Report on PUBLIC TRANSPORT

(BUS) ACCESS TO / FROM SHANNON

AIRPORT

prepared by

The Public Transport Partnership Forum

September 2003

Executive Summary

of Report on

Bus Transport Access to Shannon Airport

1. Introduction

Shannon Airport is vital to the economic well being of the Mid-West Region of

Ireland. Its importance is paramount in terms of tourism growth and industrial and

spatial development of the Western Seaboard region. This Report on Public

Transport Access to Shannon Airport is concerned with making recommendations to

ensure greater use of public transport in servicing Shannon Airport. The

recommendations embrace a variety of initiatives, including enhanced public transport

services; demand management measures; road and traffic management improvements

and bus priority schemes. The importance of bus priority schemes was seen as central

to the range of recommendations being made in this Report.

In providing this Report, the Technical Working Group, the Forum Sub-Committee

and the Public Transport Partnership Forum were of the belief that a more aggressive

approach is required to ensure that public transport captures a much larger share of the

numbers of journeys made each day, to and from, Shannon Airport. In order to

achieve a target share of 15% of all journeys to and from Shannon Airport, by the end

of 2010, all of the Recommendations in this Report will have to be implemented in

the short term (up to end 2006) to the medium term (up to 2010).

2. Shannon Airport

Since its foundation in the 1930s Shannon Airport has become an engine for

development of the west of Ireland and has the potential to play an even greater role

in helping to create more balanced regional development in Ireland in the context of

the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy 2002 – 2020. Limerick / Shannon

had its role as a Gateway for development confirmed in the National Spatial Strategy

while Ennis has been designated as a Hub to support and be supported by the

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gateways. Shannon is by far the closest State Airport to Galway, which has also been

recognised as a Gateway in the National Spatial Strategy.

3. Growth and development of the Airport

Passenger numbers at Shannon have grown by 29% between 1997 and 2002 when

passenger numbers stood at 2.35 million (including 0.42 million transit passengers).

Passenger numbers are expected to grow by 8.5% to 2.6 million by 2006. Freight at

Shannon has grown by 22% between 1997 and 2002 to just over 48,000 tonnes and is

expected to grow by 31% to 63,000 tonnes by 2006.

In 2000 a new terminal facility was opened at Shannon with increased passenger

capacity of 4.5 million people. Since then developments include a new roads access

system, extended car parking capacity, a new arrivals and departures coach park and

an extended and revamped disabled parking area.

4. The Public Transport Challenge

The terms of reference of the Forum stipulated that the issue of a rail link to Shannon

Airport be addressed separately (see Section 3, ‘Public Transport and Shannon

Airport’, of this report). In fact, the issue of a rail link to Shannon Airport has been

addressed separately by the Strategic Rail Review, April 2003.

In the early 1960’s public buses delivered 2,500 passengers to Shannon before 9.00

a.m. each weekday by comparison with 400 passengers today. In the region of 4% of

daily journeys to / from the Shannon area each day are made by bus amounting to just

under a half million passengers each year. It must be recognised, however, that a

large proportion of airline passengers and many workers in the region are not

automatically available for regular bus services1. Roughly three quarters of those

travelling by bus to / from Shannon each day are travelling on the Limerick / Shannon

route. Passengers on that route are divided into Free Zone / industrial estate workers

(42%), Shannon town passengers (32%), Airport workers (17%) and airline

1 A proportion of airline passengers entering through Shannon Airport are not automatically available passengers for public transport, as a large number of the tourists arriving at Shannon are pre-booked on private coach tours or are on “Fly and Drive” holidays, where they have already booked car for hire. Furthermore in relation to the Free Zone and Smithstown Industrial Estate many employees may be living in Shannon town and therefore may walk or cycle to work. Also there is likely to be a percentage of staff working irregular hours or night shifts who may not be available passengers for public transport.

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passengers (9%). Airline passengers also represent the smallest part of the market on

the Ennis / Shannon route at 14%.

There are 29 Bus Eireann departures from Limerick Bus Station and 14 from Ennis

Bus Station to Shannon each day. At peak times several buses operate at a given

time. In addition six buses to Shannon operate via Limerick and Ennis bus stations

from outlying areas each day. There are 16 daily Bus Eireann departures from

Shannon to Limerick each day which have direct connections to Expressway network

services to Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Tralee and Killarney. There are 10 daily Bus

Eireann departures from Shannon to Ennis each day, which have direct connections to

services to Galway. In addition, there are each day two direct routes from Shannon to

Galway.

At present the major problems with surface access to Shannon Airport that need to be

addressed include inconsistent journey times due to traffic congestion, no perceived

time or cost advantage of the bus over the car, the frequency and comfort of the bus

service and the lack of information at intermediate bus stops which indicates the

likely arrival time of the next bus. In addition there is a need for a careful balance

between multi stop journeys and more direct journeys to the Airport in order to

achieve better journey times. At present there is no charge for employee parking at

the Airport itself or for employees at the Free Zone and no demand management

schemes are in place to encourage employees to use public transport.

5. Bus Priority and Traffic Management measures: Limerick city and environs

Following a public consultation exercise regarding bus lanes during which substantial

opposition arose, proposals for bus corridors in Limerick were not agreed to by the

Strategic Policy Committee of Limerick City Council in 2001.

Since then Limerick City Council has engaged in a review of the issue of bus priority

entailing close consultation with officials of Limerick City and County Councils and

Bus Eireann. A process of identifying, assessing and recommending specific bus

priority options should be completed in the coming months to allow the strategic

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options to be presented to Limerick City Council and Limerick County Councils for

decision making.

An adaptive urban traffic control system is being installed in Limerick City to link the

city’s traffic signals and a network of detectors to a central computer. The system

adjusts the time plans at traffic signals on a real time basis and includes a network of

detectors for buses, which will facilitate quicker movement of buses through

junctions.

6. Roads Congestion and proposed improvements to roads infrastructure

An assessment of surface access to Shannon Airport must include consideration of

Shannon Free Zone, Smithstown Industrial Estate and Shannon Town because of the

common roads network and interdependence with the Airport. Current employment

at Shannon Free Zone is 8,000 persons approximately, 2,000 persons approximately

are employed at Smithstown Industrial Estate and employment at the Airport is 2,500

persons approximately. Shannon town has a population of 8,000 persons.

The draft Limerick Planning, Land Use and Transportation Study, commissioned by

the local authorities in the Mid-West in 1999, identified the current road infrastructure

as a “serious constraint” to the development of the Airport and the Free Zone.

