New bus routes set to connect Cork Metropolitan area

New bus routes are set to be phased in across the Carraig na bhFear and Upper Glanmire area.

BusConnects issued the new routes and frequencies connecting the local area with Cork City last week, with the aim of transforming the public transport network across the Cork Metropolitan area.

Under the plan, Upper Glanmire will see the No 54 bus make stops at White’s Cross, Ballyhooly Road, Summerhill North and Brian Boru Bridge, before hitting the city centre.

The No 52 bus from Whitechurch to the City Centre will make stops at Carrignavar, Dublin Pike, Thomas Davis Street and Merchants Quay, while also occasionally serving Glenville.

Knockraha will see the No 51 bus serving the area, as well as Glanmire, the Lower Glanmire Road and Kent Station before reaching the city centre.

Each of these buses will run every 120 minutes.

In a statement, local councillor Sheila O’Callaghan noted that the improved routes are to be phased in during 2023 and 2024.

“Bus set down areas and improvements to connectivity must take place over the coming months,” she added.

KEY ELEMENT OF C.M.A.T.S.

News of the new routes and frequencies follows a €600 million investment into BusConnects Cork, including the creation of new Sustainable Transport Corridors and the BusConnects Cork - Sustainable Transport Corridors Report 2022, which was published in April.

In 2021 the NTA carried out an extensive process of public consultation and review, in collaboration with Cork City Council and Bus

Éireann, and with the specialised expertise of transport designers Jarrett Walker and Associates.

In November 2021, a draft new network was published and the feedback and submissions have informed the Final New Bus Network now published.

Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer of NTA said: “Revising the bus network was a key component of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS), published in 2020, and this announcement represents a major milestone in the implementation of that Strategy.

“This revised network which includes enhanced frequency, new routes, and longer operating hours, means that by offering greater connectivity, bus services in Cork are set to become more useful to more people,” Ms Graham said.