MIDAS in Cork

Summary of Activities in Cork

  1. MIDAS target area
    • Focus on new suburban rail network corridor in the East of Cork, the Cork Middleton Rail Line, planned for 2008. This rail corridor serves three satellite towns in East Cork: Carrigtwohill, Midleton and Dunkettle.

      Planned Rail Network for East Cork
      Planned Rail Network
  2. Stakeholder Consultation
    • A steering group was set up in order to undertake the Stakeholder consultation this comprises representatives from Cork County Council, Cork City Council, the 7 Town Councils, and the public transport providers (Iarnrod Eireann, Bus Eireann) as well as representatives from relevant Government departments and Academic third level Institutions.
  3. Evaluation (“before” and “after”)
    • Comprehensive Travel Survey (using weekly travel diaries) done in the autumn 2006.
      • 38,000 brochures were printed and distributed throughout the Catchment area
        • 28,000 by means of mail drop
        • Others were located in local shops, libraries, post offices, clubs, colleges etc.
      • 2 week radio advert at peak travel times on Local radio in the Catchment area
      • Adverts in Regional and Local Newspapers.
  4. Implementation of soft and associated measures
    • The results of the travel survey will shape the transport strategy and will tailor the soft measures to be developed. The soft measures anticipated by Cork County Council are:
      • Information about access at the East Cork end – signposting routes and distances to the station by car and on foot; letting people know which bus they can take to get to the station. E.g. every bus stop from which buses go to the station should have a timetable and brightly-coloured train logo, so that anyone who walks past the bus stop is reminded that it serves the station.
      • Ensuring easy access to station platforms by people arriving on foot from all directions, to minimise pedestrian access times.
      • Providing bus and rail timetable information at bus stops and other key locations.
      • Co-ordination between bus and rail to provide an integrated transport system. This may include re-timing local bus services so that they arrive at the station in time for travellers to buy tickets and get on the train with minimum waiting, and/or to meet an arriving train. And ensuring that services which are planned to connect really do; that the onward service does not leave until passengers have had time to transfer from the arriving service.
      • Special discount promotions to encourage people to break their old travel habits and try something new. Note that this has to be managed - if too many people try to travel on the same day their experience is likely to be one of crowding and queues.
      • Ensuring that fare structures are simple and easily-understood
      • Information about egress from the station at the city end
      • Marketing that aims to influence choices by pointing out the disadvantages of car travel – parking costs, congestion, traffic fumes, stress.

 

Supported by: Intelligent Energy