Significant congestion is currently experienced on the key roads in the vicinity of

Shannon Airport; the N18 (Limerick to Galway) where congestion is encountered at

Limerick City, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Clarecastle and Ennis and the N19 (the Access

road to Shannon from the N18) where congestion is encountered at the Ballycasey

Cross Junction with the N18 and at the accesses to Shannon Free Zone and Shannon

Town. Traffic volumes on the N19 have increased by 71% from 1989 to 2000.

A number of major roads projects, which will greatly relieve traffic bottlenecks and

result in considerable journey times savings are currently underway or are planned.

These include the N 18 / N19 Ballycasey to Dromoland Road improvements

(completion date 2003), the Limerick Southern Ring Road which when fully

completed (completion date 2008) will link the N7 (Dublin Road) to the N20 (Cork

Road) and including a tunnel under the river Shannon linking to the N18 (Galway to

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Limerick road), the Ennis By-Pass (completion date 2007) and the N7 from Nenagh to

Limerick (completion date 2008).

Traffic management measures which will impact positively on general traffic and bus

movements are underway in Limerick and an examination of traffic management

measures in Ennis is envisaged, particularly when the Ennis By-Pass is completed.

7. Recommendations

The detailed recommendations are set out in the body of the report. They include the

preparation of detailed proposals for bus lanes on the Ennis Road, Limerick and

within Limerick city along with other bus priority measures, with the delivery of a

simultaneous high frequency bus service from Ennis, Limerick and Galway to

Shannon. Traffic management plans are recommended for Shannon and Ennis. The

report recommends that Aer Rianta and Shannon Development are to develop demand

management / mobility plans for employees at the Airport and on the Free Zone and

are to embark on a significant marketing of the Employer Pass Programme. The

commencement or completion of road infrastructural projects in the region by due

dates is seen as essential. Closer co-operation between Aer Rianta and bus operators

is recommended with a forum to review and jointly promote an integrated network of

services to encourage greater use of public transport among airline passengers. Bus

operators are to be encouraged to review services to the Airport particularly during

peak periods with a view to applying to the Department of Transport for increased

services if required.

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Preface Report This is the Report of the Sub-Committee on Public Transport Access to Shannon Airport. Terms of Reference The terms of reference of the Sub-Committee are included in Appendix 1 of this report. The objectives of this report are to recommend short to medium term measures that will improve public transport access to Shannon Airport. Membership of the Sub-Committee and of the Technical Working Group set up by the Sub-Committee are set out below. Sub-Committee on Public Transport Access to Shannon Airport *Tom Ferris, Department of Transport (Chairman) Reg McCabe, Irish Business and Employers Confederation Liam Berney, Irish Congress of Trade Unions Fr. Pat Condon, Conference of Religious of Ireland John McInerney, Construction Industry Federation. William Bashford, Irish Exporters Association Paul Hannon, Department of Transport (Secretary) *Tom Ferris replaced Liam Daly as Chairman for the meeting of the Sub-Committee in August 2003. Technical Working Group Jim McGuire (Chairman), Limerick City Council Paul Hannon Department of Transport John Reidy Aer Rianta Ian Dodson/Miriam Flynn/Michael Lynch Bus Eireann Pat O’Neill Limerick County Council Paul Moran National Roads Authority Paul Moroney Clare County Council Brian Warner / Brian Callinan Shannon Development Acknowledgements The Forum would like to express its special thanks to the members of the Technical Working Group for their advice and expertise. In particular the Forum is indebted to Limerick City Council for their work in drafting the report and chairing the Technical Sub-Group.

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INDEX

1.0 Prelude to Report 2.0 Background 2.1 Location of Shannon Airport 2.2 History and Development of Shannon Airport 2.3 New Terminal facilities and Development of the Airport 2.4 Future Growth of Shannon Airport 2.5 Shannon Free Zone and Smithstown Industrial Estates 2.6 Projected growth of Shannon Free Zone 2.7 Shannon Town 2.8 Parking facilities and policy – Airport and Shannon Free Zone 3.0 Public Transport and Shannon Airport 3.1 Public Bus 3.1.1 Trends, Market 3.1.2. Bus Passenger Market 3.1.3 Bus Services 3.1.4 Ticketing 3.1.5 Journey time/Bottlenecks 3.1.6 Public Information facilities 3.1.7 Employer pass programme 3.2 “Airport Taxis” / Hackneys 3.3 Rail Link to Shannon 4.0 Traffic Management Limerick City and Ennis. 4.1 Bus Priority Measures in Limerick 4.2 Adaptive Urban Traffic Control, Limerick 4.3 Ivans Cross Junction, Limerick 4.4 Ennis Traffic Management 5.0 Roads Access to Shannon Airport 5.1 National Spatial Strategy /Planning, Land use and Transportation study 5.2 Existing road network 5.3 Future roads network. 6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations 6.1 Conclusions 6.2 Recommendations APPENDIX 1: Terms of Reference APPENDIX 2: Tables/Data APPENDIX 3: Maps

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1.0 Prelude to Report

Shannon Airport is vital to the economic well being of the Mid-West Region of Ireland. Its importance is paramount in terms of tourism growth and industrial and spatial development of the Western Seaboard region. This Report on Public Transport Access to Shannon Airport is concerned with making recommendations to ensure greater use of public transport in servicing Shannon Airport. The recommendations embrace a variety of initiatives, including enhanced public transport services; demand management measures; road and traffic management improvements and bus priority schemes. The importance of bus priority schemes was seen as central to the range of recommendations being made in this Report.

In providing this Report, the Technical Working Group and the Public Transport Partnership Forum Sub-Committee were of the belief that a more aggressive approach is required to ensure that public transport captures a much larger share of the numbers of journeys made each day, to and from, Shannon Airport. In order to achieve a target share of 15% of all journeys to and from Shannon Airport, by the end of 2010, all of the Recommendations in this Report will have to be implemented in the short term (up to end 2006) to the medium term (up to 2010). 2.0 Background:

2.1 Location of Shannon Airport: Shannon Airport is located adjacent to the river Shannon estuary 16 miles from Limerick City and 15 miles from Ennis. Figure 1 shows its geographical location.

