well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

Does any one know anything about a proposal from Boyd Cody Architects for some type of arts building near the river in U.L. There’s a few models shown on their website http://www.boydcodyarch.com/ in the work section under projects. It looks like it could be a promising project if it gets built.

Think tank for traffic shake-up

By Marie Hobbins
RADICAL action by City Hall to instigate a new and comprehensive traffic plan for the city is being called for, in view of the number of high profile inner city developments set to come on stream next year.

This week Limerick City Council’s Transportation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) set January 31 as the date for a special seminar to spearhead the drive for a major upgrading of traffic management and transport infrastructure to also include the provision of strategically placed car parking spaces, taxi ranks, bus lanes and a light rail network.

With increased pedestrianisation coming on stream in the city centre and a number of major developments that will include the Limerick Opera Development, the Greenpark Racecourse site, Punches Cross hotel and residential development, the Redemptorist site and the Bedford Row site, just to name a few, Limerick city is on the brink of a dramatic regeneration that has been welcomed by the commercial sector as the major boost the city so badly needs.

However, a note of dissatisfaction that the SPC spends “too much time on discussing pot hole issues rather than focusing in on strategic planning” comes from committee member and travel agent, Tony Brazil who insists: “the committee’s role should be to engage in “the strategic planning of a new traffic plan for the city.”

‘The number of parking spaces in the city will not be adequate for the increased business that the new developments will bring on stream and we should be doing everything to remedy this and I’m certainly happy to do so but we, as a committee need to put more effort into this. We need to be seeing the bigger picture for transport in this city. What is the point to a beautiful 300,00 euro development for Bedford Row if we don’t provide the appropriate infrastructure to go with it,” he commented.

Mr Brazil who was critical of the poor attendance at last Monday’s meeting of the Transportation SPC said this was not surprising “considering what is on the agenda.

“There should be something on the agenda to attract members to contribute their tuppence-halfpenny worth – after all we represent a sector that is crucial to the city going forward and we all want the best for the city but have little or no opportunity to do this, with the way the agendas are assembled,” he said.

Mr Brazil was reassured by committee chairman, Cllr Joe Leddin that one of the prime objectives of the upcoming seminar is to allow members to agree on what precisely is put on the agendas.

Pointing out that there is a move to separate the operational and strategic issues that arise within SPCS, Mayor Diarmuid Scully told the Limerick Post that this could be achieved by holding more Ward meetings specifically for operational issues.

He said the seminar will look at every aspect of a major new traffic plan for the city including a Luas and light rail system for Limerick.

Stressing that “tough decisions will be called for”, Cllr Leddin said that with pedestrianisation eliminating so much on- street parking, an alternative will have to be provided.

“We have the funding for bus lanes and we will push for a rail network, a Northern Relief Road to link from Daly’s Cross as well as an inner orbital route,” he said.

Deputy Jan O’Sullivan has written to city manager, Tom Mackey urging him to pursue this week’s recommendation from the Railway Procurement Agency that it would work with local authorities to procure light rail systems for Limerick, Cork and Galway.

“We have long advocated a commuter rail network for the city and surrounding areas which could be developed using existing tracks. Already the Limerick/Ennis route is a great success and a spur to Shannon Airport must follow. The Nenagh line has an improved service with more trains promised for next year and we are pressing for the Foynes line to be reopened to passengers,” she said.”

Fri, 13/01/06

An Taisce takes a look at the evolution of Limerick city

WITH the physical appearance of Limerick currently undergoing one of the most exciting makeovers it has ever received and with many new and exciting developments about to unfold in the city, this is an opportune time to take a look at the city’s evolution and its significant role in the historical and geographical development of the country as a whole.

On Wednesday, January 25, An Taisce Limerick will host a discussion in the City Library, the Granary (8pm) on the economic and historical role of the city. All are welcome to attend and speakers will include Liam Irwin, Mary Immaculate College, Dick Tobin, Limerick City Council, Walter Foley and John Morrissey from the University of Limerick.

“As well as showcasing the historical importance of Limerick it is intended to provide fascinating insights into the continued geographical and social evolution of the city and the surrounding catchment areas,” says Daniel Sullivan, chairman of An Taisce Limerick.

“Limerick continues to be a growing city and the pressures, challenges and opportunities that such growth brings will present a need for vision and commitment to ensure the city both prospers and is a good environment for all her citizens,” he adds.

Stressing that An Taisce is committed to facilitating an ongoing community-based discussion about the type of city its citizens want to live in and the nature of development that can be sustained over the longer term, Mr Sullivan adds: “buildings are with us for very long periods and it is vital that they be of a quality that we can be proud of.”An Taisce can be contacted locally antaisce.limerick@gmail.com

From Llimerick Post

http://www.limerick-leader.ie/issues/20060114/news06.htm

@billy the squid wrote:

I believe I berated you over there for posting these images and not crediting their owners. The First one was taken for a competition I ran on boards.ie, the other two were taken by myself.

EDIT : Actually berate is the wrong word, shook my head and sighed might be a more accurate description.

