Unfortunately, this critique misrepresents both the purpose and the scope of the project.
The ring road is not a standalone solution. It was never intended to be. Rather, it is a critical enabler of the Galway Transport Strategy, which envisions a future of efficient, integrated, sustainable mobility.
To suggest the city is pursuing the ring road at the expense of public transport or active travel is simply false.
Galway continues to suffer a systemic transport crisis. According to data submitted by Galway County Council in March 2025, peak-hour journey times have worsened by up to 40 per cent since 2018. Currently, cyclists and - crucially – buses, are forced to compete for space on roads already choked with private and freight vehicles.
One-third of Galway’s traffic is regional, freight, or strategic in nature. The ring road provides an alternative path for these journeys, removing orbital traffic from the city centre and freeing up space for those who need to cross, or enter the city.
Niall’s comments are typically ideological. The inference is clear: we can reduce car usage by making it more difficult for motorists to access and cross through the city. This agenda is fundamentally wrong. We have a responsibility as public representatives to improve people’s lives by providing them with the best transport options for their individual needs.
On this very point, by redirecting this orbital traffic, the ring road will not only reduce congestion, but also create the physical and operational space needed to improve transport options for everyone; those crossing the city and those entering it.
It is not the intention, as Niall puts it, “to move the traffic out of the city without providing good alternatives within the city.” The Ring Road is needed to move the traffic out of the city centre precisely so we can implement alternatives such as the Cross-City Link, the Dublin Road Bus Corridor, park-and-ride facilities at Cappagh, Claregalway, and the N6, a new city bus network, improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and - as highlighted last October - potential light rail development using existing road space.
Traffic modelling clearly concludes that without additional road capacity, the goals of the Galway Transport Strategy cannot be met. The ring road is not in conflict with sustainable transport: it helps to facilitate it. It supports trips that cannot be served by public transport, while enabling the reallocation of road space for dedicated bus lanes and segregated cycling infrastructure.
Key junctions like Briarhill, Bodkin, and Deane Roundabouts are already over capacity, paralysing not just private vehicles, but also buses, school traffic, and emergency services. The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR ) shows that journey times on routes with public transport services will improve by up to 55 per cent with the ring road in place.
Niall warns that the Ring Road will entrench car dependency. The data suggests otherwise. With the ring road and BusConnects combined, average journey times are projected to fall from 44 to 31 minutes - a 30 per cent improvement, even with a 50 per cent population increase by 2040.
Fundamentally, the Ring Road facilitates active travel by removing unnecessary traffic from the city centre and making space for sustainable travel options. This benefits everyone: commercial freight, daily commuters, school runs, and local errands. Without it, continued gridlock stifles investment, limits access, and most importantly, seriously erodes quality of life of our constituents.
Galway’s transport crisis won’t be solved by ideology. It demands realism and new infrastructure. The ring road is not a “doughnut model” threat, it is the backbone of a greener, more liveable Galway.
John Connolly is a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West