FIGURE 1

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2.2 History and Development of Shannon Airport: From its inception in the 1930s to the present day, Shannon Airport has been at the centre of aviation and has kept apace by continuously innovating and investing in facilities. Shannon Airport is a critical part of the infrastructure of the west coast of Ireland and is an engine for its development with the potential to play an even greater role in helping to bring about more balanced regional development in Ireland in the context of the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy 2002 – 2020. Shannon Airport directly employs 2,500 people approximately and indirectly under pins a further 40,000 jobs. The airport offers a wide range of international air services and technical facilities at the airport conform to the highest international standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Operational features of Shannon Airport include: �� 24 hour unrestricted operation with no slots or curfews �� 3,200 metre Cat II runway �� choice of specialised handling agents �� 24 hour availability of Air Traffic, Customs, Catering and Aircraft Fuelling

Services. 2.3 New Terminal Facilities and recent developments at Shannon Airport: In March 2000 Aer Rianta opened a new 9,300 square metre Departures Terminal centralising all amenities under one roof for the first time and adding additional capacity for the immediate future. The New Terminal has increased passenger capacity to 4.5 million and includes:

�� 40 Passenger Check-in Desks �� Nine Airline Reservation Desks �� Eight Self Drive Car Desks �� 300 Seater Restaurant �� Public Bar �� Extra Airline Passenger Lounges �� Landside Shopping Area �� 300 square metres Duty Free Shop �� 250 square metres Viewing Area �� Improved accessibility for the mobility impaired �� Additional Office Space.

The recent development also includes:

�� New Road Access System �� Extended Car Parking Capacity

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�� New Arrivals and Departures Coach Parks �� Extended and Revamped Disabled Parking Area.

2.4. Future Growth of Shannon Airport:

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the growth in passenger and freight traffic at Shannon and nationally from 1997 to 2002. It should be noted that 420,000 of the passengers per annum are transit passengers having no impact on transport access issues to the airport. The number of accompanying visitors (“Meeters and Greeters”) at the airport in 2001 is estimated at 3.3 million people. Passenger numbers at Shannon have grown by 29% during a period of unprecedented economic growth in the country. The growth rate for passengers has however been less than the average figure for the country’s three State airports. By contrast the growth rate for freight has been above average for the country’s three State airports.

Table 1 : Passenger Traffic (1997-2002)

1997 2002 % Increase Shannon State Airports Total

1,822,064 13,351,527

2,253,530 19,312,644

29% 45%

Table 2 : Freight Traffic (1997-2002) 1997

(Metric Tonnes) 2002 (Metric Tonnes)

% Increase

Shannon State Airports Total

39,497 170,211

48,094 177,685

22% 4%

Table 3 shows projected growth for passengers and freight trends for 2002 to 2006. These projections indicate continuation of growth, but at a lower rate than the trend of previous years, having regard to the impact of events such as "9/11" in New York and the down turn in both the world and national economies.

Table 3 : Projected Growth for Shannon Passengers / Freight

2002 2006 % Increase Passengers Freight

2,253,530 48,094

2,553,000 63,124

4.5% 31%

2.5. Shannon Free Zone And Smithstown Industrial Estates: Shannon Development was established in 1959 and is Ireland’s only dedicated Regional Development company. The Company’s brief is to generate industry,

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tourism and regional development in the wider Shannon area covering counties Clare, Limerick, North Kerry, Tipperary North, South Offaly and Limerick City, which have a collective population of 432,460. The jewel in the crown for Shannon Development is Shannon Free Zone, a large industrial estate, which is located adjacent to Shannon Airport and Shannon Town (see Figure 2 in APPENDIX 3). The Free Zone was established in 1960 and it has been developed to currently employ 7995 with 4826 in manufacturing and 3169 in service industries. (These figures are for assisted companies only. It is estimated that a further 2000 are employed in non-assisted companies in Smithstown. ) The Shannon Free Zone and Smithstown are of vital economic and social importance to the development of the region. An assessment of transport access to Shannon Airport cannot be considered independently of Shannon Free Zone and Smithstown due to the common roads network and economic interdependence.

2.6. Projected growth of Shannon Free Zone: In the period 1990 to 1995, employment grew by 12.8% and from 1995 to 2000 it grew by 38.2%. Employment in 2001 dropped slightly in line with the international economic downturn. Taking the growth rate for the decade as 51% and extrapolating, the proposed vision is that the total assisted employment could reach 10,000 by the end of 2006, assuming a return to stronger economic growth and increased levels of Foreign Direct Investment.

2.7. Shannon Town:

Shannon Town is a new town, which developed in conjunction with Shannon Airport and Shannon Free zone. It is located 1km east of Shannon Free zone main entrance (See Figure 2 in Appendix 3). The town has a population of 8,000 within a housing stock of 3,128 units. Almost all of the housing units are privately owned. It has a school population of 2,258.

2.8 Parking Facilities and Policy – Airport and Shannon Free Zone

2.8.1 Shannon Free Zone Arup Consulting Engineers were commissioned by Shannon Development in 2000 to carry out an assessment of Traffic Management at Shannon Free Zone. A review of car parking was included in the brief. The workforce in the Free Zone is 7,930 persons approximately. From Table 3.1., the number of bus users per day is 345 (50% of total daily bus journeys). It is not known how many employees are from Shannon Town and may travel on foot or by bicycle. The number of shared car users is not known.

There are currently 4,500 car parking spaces within the Free Zone. In a parking survey in September 2000, Arups noted that the calculated parking demand was 3,200

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spaces. However, the localised demand exceeded available spaces at particular locations in the Free Zone.

At present, there are no demand management schemes in place by employers to encourage a better transport modal split from cars to other modes. There are no time restrictions or charges for parking.

2.8.2 Airport Parking

Shannon Airport offers both short-term and long-term parking within the airport. Table 4 sets out the spaces available.

Table 4 Category Spaces Employee Spaces 1,000 Short-term passengers 676 Long-term passengers 1,388

There is a system of charges for both short term and long term passengers. However, there is no charge for employee parking.

At present, there are no demand management schemes in place by employers to encourage a better transport modal split from cars to buses.

