West=On=Track -News

West on Track Survey Results

Surveys reveal Extent of Traffic on N17 and Major Demand for Rail Services
Press Release 8th April 2007 

9000+ Vehicles through Milltown each day - 200 commuters interviewed

As Ministers Martin Cullen and Éamon Ó Cuív prepare to come to Claremorris on Friday 13th April for a major one-day conference on the Western Rail Corridor, the West on Track campaign has released details of two major surveys into passenger usage on the Mayo-Galway route as well as the results of interviews conducted last year with more than 200 commuters on the route.

1. Traffic Survey

The Traffic Survey data was gathered by the UK-based 'Golden River Traffic' for Galway County Council using road sensors at Milltown just south of Claremorris from 13/06/06 to 19/06/06 while the older statistics were gathered at Claregalway in November 2004.

The statistics gathered at Milltown reveal that more than 9,000 vehicles a day are passing through the village on the N17 just south of Claremorris with an average of 500 vehicles per hour throughout the day from 8 am to 8pm, and a surprising evening peak of 400 vehicles southbound between 6 and 7pm and 350 northbound in the same period. Morning figures southbound show an average of 250 vehicles per hour with a similar figure for northbound traffic. At Claregalway the average was 700 perhour southbound throughout the day.

The figures show that up to 36% of traffic entering and exiting Galway City through Claregalway (via the N17) throughout the day originates from or travels to the South Mayo area, rising to more than 40% at peak-times. These findings compare very favourably with traffic numbers on the Galway-Limerick route.

2. Commuter Survey

At the same time during May - June 2006 West on Track interviewed more than 200 daily, weekly and monthly commuters commuters along the route of whom 49.5% were daily commuters. The main finding was that almost 80% of those surveyed, who are currently driving to Galway would switch to the proposed new Claremorris-Tuam-Galway rail services on the Western Rail Corridor.

The Survey results revealed:

• 49.5% of respondents are daily commuters (4 or more trips per week)
• 76% of respondents use their own car to commute
• 78.5% of respondents say they are likely or very likely to use a rail service

Ease Of Access - Outbound

• 66% of commuters live within 3 miles of a train station
• 55.5% of daily commuters live within 5 miles of a train station

Ease Of Access - Destination

• 47% of commuters are within 3 miles from the train station to their destination
• 78% of daily commuters work within 2 miles of a train station
• 22% would use a follow on feeder bus service
• 29% would walk to their end destination
• 27% of commuters currently pay parking charges

Daily Commuters - The environmental Impact

• Each daily commuter will clock up 16240 miles (26 135.75 kms) annually
• 460 car journeys of one hour or more. (11 working weeks)
• 15 min congestion delay on each journey amounts to almost 3 working weeks per annum.
• 2091 litres of fuel is used
• This equates to ¤2551 in fuel alone using the current price of ¤1.22 per litre (¤212.59 per month)
• (Figures calculated for West on Track using a typical car burning 29.4 miles per gallon or 8 litres for 100km)
• 30,000 cars use the N17 daily making it the busiest single carriageway west of the Shannon
• Each daily commuter generates 5227.5 kgs of Carbon Dioxide per year or 520 metric tons per 100 commuters
• 100 daily commuters will use 209,100 litres of fuel per year

At the same time an analysis of NRA figures for current car traffic volumes on the Sligo - Claremorris Road revealed 2.5 million passenger journeys per annum, 3.5 million extra journeys between Claremorris and Loughgeorge and a further 6 million between Loughgeorge and Galway.

This represents a pool of 12 million current passenger journeys from which to draw rail passengers.

A spokesman for West on Track added that these preliminary travel demand figures obtained by West on Track and an analysis of current bus-usage patterns, would more than justify re-opening the entire route to Sligo, while delivering a long-overdue practical demonstration of Balanced Regional Development.

Full details of these surveys will be given in the McWilliam Park Hotel Claremorris on Friday 13th April at the one-day conference on the Western Rail Corridor, being organised by West on Track and the Western Development Commission.