Latest news with #CorkMetropolitanAreaTransportStrategy
Irish Examiner
25-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork's traffic congestion to worsen despite delivery of key public transport projects, analysis shows
The impacts from traffic congestion in Cork are bad and are going to get worse, with the economic cost set to hit almost €100m by 2040, the Department of Transport has said. Furthermore, even delivering key infrastructure projects like BusConnects may only ease congestion 'temporarily', as population and economic growth put greater demands on travel infrastructure in the city. The department's strategic research and analysis division has published a new paper on the economic cost of congestion in Ireland's 'regional cities', looking particularly at Cork, Galway and Waterford. It builds on a previous study of Dublin, which projected the economic cost in the capital could increase four-fold to more than €1.5bn by 2040. 'The results indicate that congestion will increase significantly over the coming decades across the regional cities, primarily driven by population and economic growth,' it said. 'Investment in transport infrastructure, particularly large-scale public transport projects, will likely lead to a reduction in the rate of increase in the cost of congestion. However, increased congestion is an unavoidable consequence of continued economic and population growth. In Cork, it estimated the cost of congestion across the metropolitan area in 2022 was €57.5m. This is forecast to rise to €97.2m by 2040. Even under a lower growth scenario, the cost is expected to hit €75m. However, the Department of Transport's estimates assume the key infrastructure elements of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy are delivered, such as BusConnects. 'Delays to the delivery of these projects will postpone the alleviation of congestion,' it said. However, even delivering on these projects will not provide a great deal of relief. The report said: 'In the Cork Metropolitan Area, population and economic growth will be likely to generate more demand for commuting trips. 'This results in the growth of congestion costs in the morning and evening peaks over the period as well as overall growth of congestion in this area. Deliveries of public transport and road infrastructure could reduce congestion temporarily, however, population and economic growth will likely generate demand that exceeds infrastructure provision.' While in 2022, heavy traffic congestion was mainly observed in junctions near the city centre, this congestion is likely to spread over the east, west and north of the city centre in future, it said. In the Galway Metropolitan Area, the cost of congestion was €35.3m in 2022 but this is expected to hit €106.9m in 2040. Meanwhile, in Waterford, it suggested congestion came at a cost of €5.8m in 2022 and is forecast to rise to €22.4m in 2040. In terms of the cost of congestion per capita, the projected cost in Galway is almost triple the amount in Cork, at €891 per person by 2040 compared to €309 in Cork. The department said a greater cost per capita suggests each resident is more affected by congestion, either through longer travel times, increasing fuel consumption or worsening wellbeing outcomes. In Waterford, the cost per capita from congestion is set to rise a staggering 238% by 2040 compared to just 20% in Cork, which the report said is reflective of the wide-ranging investment in public transport in Cork. 'This demonstrates that large scale investments in sustainable modes can slow down the growth of congestion and that further proactive measures in improving sustainable modes and effective policies to control demand increases should be followed to keep congestion under control,' it said. 'Tackling congestion is essential to prevent the deterioration of people's wellbeing and economic productivity in regional cities.'
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Apple gets green light for parking extension as 1,300 new employees on Cork campus
Cork City Council has given the green light to Apple to build 285 extra car parking spaces at its European HQ in Hollyhill to help facilitate an additional 1,300 new employees on its campus in 2025. The Council has attached 22 conditions to the planning permission to Apple Operations International Ltd (AOIL) for the additional car-park spaces — in one car-park with 159 spaces and the other with 126 spaces — on land banks it owns to the north of David McCarthy Rd on the northside of the city. The permission follows consultants for AOIL, DBFL Consulting Engineers telling the council that the number of employees is expected to reach 5,350 across the entire Apple Campus at Hollyhill by mid-2025. DBFL state that there is a longer-term projection 'of 6,000 employees by 2030 subject to market conditions'. The grant of permission for the 285 car-spaces is in addition to the 2,572 parking spaces either on-site or under construction at the Hollyhill Campus. In a planning report lodged with the application, consultants HW Planning stated that the proposal is appropriate to facilitate the continued success of Apple operations in Cork and to meet their growing needs "in the absence of frequent public transport provision'. They state that the additional car spaces are required despite the initiatives being implemented on campus to promote sustainable travel options and are required to ensure the continued success of this strategic employment hub. Outlining the background to the application in a Parking Justification Report, DBFL states that 'the additional spaces are requested to provide short-medium term resilience and mitigate anticipated delays to the planned public transport and road network improvements ahead of the opening of the Hollyhill 5 building in mid-2025'. The report states that "in the longer term, there may be scope to repurpose these spaces to higher-value uses that support the expansion of the Apple campus – once the planned key upgrades to Cork's transport network are delivered'. Outlining the need for the additional car spaces, the report cites delays in various public transport initiatives. The report states that initially the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) 2040 envisaged the construction of the Cork Northern Distributor Multi Modal Road by 2027 which would provide orbital active travel and public transport connectivity to the campus. The report states: 'However, the likelihood is that the delays to the roll-out of the Cork Northern Distrubutor Road in particular, will necessitate short-medium term requirement of the proposed car-parking." On planned BusConnects, the report states that while the original BusConnects timeline envisaged roll-out of infrastructure and services beginning in 2024, roll-out is now scheduled to commence in 2025/2026. The report states: 'The delays in the rollout of BusConnects has resulted in additional Apple shuttle services being required to address ongoing issues in journey time reliability." The report further stated that CMATS also proposes six park-and-ride facilities, including at Dunkettle and Blarney/Stoneview, connected by high-quality public transport services to key destinations. However, 'to date, none of these park-and-ride proposals have been delivered despite the establishment of a dedicated park-and-ride office in the National Transport Authority". The report states that in line with Apple's wider commitments to climate action and sustainability objectives, it would seek to reduce the number of employees commuting to the Hollyhill Campus by car in the long-term, by reducing the number of spaces per employee over time.
