level of circa 25,000 people.
2. Tralee's urban bus services have been primarily serviced by the "Tralee People's Bus", an independently operated bus service notwithstanding the age and condition of the two buses they provide. the fleet they operate are neither sustainable from an environmental nor an economic position and fails to meet the overall needs of providing a service that offers access for all in our community. The fleet prevents many in our community from being able to physically access the vehicles .
3. The public service routes have not been increased or adapted to account for the growth of the town in at least the past decade. Tralee Institute of Technology, the Kerry Technology Park, Secondary Schools and many Employment and Retail Zones around Tralee are not connected to the town core with any public transport services. The IT Tralee had to provide independent privately operated bus service to support their students of considerable cost and it operates a very limited service. Thousands
continued from secure 3 - of students and employees have no access to town centre and services without using private cars, which is unsustainable and prevents critical economic activity to occur throughout the day or evening to support the town’s growth.
4. Kerry County Council, Tralee Chamber and the wider stakeholders in Tralee have taken significant steps to ensure the safety in public spaces for people utilising Tralee's public areas. Many of theses measures included providing more accessible spaces for cyclists and pedestrians to access the town core. It will be critical that investment and efforts are committed to, that increase the public and sustainable transport offering for Tralee, along with a modern sustainable public bus service for
continued from secure 5 - all citizens, another key element of our public transport offering in Tralee is the inherent need for safe urban cycle-ways for all.
5. We would also strongly support the trialling of a bike loan scheme for the growing, but geographically isolated, student population in Tralee, we have come to accept that a Public Bike Scheme for now is the reserve of the city regions in Ireland, however successful models of Bicycle Loan Schemes are already being operated for 3rd level students in Technical colleges and Universities in UK. We would advocate for the NTA's support for a pilot version of the same model being introduced to IT
continued from secure 7 - Tralee, with investment in the parking infrastructure and bicycles for the college to be sustainably sourced from within the region.
6. There is a critical need at this stage to ensure the delivery of the much needed infrastructure for a Cycle Network Plan for Tralee that will see a network of secure bicycle parking bays delivered in the short-term throughout the town, and in the short to medium term the actual development of a network of safe bicycle lanes that connect the ITT campus and Employment Zones with the town centre.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Ken Tobin - CEO of Tralee Chamber Alliance
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Letter (1)
Letter was sent to Anne Graham, chief Executive Officer, National Transport Agency on 27/08/2020 also to Brid McElligott - ITTralee
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Norma Foley
Minister (Department of Education and Skills)
Terry O'Brien
Councillor (Kerry County Council)
Brendan Griffin
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Pa Daly
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)