Community Update: Public Transport Is Already at Breaking Point

Hello! 

Today we are taking a closer look at our transport options in Douglas and Rochestown under the following headings:

• Public Transport Is Failing
• As welcomed building on zoned land continues, public transport demand will increase substantially before any further rezoning is even considered.
• BusConnects Is Still a Promise
• Cycling Is Not Yet a Realistic Alternative
• School Children Are Feeling the Traffic Impact
• Sustainable Communities Need Sustainable Infrastructure
• Looking to the Future

One of the fundamental principles of sustainable planning is that new housing should be supported by reliable public transport, safe walking and cycling routes, and genuine alternatives to the private car.

Unfortunately, that is not the reality in Douglas and on Maryborough Hill today.

Public Transport Is Already Failing
The only public transport serving this area is the bus.

At peak commuting times, buses are frequently already full by the time they reach Maryborough Hill after travelling from Carrigaline. Residents are regularly left standing at bus stops because there is simply no room to board.

Even when seats are available upstairs, many passengers choose not to use them due to ongoing antisocial behavior, leaving the lower deck overcrowded and reducing the practical capacity of the service.

The Broadale junction bus stop has become a symbol of the wider problem. Traffic congestion regularly delays buses arriving at and leaving the stop, while passengers face long waits for services that are already operating at capacity.

At non-peak times, buses can take up to 20 minutes simply to travel approximately 1.3 KM through Douglas village from the Old Carrigaline Road to the junction of Well Road, making public transport slow, unreliable and increasingly unattractive.

More Homes Are Already on the Way
We wholeheartedly welcome the new developments on zoned land in the area and many of their new residents are supporting this campaign. 

As building on zoned land continues, public transport demand will increase substantially before any further rezoning is even considered.

Specifically on Maryborough Hill already approved or under construction developments include 625 new dwellings. 

Together, these developments will generate hundreds of additional commuter journeys every day before a single housing unit is built on the proposed 42-acre SSO1 SE2 site. 

BusConnects Is Still a Promise
BusConnects is frequently presented as the solution to transport issues in Douglas and Rochestown.

However, it will not be operational before Cork City Council votes on the proposed rezoning of the 42-acre SSO1 SE2 Greenbelt site on 13 July 2026.

Would it not be more sensible to wait until BusConnects is actually in place and its impact can be measured before making an irreversible planning decision that could ultimately facilitate up to 1,000 additional housing units and thousands of additional daily journeys?

Good planning should be based on infrastructure that exists - not infrastructure that is hoped for.

Cycling Is Not Yet a Realistic Alternative
Existing infrastructure simply does not make cycling a realistic option for many people.

Maryborough Hill is a long, steep climb of 2.5 km from Douglas village fingerpost roundabout to the roundabout beside Maryborough Ridge. If the rezoning is granted it will be a further uphill climb of  0.5 KM to the centre of the 42 acre site and 800-900 meters to the southern boundary of the site.  

There is only one cycle lane, located on the uphill side of Maryborough Hill.While persistent speeding continues to be a major concern throughout the area, travelling by bicycle down Maryborough Hill unsafe.

For children, older people and less confident cyclists, the route simply does not feel safe.

Without protected cycle lanes and significant safety improvements, cycling cannot realistically replace many car journeys.

School Children Are Already Feeling the Impact
The pressure on local infrastructure is already affecting families.

For example, the permanent Cork Educate Together Secondary School promised for Maryborough has still not been delivered, almost ten years after the school first opened in temporary accommodation in 2016. The school is currently based at the former Marymount Hospice site on Military Hill in St Luke’s.A dedicated private school bus leaves Maryborough Ridge at 7.40am for a school day that begins at 8.45am, yet it is regularly delayed because of traffic congestion, raising  serious questions about the capacity of the existing road network.

The unreliable public bus at peak times means that many other school children attending schools locally have to be driven to school. Walking and cycling is not a safe option for schools such as Rochestown College. Walking and cycling to any school will not be an option at this stage for any children that will live on SS01 SE2 site at the top of Maryborough Hill. 

Sustainable Communities Need Sustainable Infrastructure
Residents have also highlighted that one of the newest housing developments on Maryborough Hill was delivered without accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This is another example of housing being delivered ahead of the infrastructure expected in a modern, sustainable community.

Meanwhile their promised green space has not been delivered. 

Looking to the Future
Rather than allowing piecemeal development that increases dependence on private cars, this corridor presents a rare opportunity to think strategically.

In the long term, the route through Maryborough Hill could provide a future high-capacity public transport corridor linking Cork City, Douglas and Carrigaline, whether through a Luas-style light rail system or another mass transit solution.

Once that opportunity is lost, it may never be recovered.

Before Rezoning Greenbelt Land, Deliver What Has Already Been Promised
The 1,211 local residents that have signed this petition thus far are not saying do not build, we are asking for sustainable planning.

Before rezoning another 42 acres of Greenbelt for a major housing development, let’s first deliver the infrastructure that has already been promised and wait for the 2028 City Development Plan. Then we will have:

·       BusConnects fully operational and its impact independently assessed.

·       M28 Motorway operational with all additional heavy goods vehicles rerouted from Cork City docks.

·       The M28 access junction on Maryborough Hill operational and hopefully independently assessed to see if it is operating as intended. 

·       A comprehensive assessment of the cumulative impact of the thousands of homes already approved or under construction across Douglas, Rochestown and neighbouring Carrigaline.

The proposed rezoning is not advisable before these projects are delivered.

Waiting for the Cork City Development Plan is good planning.

It allows decisions to be based on evidence rather than assumptions, ensures infrastructure keeps pace with development, and gives future residents the quality of life they deserve.

Next Monday, 13th July, our Cork City Councillors have an opportunity to make a responsible, evidence-based decision: deliver the promised infrastructure first, assess its impact, and then determine whether further rezoning is genuinely appropriate for both future and existing residents. 

If you would like to encourage them to do so, please contact them before Monday 13th July: 

albert_deasy@corkcity.ie
brian_mccarthy@corkcity.ie
ciara_oconnor@corkcity.ie
colm_kelleher@corkcity.ie
dan_boyle@corkcity.ie
damian_boylan@corkcity.ie
descahill30@gmail.com
fergal_dennehy@corkcity.ie
fiona_kerins@corkcity.ie
gary_obrien@corkcity.ie
honore_kamegni@corkcity.ie
jerrica_struthers@corkcity.ie
joe_kavanagh@corkcity.ie
joe_lynch@corkcity.ie
john_sheehan@corkcity.ie
john_maher@corkcity.ie
kenneth_collins@corkcity.ie
kieran_mccarthy@corkcity.ie
margaret_mcdonnell@corkcity.ie
maryrose_desmond@corkcity.ie
michelle_gould@corkcity.ie
niamh_oconnor@corkcity.ie
noel_oflynn@corkcity.ie
oliver_moran@corkcity.ie
paudie_dineen@corkcity.ie
peter_horgan@corkcity.ie
sean_martin@corkcity.ie
shane_ocallaghan@corkcity.ie
terry_coleman@corkcity.ie
terry_shannon@corkcity.ie
tony_fitzgerald@corkcity.ie

Thank you for all your support. 

Douglas & Rochestown – More Than Just a Place to Live. A Place Worth Living In.