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Approval for new car-park at Apple's Cork campus has 22 conditions
The council has attached 22 conditions to the planning permission to Apple Operations International Ltd (AOIL) for the additional spaces on land banks it owns to the north of David McCarthy Rd on the north side of the city. The permission follows consultants for Apple, DBFL Consulting Engineers, telling the council that the number of employees is expected to reach 5,350 across the entire Hollyhill campus by mid-2025. DBFL state there is a longer-term projection 'of 6,000 employees by 2030 subject to market conditions'. The permission for the 285 spaces is in addition to the 2,572 parking spaces either on-site or under construction at the Hollyhill campus. In a planning report lodged with the application, consultants HW Planning stated that the proposal is appropriate to facilitate the continued successful operation of Apple operations in Cork and to meet the growing needs of their operations across Ireland and Europe 'in the absence of frequent public transport provision'. They state that the additional car spaces are required for the continued success of this strategic employment hub despite initiatives being implemented to promote sustainable travel options. In the longer term, there may be scope to repurpose these spaces to higher-value uses that support the expansion of the Apple campus Outlining the background to the application, DBFL state that 'the additional spaces are requested to provide short-medium term resilience and mitigate anticipated delays to the planned public transport and road network improvements ahead of the opening of the Hollyhill 5 building in mid-2025'. 'In the longer term, there may be scope to repurpose these spaces to higher-value uses that support the expansion of the Apple campus – once the planned key upgrades to Cork's transport network are delivered,' the report states. Initially, the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) 2040 envisaged the construction of the Cork Northern Distributor Multi-Modal Road (CNDR) by 2027 which would provide orbital active travel and public transport connectivity to the campus. 'However, the likelihood is that the delays to the roll-out of the CNDR, will necessitate short-medium term requirement of the proposed car-parking,' the report states.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork commuter rail services suspended for weekend upgrades
Rail services on the busy Cork commuter routes to Cobh and Midleton will be suspended this weekend to facilitate upgrades designed to treble capacity on the routes. All rail services from the city to Cobh and to Midleton on Saturday and Sunday will be cancelled, with limited bus transfers operating instead. The bus transfer service, running to a revised timetable, will operate between Cork and Cobh, and Cork and Midleton, across the weekend, with direct bus transfers between Cork and Fota during Fota Wildlife Park's opening hours of 9am to 6pm on both days. Customers are advised to check times before travel at or on the Iarnród Éireann app. Iarnród Éireann is shutting down the city's commuter rail services for the weekend so that it can carry out major upgrades on the routes as part of the Cork Area Commuter Rail investment programme. Engineers will complete signalling works as part of the investment, which seeks to treble the capacity of the commuter rail network. They will also work on track renewal to facilitate the twin-tracking of the line between Glounthaune and Midleton. The Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme is a series of interrelated projects that will ultimately enable train services every 10 minutes across the Cork rail network. It is funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the National Transport Authority. The recently opened Platform 6 at Kent Station, together with the Glounthaune-to-Midleton twin-track project and Cork area signalling and communications upgrades – both set for completion in 2026 – will deliver the network capacity to support 10-minute frequencies on each of Cork's three commuter lines, to Cobh, Midleton, and Mallow. The upgraded commuter rail network also includes proposals for several new stations, including at Blackpool and Monard, as outlined in the 2010 Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS). Read More Bam wins contract to build €456m M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy motorway
