‘Park and share’ facilities being explored for M9 junction in Kilkenny

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is currently preparing a policy regarding ‘park and share’ facilities and will be prioritising facilities where there is parking already taking place and on safety grounds.

This means it may cover areas such as the M9 motorway exit/entrance at Danesfort, where people already park and share to commute. It will be up to the road authority to prepare a feasibility and options report for TII to consider for funding.

It follows a notice of motion from Cllr Tomás Breathnach, which sought the development of a strategy to reduce the number of vehicles on inter-urban routes through car-pooling and the provision of safe secure and appropriate parking areas close to interchanges on national primary routes.

At April’s meeting of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Breathnach said he had raised the concept with TII at a meeting with them in previous years.

He thanked his council colleagues for their support for his motion, and said he was encouraged by the response received. The TII recently fully funded, through the Road Safety Section, a park and share facility in County Louth (see picture above).

Council director of services Tim Butler responded to the motion, saying that Transport Infrastructure Ireland are examining a number of junctions on the motorway network where parking is considered a significant issue.

They are currently preparing a policy regarding park and share facilities and will be prioritising where is parking already taking place, on assessed need and on safety grounds. The council had been given to understand that one of the junctions to be examined will be Junction 9 at Danesfort, off the M9.