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3.0. Public Transport and Shannon Airport: 3.1 Public Bus 3.1.1 Trends, Market In the early 1960s public buses were delivering 2500 passengers to Shannon (airport, Free zone and Town) before 9am each work day. In 2002 that figure had diminished to 400 passengers. The reduction in the number of bus passengers has been as a consequence of a number of factors including changing demographics. In particular since 1976 private car ownership has grown nationally from 551,117 to 1,319,250 in 2000. Substantial further growth is anticipated as car ownership in Ireland lags behind average EU levels. This trend plus the availability of free employee parking at the airport and the industrial estate, the increased quality of the employment, has resulted in greater use of private cars. The net effect has been growing traffic congestion and increased journey times for all road users. The provision of additional peak travel bus capacity will require additional resources and it would be desirable to promote additional off-peak travel as excess peak hour demand is very costly to provide and results in poor utilisation of resources. Appendix 2 sets out the data collected in a Bus Eireann survey of bus passengers. Using these data along with other relevant data set out in Appendix 1, Table 5 sets out the estimated use of the public bus mode for daily journeys to / from Shannon Airport and the Free Zone.

Table 5 : Daily Mode Journeys to/from Shannon Area Airport Passengers Airport Workers Free Zone Workers Totals Nos % of

total Nos. % of total Nos. % of total

Public Bus Users

189 3.62 358 7.16 691 3.45 1,238 (4.1% )

Other * 5030 96.38 4642 92.84 19309 96.55 28,981 Total Journeys per day

5,219 100 5,000 100 20,000 100 30,219

* Note: The figure for “Others” includes private coach and taxis. Are Rianta indicate that 11 % of passengers use taxis. There are no readily available data for private coach usage. Table 5 indicates that Public transport usage varies from 4% to 7%, depending on the category of passenger chosen - Airport Passengers; Airport Workers or Free Zone Workers. A comparison of the sum of bus passenger journeys (excluding Shannon town) is illustrated in the last column of Table 5. From that table it can be seen that the total number of bus journeys is 1,238 and the total number of journeys is 30,219, indicating an average daily bus usage of 4% approximately is currently achieved. However, in interpreting these figures it is very important to recognise that

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A high proportion of airline passengers entering through Shannon Airport, and many workers in the region are not automatically available passengers for public transport, as a large number of the tourists arriving at Shannon are pre-booked on private coach tours or are on “Fly and Drive” holidays where they have already booked car hire (The nine car hire firms operating at the airport had 107,795 rental agreements in 2001). Furthermore in relation to the Free Zone and Smithstown Industrial Estate many employees may be living in Shannon town and therefore may walk or cycle to work. Also there is likely to be a percentage of staff working irregular hours or night shifts who may not be available passengers for public transport. Also, some workers may reside in rural areas, and accordingly may not have access to public transport to travel to and from work. In addition the wide dispersal of desired destinations and low population density in parts of the airport catchment area is a challenge to the provision of a high frequency public transport network. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly true that there is great potential for improvement on the current percentage of persons (varying from 4% to 7%) travelling to / from Shannon Airport and the Free Zone using public transport. 3.1.2 Bus Passenger Market: Table 6 shows the annual passenger numbers carried by Bus Eireann at Shannon.

Table 6: Bus Eireann Passenger Numbers Per Annum Route Passengers P.A. Limerick – Shannon Route 350,000 Ennis – Shannon Route 135,000 Bus Eireann has identified the bus passenger market at Shannon as follows:

�� Shannon Town Residents �� Industrial Zone Commuters �� Airport Commuters �� Airline Passengers.

The tables in Appendix 2 set out the relative importance of each of these customer groups for Limerick/Shannon and Ennis/Shannon routes and this is illustrated in Figure 2.1 and 2.2.

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Figure 2.1 Ennis/ Shannon Passenger Survey: Sept. 2002

14%

29%

26%

29%

2%

Airport PassengersAirport CommutersIndustrial EstateShannon TownSmithstown

Figure 2.2 Limerick/Shannon Passenger survey: Sept. 2002

9%

17%

38%

32%

4%

Airport PassengersAirport CommutersIndustrial EstateShannon TownSmithstown

It is notable that Limerick/Shannon route carries almost three times more passengers than Ennis/Shannon. In both cases, airline passengers represent a small part of the market at 9% and 14% for Limerick and Ennis routes respectively. 3.1.3 Bus Services Bus Éireann offers in excess of 25 services per day weekdays in each direction between Limerick and Shannon. A core hourly service is provided and at peak hours in the morning and afternoon additional services operate offering a half-hourly frequency. The timetables are designed to offer an integrated service including offering connections at a hub in Limerick to hourly Expressway departures from Limerick to Dublin, Cork, Kerry and two hourly services to Waterford. There are 14 Bus Eireann departures each weekday from Ennis Bus Station to Shannon. Bus Eireann services operating from Shannon to Ennis connect in Ennis with services to Galway, Ballina, Sligo and elsewhere in the West of Ireland including to tourist attractions such as Kilkee, Doolin, Lahinch, and the Cliffs of Moher. In order to cater for direct services between Shannon Airport and Galway, Bus Éireann introduced two direct services on this route, and to cater for peak demand,

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Bus Éireann introduced in July 2003 four direct services in each direction between Shannon Airport and Galway, during the summer of 2003. 3.1.4 Ticketing Passengers can purchase one through ticket from Shannon Airport to any point on the Bus Éireann network at a discounted fare. Tickets and Information are available at the Bus Éireann desk in Shannon Airport, and Bus Éireann has recently established a comprehensive journey planner and sophisticated “buy-on-line” ticket facility on the website. Special Bus Éireann weekly tickets are available to commuters travelling between Limerick and Shannon and Ennis and Shannon. In order to cater for the tourist market segment, Bus Éireann nationally offer a range of Rambler and Rover tickets allowing passengers maximum flexibility in planning their holiday in addition to discounted fares. 3.1.5 Bottlenecks /Journey Times Bottlenecks: Shannon: The area around the N18/N19 Ballycasey to Carrigoran experiences significant delays at certain times at present due to the ongoing construction of the Phase 2 Contract as outlined in section 5.3 below. Traffic phasing during construction has meant that traffic contra flow operations, lane closures and diversions are necessary for the duration of construction. Keys to the solution of the traffic problems in the Shannon area include the completion of the road works and complimentary modal shift to public transport. However, significant relief has been obtained in the area due to the partial completion of sections of the works and traffic diversions on to new sections of road at Clonmoney. In particular the evening peak journey time for traffic exiting Shannon has been significantly reduced. Limerick: (See Appendix 3)

Traffic congestion on most approach roads to the city at a.m. and p.m. peaks is reducing the quality of the bus service from the region to Shannon. Ennis Road inbound from Caherdavin to Sarsfield Bridge at a.m. and p.m. peaks. Bus Eireann also report delays due to traffic congestion between the Bus Station and the City Centre. In addition Bus Eireann operate a number of commuter services from various parts of Limerick County directly to Shannon. Many of these services are impacted