Sorry to bust your bubble a bit Billy! but i think you’ll find that the last 2 photographs came from the website limerickcity.net,which i downloaded some time ago, it contained many excellent photographs of the city,it was a pretty useful website but the original seems to have dissapperaed and the replacement is very dissapointing, the first one came from limerick.com and possibly the second one as well, im not sure where they get their photographs but they certainly didnt credit the pics to anyone, if some of them are yours fair enough!, Now have you come on here to talk about relevant topics or just to cry over some pictures!, and btw when exactly did you “berate” me?

On a more serious topic i saw the image of the Opera centre in the leader myself and i must say i was pretty horrified, i was hoping to be pleasantly surprised by this project but i suppose i was just kidding myself really, that entrance looks absolutely hideous, i shudder to think what the proposed “sky bridge” will look like:eek: They were obviously looking for something striking to mark the entrance to the centre but there is such a thing as integration with other buildings on the street and on that front the design team have failed dismally! .At least its good to see that the original facades on rutland street and patrick st are being kept intact, all the retailers here have to vacate their premises so presumably we’ll see some very different faces on this stretch in the years to come. They seemed to have toned down the madness a bit on the ellen street side, the first couple of buildings here would appear to be up for demolition.Good to see the city council say they’re going to evaluate the proposal in detail to see if the development is right for Limerick, the principle is fine: a new city centre shopping area but i just wonder is a 4 floor mall the best way to deliver this!

This is what currently stands at the proposed entrance to “the Opera centre”

Also lower Thomas st was officially closed to traffic on friday, so it looks like the next phase of the city centre pedestrianisation programme should be starting shortly, it involves the pedestrianisation of thomas st lower,little william st and augustine lane with streetscape renewal works on little catherine st.

I dont mind you using pictures belonging to me, what I do find objectionable is your denying the very existance of people whose work you are posting on this forum.

@Tuborg wrote:

Why dont you just have me prosecuted for infringing your copyright so if it makes you happy!, seen as you seem to own every photo that was ever taken of limerick!

nope just those two I pointed out. I also know who took the first though.

Also what exactly does your little gimmick of an archive prove?, it just brings you back to the same page all the time. Maybe i’ve got the website address wrong, it was a long time ago after all but there was definately a limerickcity dot something website going for a couple of years, i got piles of photo’s from it including some very rare ones from the 50s and 60s!

It shows that the website that you claim the pictures came from hasn’t changed in over three years. the links at web.archive.org do not link to the current page, they leed to the page of the website as it looked on the date indicated in each link.

Just so i can sleep easy tonight, do you have any problem with the last picture i posted, do you want to shake your head and sigh some more or perhaps even “berate me”?

[/quote]

It is not mine, but whatever site it did come from could have been credited.

@justnotbothered wrote:

Woah, lads calm down. Fact is we all want to see Limerick progress and develop, and we should utilise both archiseek.com and boards.ie as separate and valuable forums in both promoting Limerick and developing a positive image for Limerick.

Tuborg, is there any chance you inadvertantly copied Billy’s pictures without providing a link?

Billy, you should be proud that your pictures have been chosen to be used on a thread about the changing face of Limerick.

All in all, either way it’s good to see the city looking as well as it has been recently.

I can live with that. I’ve made my points on this thread and have no intention of dragging it out anymore anyway.

anyway getting back to the matter at hand. I am hearing talk of a fly-over being built either in or accross the ballinacurra road. It is in someway related to what the mayor of limerick wants to call “the Ted Russell Tunnel” the one going under the Shannon.

anyone know where I can find maps of the planned tunnel and associated roads being built?

Looking at the map, showing the interchanges that Rossbrien interchange looks like a more intelligent layout compared to the woefully designed roundabout interchanges we have become use to. Dont know why these roads arent labelled as motorway though as there well up to standard:confused: There are no ‘M’ roads planned near or within Limerick at all.

There was a great opportunity to build a free-flowing interchange at rossbrien as its a site with plenty of open space with little or no constraints and although this isnt a bad attempt it still falls a bit short of full free-flowing status,according to the environmental impact study all traffic movements will be catered for on the rossbrien interchange with the exception of citybound N20 traffic to the childers road, this seems a curious decision as this means that current access to the city on the N20 will be eliminated, maybe this was the reason for the existing dual carriageway terminating at the temporary roundabout at rossbrien and not at the childers road. It seems a rather ill thought out plan if im honest, its only going to mean extra pressure on the existing ballysimon interchange which is woefully under capacity and also the new dock road interchange which is planned as a dumbell(2 rounabouts with sliproads). It also looks like there will be no access to the childers road from the existing ring road(dublin, waterford,tiperary traffic etc). So therefore the current link road from the childers road to the current junction of the N7 ring road phase 1 and the N20 will be reserved for southbound traffic.

As for why there are no motorways planned for the limerick area, the limerick to nenagh route was planned as a motorway but about a year ago it was downgraded to a high quality dc with little or no fuss, no opposition from local politicians or anything:confused: , also the first phase of the ring road is whats known as a motorway standard dual carriageway with proper grade separated junctions etc, its got all the characteristics of a motorway except the blue signs.One of the nra’s favourite reasons for not awarding motorway status is a lack of an alternative route for non motorway traffic, yet there is no such problems here as the old dublin road remains open to traffic. For me its all about political will, we just dont have a strong enough voice to lobby for what we need and want. It serves us right, we never stand up for ourselves down here, we just sit here and take whatever is thrown at us!, be it from the dublin media or the government:mad: