Cork bus services to increase by a third
The new bus network will be a simpler network adding more connections to schools, jobs and services allowing people to travel more directly than they can on the current network.
That was the opinion of Michelle Poyourow with Jarrett Walker & Associates, a US firm which worked on BusConnects Cork plan in collaboration with Bus Éireann, Cork City Council and Cork County Council and which was published by the National Transport Authority (NTA) this morning.
Jarrett Walker & Associates specialises in designing metropolitan public transport systems and has worked with many cities around the world including Moscow, Houston and Dublin.
The redesign of the bus network is one of nine key elements of BusConnects Cork that aims to transform the city’s bus system, making public transport more useful to more people.
Under the proposals contained in the new Draft Network Report, the level of bus services in Cork will increase by 36 per cent with shorter waits and more direct routes for commuters within the city. 34 per cent more people will live close to a frequent service.
According to the Cork Draft New Network Online Map, the Mahon Point to Farranree route will have a weekday midday frequency of 30 minutes.
When asked by the newspaper about how confident those behind the draft plan were of this and other timings set out in the online map, Ms Poyourow said: “I was responsible for that online map. The speeds that we are using in that map are based on September 2021 speeds for bus services than ran on those roads. In terms of the journey time that you’re seeing, we are always including the waiting time based on the route frequency. So, if a route is coming every 15 minutes, we are assuming that people spend an average of 7.5 minutes to use that route so that’s included in the journey time and then there’s the time spent on the bus which is based, again, on historic speeds of buses that ran on those roads.”
Adding to this, Stephen Kent, CEO of the Bus Éireann, said: “We know that there will be different patterns throughout the year. I think there will be a considerable amount of work undertaken, as we always do, to ensure that the timing and segment points are on time. Like everything, we will keep it under review and we will continue to engage with the NTA, so we can increase the reliability and accuracy of the data. At the moment, from our perspective, we are operating under a contract where a timetable is set and we make sure we are as punctual as we can. We will always be monitoring the data.
“What we are taking into account in many instances here that we have to get people out of their cars and to start using buses…and to combine that with cycling and active travel. If we do all of that we would have much more certainty and would be more confident about our timings.”
The proposals in the draft plan will also result in more residents of the city and areas within the Cork Metropolitan Area having access to the public transport network with Little Island, Cobh, Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy, Glanmire, Ballincollig and Blarney among those areas with new routes.
It’s also hoped it’ll pave the way for the future introduction of a Luas within the city.
Fares will be simplified in a way that will make interchange seamless. Customers will not have to pay extra to change between bus, rail or future Luas services within that 90 minute period.
Consultation on the draft new bus network launched today will run for six weeks. The redesign will be finalised in the first quarter of 2022 with the new network being rolled out from 2023.
To take part in the consultation process, visit busconnects.ie.