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negatively by traffic congestion in areas of Limerick City other than on the direct Bus Station to Shannon route. Clarecastle / Ennis Since the completion of the Newmarket-on-Fergus By-Pass, the traffic congestion problems are now concentrated at Clarecastle where delays of 15-20 minutes at peak times (and exiting the motorway at Latoon) are the norm. In addition, there are also delays exiting the dual carriageway at the Latoon Junction. Further delays occur in Ennis Town at peak times. Bus Eireann currently operate directly to the Bus Station in Ennis but have indicated a willingness to operate directly to other parts of Ennis. It is the view of Bus Eireann that this is not possible at present due to traffic congestion. Journey Times: Limerick/Shannon Route: Bus Eireann allows a return trip journey time of 110 minutes for both Limerick/Shannon and Ennis/Shannon routes. The actual journey time experienced by a passenger is heavily dependent on Traffic Congestion as well as the pick up and set down locations. As it is clear that the most direct route and fewest stops will achieve the best journey time, there is a need for a careful balance between expressway type journeys and multi-stop journeys. The actual bus journey time depends on the particular bus route used and time of day. In Limerick each bus collects passengers at a number of bus stops en route. About 50% of the buses travel through Shannon Town prior to arrival at the airport terminal, a small number of buses travel directly to the airport and the balance have various stops at Shannon Industrial Estate in addition to the airport in response to customer demand. A similar position exists on the Ennis to Shannon route.

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3.1.6 Public Information Facilities: Information on all Bus Eireann bus routes is available at the Travel Centres at Limerick and Ennis Bus Stations. Similar information is available at the Bus Eireann Information Desk at Shannon Airport. Further information supports are available such as

1. Timetables 2. Route leaflets 3. Telephone enquiry service 4. 24 hour talking timetable 5. Website timetable Journey Planner and “Buy on-line” ticket facility 6. Bus stop information display.

Bus Éireann spends over €50,000 annually in the provision of customer facilities at Shannon Airport, including signage and general advertising. Current deficiencies include the absence of the likely arrival time of the next bus at intermediate bus stops leading to uncertainty for potential passengers. Bus Éireann point out that the unpredictability of journey times resulting from traffic congestion makes it very difficult to offer accurate information at intermediate stops on routes. They point out that more reliable journey time could be achieved through provision of bus priority measures. This would also facilitate reliable information being provided at intermediate bus stops. Nationally, Bus Eireann are commencing this year a trial to provide Real Time Information at bus locations based on Global Positioning System (G.P.S) technology. The provision of such information requires significant investment and is subject to availability of funding. A further concern expressed by Bus Éireann is the protection of expensive technological units from vandalism at bus shelter/stops. 3.1.7 Employer Pass Programme. As a result of recent Government legislation employers can now purchase monthly or annual travel ticket for their employees without incurring Benefit in Kind tax or employee PRSI. The cost of the ticket is deducted before tax and PRSI from the individual employee. Thus the ticket will be available to the employee at a 48% discount if he/she is paying tax at 42% and PRSI at 6%.

An example of this is the Limerick to Shannon route. A monthly Bus Eireann ticket costs €128. Allowing for the tax benefit the cost to the employee is €69.12. This is a journey cost of €1.76. Bus Eireann commenced a marketing campaign in 2002 with employers at the airport and the Free Zone. 3.2 “Airport Taxis” / Hackneys Clare County Council are the licensing Authority for hackneys in the vicinity of Shannon. Aer Rianta permits 30 Hackney licence holders to operate at Shannon Airport. They operate from a designated desk in the Arrivals Concourse and for identification purposes their vehicles display an “Airport Taxi” sign while parked in

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the Arrivals courtyard. This sign must be removed when leaving the confines of the Airport.

The hackneys provide a 24 hour service and are available for long and short fares. Each authorised vehicle is party to a Quality Service Agreement, which sets out the conditions of operation and level of service. Aer Rianta approves their charges and monitors performance and condition of the vehicles. The hackneys pay an annual fee to Aer Rianta and vacancies are advertised in the local press.

It is estimated that 11% of Arriving and Departing passengers use “Airport taxis” at Shannon Airport. This figure is considerably lower than the 25% usage at the State Airport at Cork. The key factor may be that Cork Airport is located only four miles from the City Centre in comparison to Shannon, which is 16 miles from Limerick and 15 miles from Ennis. 3.3. Rail link to Shannon: The Limerick Planning Land Use and Transportation Study examined and strengthened the work of previous studies for the provision of a commuter rail link to Shannon as having strong potential in the context of the development of the Western Strategic Rail Corridor from Cork to Galway.

The Shannon Rail Link Partnership was established to advance the case for a rail link between Shannon and the existing Limerick to Ennis network. The partnership, which comprises the Mid-West Regional Authority, Clare County Council, Shannon Development, Clare County Development Board, Limerick City Council, Limerick County Council, Aer Rianta, Shannon Chamber of Commence and Iarnrod Eireann, believes that the provision of the rail link is of vital importance to the development of Shannon.

The Shannon Rail Link Partnership submitted a strategic report and route options report to the former Department of Public Enterprise and the Department of the Environment and Local Government.

The Department of Transport recently published the Strategic Rail Review. The review states that “ the new schemes that fit particularly well with the National Spatial Strategy are (inter alia):

�� Galway-Cork via Limerick �� Limerick-Shannon-Ennis.

The Recommended Investment Strategy in the Strategic Rail Review does not include these schemes. However, the Review states that “Given the manner in which the two latter schemes would support the overall approach being taken at national policy level in the National Spatial Strategy, the main challenges in advancing them exist at the regional and local levels. This would mean putting in place, along these lines, the development plans and establishing the density of population to support effective rail services.”

The ‘Regional Planning Guidelines’ for the Mid West that are being developed as part of the detailed working out of the National Spatial Strategy provide an opportunity to establish the policies and plans referred to in the Strategic Rail Review which would

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support envisaged rail services. Clare County Council has reserved a corridor of land for the rail link in the ‘South Clare Economic Corridor Local Area Plan’. 4.0 Traffic Management Measures: Limerick City and Ennis:

4.1 Bus Priority Measures in Limerick: Bus Eireann carried out a Feasibility Study for Bus Priority in Limerick City and Environs in 1999. Subsequently Bus Eireann completed preliminary design for the provision of bus lanes on Mulgrave Street, Sexton Street and Roches Street. Public Consultation took place and substantial opposition arose which culminated in the proposals being shelved in November 2001, until a review process was completed to the satisfaction of the Transportation and Infrastructure Strategic Policy Committee of Limerick City Council.

