Sir, – Arthur Beesley's news report correctly identified concerns about Galway's current trajectory as an uncontrolled sprawl, devoid of integrated transport and spatial planning ("A new vision for Galway: 'It will choke unless it changes'", News, Analysis, April 16th).
The now infamous outer ring road as currently conceived is planned to bulldoze through the last green space in the city centre at Dangan at enormous expense to the exchequer.
In truth, the real problems in Galway lie in an inability to think and plan beyond the private car. As long as that ideology retains its grip on the politicians and officials taking decisions, the sad demise of the city as a place to live and work will continue.
The current state of thinking is best illustrated by the triumphant remarks of a local councillor who spearheaded a successful attempt to kill the proposed cycle path by the sea in traffic-snarled Salthill; it was, he said, “ a good day for motorists”.
Galway is currently a monument to how not to plan and manage a city and the new bypass through Menlo and Dangan as currently conceived looks set to be the icing on the dog’s dinner. – Yours, etc,
M TIERNEY,
Galway.