Limerick City Council has engaged in a process of review of the issue of bus priority. This review involved close consultation between officials of Limerick City and County and Bus Eireann. Limerick City Council led a deputation to Chester in the UK, which is similar in size to Limerick. This deputation included representatives of both Limerick authorities (elected members and officials), Bus Eireann, Gardai and the Chamber of Commerce. The visit was very informative on the issue of bus priority.

The review is now ready to move to a more technical level, which will identify, assess and recommend specific bus priority options. This process should be completed in the coming months allowing the strategic options to be presented to Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council for decision-making. Implementation may be possible in 2004 with availability of adequate funding. A bus lane on the Ennis Road, Limerick and bus lanes within the City to facilitate linkages to the Shannon route would lead to greater reliability in journey times, offer bus operators the opportunity of providing additional trips and enable them to use existing resources more efficiently and will increase the attractiveness of public transport. 4.2 Adaptive Urban Traffic Control, Limerick: Limerick City Council has recently appointed a contractor to provide an adaptive urban traffic control (U.T.C.) system for the city. The system will link the city’s traffic signals and a new network of traffic detectors to a central computer in City Hall. The system will monitor traffic movements throughout the city and adjust the time plans at traffic signals effectively on a real time basis. It is anticipated that substantial junction capacity improvement can be achieved. Features of the system include:-

��New traffic signals and pedestrian facilities will be provided. ��A parking guidance system will reduce circuitous traffic movements. by

advising motorists of available car park spaces ��A network of detectors for buses will facilitate quicker movement of buses

through junctions by a longer green phase or shortening of the red phase of the traffic signals as required.

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��The U.T.C. system will improve junction capacity resulting in shorter journey times for all road users. The additional bus priority features will provide greater time saving for buses.

The system is costing in excess of €2.5m and is scheduled for completion in May 2004. In the context of this report it is anticipated that the U.T.C project will positively and significantly impact on bus movements within the city and on the Ennis Road. 4.3 Ivan’s Cross Junction, Ennis Road, Limerick Limerick County Council appointed consulting engineers to examine traffic movements at Ivan’s Cross on the Ennis Road. Limerick County Council have altered the junction arrangement to ensure all traffic movements operate within capacity. These works were completed in the first half of 2003 and are now being monitored on an on-going basis. There are a number of substantial retail developments proposed for this area and further works on this and adjoining junctions will be required to ensure optimum performance. The new traffic signals are being future proofed to allow for connection to Limerick City’s U.T.C system thus maximising efficiency and co-ordination of traffic signals for the full route. This 4-arm junction links the Ennis Road with the N7 (Dublin Road) with a further link to the N18 (to Galway) via the Clonmacken roundabout. It is a key signal controlled junction on the Limerick to Shannon bus route. An assessment last year of the junction performance confirmed that for a.m and p.m peaks some traffic movements seriously exceed capacity resulting in congestion. Severe delays occur on some movements with queue lengths 74 to 220 vehicles occurring at a.m. peak time. In the case of the p.m peak, over saturation of the junction is due to right turning with queues of 152 and 173 vehicles resulting. 4.4 Ennis Traffic Management Through traffic and local traffic experiences considerable delay in the Ennis area at present. Construction of the Ennis bypass will provide relief to through traffic in particular on the N18 Limerick to Galway route, the N68 Ennis to Kilrush and N85 Ennis to Ennistymon routes. Completion of the bypass will also provide opportunities to carry out further traffic management measures in the Ennis area to assist traffic flow. However, the completion of the Ennis By-pass is a number of years away. In the interim it is believed that a Traffic Management Plan should be developed and implemented to ensure that the optimum use is made of the existing road space and to identify measures to facilitate the movement of buses.

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5.0 Road Access to Shannon Airport 5.1 National Spatial Strategy/Limerick Planning, Land Use and

Transportation Study The National Spatial Strategy is a 20-year planning framework (2002-2020). It aims to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development between regions in the country. It seeks to enhance the performance of strategically placed engines of growth or “gateways”. The Limerick/Shannon area was previously designated as such a gateway for development in the National Development Plan. The NSS identified nine hubs to support and be supported by the gateways. Ennis is designated as a hub for development. Thus it is national policy to focus development and investment in the Limerick/Shannon/Ennis area. In addition, Shannon is by far the closest State Airport to Galway, which has also been recognised as a Gateway in the National Spatial Strategy. The Limerick Planning, Land Use and Transportation Study (PLUTS) was commissioned by Limerick City Council in conjunction with Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary County Councils in March 1999 with the objective of producing a strategy for the planning, land use, development and transport systems of the Limerick Region up to 2025. A key recommendation of the draft report is to focus development on the Limerick-Shannon-Ennis corridor in particular which is identified as vital for the development of the region. The report highlights the current sub-standard road infrastructure serving the Shannon Free Zone and the Airport. It identifies the current roads infrastructure as a “serious constraint” to development of the airport and the Free Zone. The roads infrastructure deficit is reducing the attractiveness of Shannon for both business and airport users. It emphasises the necessity of improving the land-based leg of airline passengers’ journeys, which will increase the catchment area that can be served by the airport.

5.2 Existing Road Network The key roads in the vicinity of Shannon Airport are the N18 (Limerick to Galway), its spur to Shannon the N19 and the R472 (Shannon to Newmarket-on-Fergus). This roads network is illustrated in Appendix 3. The N18 (Limerick to Galway) is of dual carriageway standard from Limerick to Shannon. It carries high traffic volumes (28,000 vehicles Annual Average Daily Traffic in July 2001 with 10.5% of this accounted for by heavy goods vehicles. Significant congestion is encountered at the entry to Limerick City, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Clarecastle and Ennis. The access road to Shannon from the N18 is the N19. This road experiences severe congestion during the a.m. and p.m. peaks. The main congestion points are at the key junctions namely Ballycasey Cross (junction of N19 and N18) and at the accesses to Shannon Free Zone and Shannon Town. Table 7 shows the growth in traffic volumes for the N19 in the study area from 1989 to 2000. Volumes are Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) based on a 14-hour

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count. Between 1989 and 1997 traffic grew at 3% per annum. However, from 1997 to 2000 the average growth rate was 11% per annum. This has led to generation of significant queues and delays.

Table 7 : Traffic Volumes N19

YEAR TOTAL VEHICLES

PERCENTAGE HGV

% INCREASE since 1989

1989 11,100 7.3% - 1997 13,871 6.7% 24.7% 2000 18,931 5.8% 70.5%

5.3 Future Roads Network

The following roads projects, summarised in Table 8 and mapped in Figure 3, Appendix 3, will greatly relieve traffic bottlenecks in the region resulting in considerable savings in journey times for road traffic travelling to / from Shannon.

Table 8 : National Roads Projects

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE ESTIMATED COST N18 Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass

2002 €45M

N18/19 Ballycasey to Carrigoran

2003 €102M

N18 Ennis ByPass 2007 €204M N7/N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road (PPP)

2008 €320M

N7 Limerick to Nenagh 2008 €280M �� N18 Ballycasey to Dromoland Road Improvements

Clare County Council is currently carrying out major improvements on the road network leading into Shannon. The overall scheme is known as the N18 Ballycasey to Dromoland Road Improvements Scheme. This scheme is being constructed in two contracts: -

�� Contract 1 is the N18 Newmarket on Fergus Bypass, and �� Contract 2 is the N18/N19 Ballycasey to Carrigoran contract.

�� N18 Newmarket on Fergus Bypass

This contract comprises a new dual carriageway bypass of Newmarket on Fergus village to the north of Shannon. Newmarket on Fergus was traditionally associated with serious traffic congestion and delays to through traffic especially at peak and holiday periods. The contract consists of 6km of new dual carriageway to motorway standard and 4km of secondary and side road construction to national standards. This includes an upgrade of a 2km section of the R472 regional road, which is known locally as the back road to Shannon. There are grade-separated junctions at Dromoland and Carrigoran.

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The contract was completed in summer 2002 and has been open to traffic since June 2002. At present there has been a large reduction in traffic through Newmarket on Fergus with up to 50% reduction at peak times and a substantial shortening of journey times for main route traffic. The AADT on the new bypass is 16,500 while the AADT on the old route R485 is 8,500. It is anticipated that when contract 2 is opened a further increase in traffic on the new bypass will occur.

�� N18/N19 Ballycasey to Carrigoran Contract 2

Major upgrading of the N18 and N19 roads into Shannon is also currently underway. The N18/N19 Ballycasey to Carrigoran contract 2 will provide a new dual carriageway to link with the existing dual carriageway to the south at Bunratty and to the north with the Newmarket on Fergus Bypass. It also includes a new dual carriageway towards Shannon Airport. The scheme comprises 6km of new dual carriageway to motorway standard on the N18 from Clonmoney to Carrigoran. There is also a 3km length of new dual carriageway to motorway standard on the N19 from Shannon interchange on the N18 to Drumgeely roundabout on the N19. A new improved single carriageway will be constructed from Drumgeely towards the Airport. The scheme has two grade separated junctions at Clonmoney on the N18 and at Smithstown on the N19, which will be known as Shannon Interchange.

At present the scheme is under construction and traffic management measures, which have been implemented as part of the road works, have helped to relieve some of the traffic delays that have been traditionally experienced in the area. The completion of this infrastructure will resolve the majority of traffic congestion problems in the vicinity of Shannon industrial estates and the airport. This project is scheduled for completion in September 2003.

�� Limerick Southern Ring Road:

Limerick does not currently have an adequate ring road network. The Southern Ring Road Phase 1 is currently under construction and will link the N7 (Dublin Road) to the N20 (Cork Road) at Rosbrien. The estimated cost is €100m and it is scheduled for completion in Spring 2004.

Phase 2 of the Southern Ring Road involves extending the Ring Road with a tunnel under the River Shannon and linking onto the N18 in County Clare. Phase 2 is currently at Preliminary Design Stage. It is a proposed PPP project scheduled for completion in 2008 and estimated to cost €320m.

�� N7: Nenagh to Limerick

The N7 from Nenagh to Limerick is being developed to motorway/dual carriageway standard at an estimated cost of €280m. This project is also at preliminary design stage and is to be funded through the PPP process with scheduled completion by 2008.

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�� Ennis By-pass:

The Ennis By-pass on the N18 is included in the current National Roads Programme and in the National Roads Needs Study as requiring immediate attention. The Ennis By-pass project has reached construction procurement stage. Some advance works are currently in progress. It is expected that construction will commence in 2004 and the completion date is 2007.

This project will remove the high levels of traffic congestion at Ennis and Clarecastle. This congestion is seriously impacting on travel times from Galway / Ennis to Shannon. The current N18 through Ennis is operating at levels up to three times in excess of its theoretical capacity and is deficient in alignment and cross section.

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6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations:

6.1 Conclusions

1. The airport is vital to the economic well being of the Mid-West Region as it is integrated with the industrial and spatial development of the region.

2. There is very low (4%) and declining usage of public transport (bus) at

Shannon by all categories of bus passengers.2 This is resulting from: �� Growing car ownership �� Lack of flexibility of bus in comparison with car �� No perceived time advantage of bus versus car �� Lack of consistent journey times due to traffic congestion �� No perceived cost benefit for public transport versus private car

3. The catchment area for Shannon Airport has been contracting due to

poor roads infrastructure in the region and growing traffic congestion. Progress has been made with a major road project on the N18 and N19 in the vicinity of Shannon, which is close to completion and will make significant improvements in journey times. However, serious congestion problems remain at Ennis and Limerick.

4. A number of the recommendations require infrastructural changes i.e.

New road construction, traffic plans, design and implementation of bus lanes, etc. Financial support will be required from central Government. There is no funding mechanism in the Mid-West comparable to the Dublin Transportation Office.

5. Urgent measures are required to develop the land access to the airport, which will restore its traditional catchment area and will ensure that the airport usage is increased.

6. Given the current low patronage of public transport there is

opportunity for substantial uplift. Key motivators to change travel habits include (a) cost balance between bus and car, (b) reliability of bus journey times, (c) bus journey times versus car, (d) frequency and comfort of bus service.

7. Marketing of proposals listed in 6.2 below is vital to effecting change. 2 In interpreting this figure, however, it must be recognised that a proportion of airline passengers entering through Shannon Airport are not automatically available passengers for public transport, as a large number of the tourists arriving at Shannon are pre-booked on private coach tours or are on “Fly and Drive” holidays, where they have already booked car for hire. Furthermore in relation to the Free Zone and Smithstown Industrial Estate many employees may be living in Shannon town and therefore may walk or cycle to work. Also there is likely to be a percentage of staff working irregular hours or night shifts who may not be available passengers for public transport.

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6.2 Recommendations3

A. Lead Action by Limerick City Council/Limerick County Council

�� Preparation of detailed proposals for a bus lane on the Ennis Road, Limerick (R857). Similar proposals to be developed within the city to facilitate bus linkages to the Shannon route.

�� The provision of the Adaptive Urban Traffic Control System in Limerick to

include bus priority at key junctions where feasible.

�� The development of bus express route(s) utilising available road space. A possible example is the use of hard shoulder within speed limit area on Condell Road at peak times4.

�� Limerick City Council and adjoining local authorities to develop the concept

of a Limerick Transport Initiative to co-ordinate transport planning and traffic management for Limerick City and environs. Such an initiative will require support from the Department of Transport.

B. Lead Action by National Roads Authority (in conjunction with Relevant

Local Authority)

�� Major roads infrastructural projects to be commenced and /or completed as priority. These projects include

a. Completion of the N18/N19 Project b. Commencement of the Southern Ring Road Phase 2 at Limerick c. Commencement of the Ennis By-Pass.

C. Lead Action by Clare County Council

�� The development of a Traffic Management Plan for Shannon with particular

focus on provision of bus priority measures where required and available. �� The development of a Traffic Management Plan for Ennis with particular

attention to bus access. Interim measures to be identified pending the construction of the Ennis By-pass.

3 These recommendations are combined in groups according to body/organisation that needs to take the

lead in implementation

4 This issue and location to be examined by Limerick City Council, Limerick County Council in conjunction with the other relevant authorities including the Department of Transport, Department of Environment Heritage and Local Government, the National Roads Authority and bus operators

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D. Lead Action by Aer Rianta and Shannon Development

�� Aer Rianta and Shannon Development are to embark on a significant marketing of the Employee Travel Pass scheme in conjunction with bus operators.

�� Aer Rianta to develop a demand management/ mobility plan for employees at

the airport such as reduction/elimination of a number of free parking places for employees with incentives to switch to public bus5.

�� Shannon Development to develop a demand management/ mobility plan for

employees in the industrial estates such as reduction/elimination of number of free parking places for employees with incentives to switch to public bus6.

�� Aer Rianta to assess the adequacy of the road network in its charge, which

services the airport. This should be undertaken in the context of the increased capacity of the N19, which is nearing completion.

�� Aer Rianta to establish a forum with the relevant bus operators with quarterly

meetings to review and jointly promote integrated network of services to encourage greater use of public transport among airline passengers. This forum may review facilities for potential bus users at the airport including operation of the Bus Eireann Information Desk, provision of real-time information on bus movements, additional signage in the terminal and provision of sheltered access to the bus stop.

E. Lead Action by Bus Operators

�� Bus Eireann to review its routes to ensure minimal journey times. Improvement to journey times resulting from the introduction of bus priority measures will provide an opportunity to offer additional trips and result in more efficient utilisation of resources.

�� Bus Eireann to identify improvements to the availability of information to

passengers at intermediate bus stops.

�� Bus operators to examine the provision of a high frequency bus service on Limerick-Shannon (30 minutes) and Ennis-Shannon routes. This should coincide with the provision of bus priority measures.

�� Bus operators to review services in peak seasonal periods particularly on the

Shannon to Galway route and to consider applying to the Department of Transport to increase services if appropriate

5 The circumstances of employees, living in rural areas where no public transport is readily available, would need to be taken into account. 6 Again, the circumstances of employees, living in rural areas where no public transport is readily available, would need to be taken into account.

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APPENDICES

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APPENDIX 1

TERMS OF REFERENCE

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Terms of Reference for Sub-Committee on Public Transport Access to

Shannon Airport

To consider the adequacy of surface access to Shannon Airport and make recommendations in relation to public transport, having regard to the following:

�� forecast growth in air traffic and surface traffic to the Airport up to 2010 �� the existing pattern of surface access to the Airport and its surrounding

economic zones (car, bus and taxi; air passengers and employees) �� the findings and recommendations of draft Limerick Planning Land Use and

Transportation Study and other relevant studies Recommendations may address all or any of the following issues:

�� improvements to bus services �� improvements to taxi services �� road and traffic management improvements required to facilitate public

transport �� bus priority �� demand management measures

The issue of a rail link to Shannon Airport is to be addressed separately by the Strategic Rail Review. The time horizons for the review should be (i) short term (up to end 2006) and (ii) medium term (up to end 2010).

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Appendix 2

Bus Eireann Passenger Journey Survey of 10th/ 11th September 2002

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Appendix 2

The Bus Eireann data were obtained in a survey of bus passengers on 10th /11th September 2002. The average daily passenger journeys are shown in the following tables Bus Passengers: Limerick/Shannon Route Total Shannon

Town IndustrialEstate

Smithstown Airport Commuter

Airport Passenger

Lmk/Shn 685 158 311 25 128 62 Shn/Lmk 629 258 200 23 90 59 Total 1314 416 511 48 218 121 % 100% 32% 38% 4% 17% 9% Bus Passengers: Ennis/Shannon Route Total Shannon

Town IndustrialEstate

Smithstown Airport Commuter

Airport Passenger

Ennis/Shn 237 86 47 0.5 59 44 Shn/Ennis 247 58 76 8 81 24 Total 484 144 123 9 140 68 % 100% 29% 26% 2% 29% 14%

The above tables and the following data were used to produce Table 2.1. in this Report which shows the modal split between public bus and private car for airport workers, airport passengers and free zone workers. The following data are based on figures supplied by Aer Rianta, Shannon Development and Bus Eireann. Airport Passengers: Year 2001: 1.9million (excluding 0.5 m transit passengers) = 5,219 passengers per day Industrial Estate Workers: Year 2002: 7995 assisted companies

2000 unassisted companies Total no. of workers: 10,000 Total no. of journeys: 20,000

Airport Workers: Estimated 2,500 Total no. of journeys: 5,000

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APPENDIX 3:

Maps

(Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4)7

7 Figure 1 appears on page 9 of the main report

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Figure 2

Map of Shannon Airport, Shannon Town, and Shannon Free Zone

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Figure 3

Map of some major projects aimed at relieving bottlenecks / reducing journey times for road traffic travelling to / from Shannon.

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Figure 4

Map showing a recommended key Bus Priority /Green route including bus lane on the Ennis Road, Limerick (R857)

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