Chapter 7 MOVEMENT ‘To facilitate investment and improvement in transport infrastructure in the County that will support economic growth and investment and the creation of healthy, sustainable communities; by improving connectivity and journey times within, and between, settlements, promoting and investing in more sustainable modes of travel including, walking, cycling and public transport, creating a more attractive public realm, and reducing carbon emissions’. 7 MOVEMENT 7.1 INTRODUCTION A modern, functional and sustainable The Draft Plan also seeks to progress key transportation network that allows people infrastructure projects that will facilitate and goods to move around efficiently economic growth in the County and contributes to an environment where maintain its economic competitiveness. businesses can thrive and people can enjoy a more balanced lifestyle. Louth 7.2 OVERSIGHT AND benefits from a well-developed network RESPONSIBILITY FOR of transport links at a national, regional TRANSPORT POLICY, and local level. INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES 7.2.1 Department of Tourism Transport and Sport (DTTAS) At a national level, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) is The strategic location of the County along responsible for transport policy and the the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor funding and oversight of transport provides excellent transport links to these infrastructure and services. cities via the motorway, national roads, Working under the remit of the DTTAS, and inter-city rail line. There is also a the National Transport Authority (NTA) strong network of regional and local roads and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) that provide connectivity between are the state agencies with responsibility settlements within the County and key for providing and maintaining transport service centres in the wider region. infrastructure. This Chapter will set out the strategy for 7.2.2 Transport Infrastructure transport infrastructure provision and Ireland (TII) investment in the County. It will strive to strengthen the links Transport Infrastructure Ireland was between land use and transportation and established through a merger of the will seek to promote more sustainable National Roads Authority and the Railway modes of transport including walking, Procurement Agency under the Roads Act cycling, public transport and car-share 2015. TII's primary function is to provide facilities including the use of electric an integrated approach to the future vehicles so as to reduce urban congestion, development and operation of the create more attractive environments and national roads network and light rail to help transition to a low carbon and infrastructure throughout Ireland. climate resilient County. Draft Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 7-1 7.2.3 The National Transport This integrated approach includes: Authority (NTA) Improvements to public transport to facilitate compact growth and The NTA is responsible for planning, achieving a reduction in carbon implementation and funding of public emissions; transport and infrastructure, regulation Investment in walking and cycling and contracting of public transport infrastructure to promote more services, and providing facilities and active and healthy lifestyles; and infrastructure that promote walking and Investment in road infrastructure to cycling. improve connectivity and 7.2.4 Local Authorities accessibility. The NDP sets out details of infrastructure Local Authorities work closely with the investment up to 2027. It is closely DTTAS, the NTA, and TII in the aligned to the National Strategic implementation of transport policy and in Outcomes of the NPF which will ensure identifying and funding roads and there is a co-ordinated approach between transport related projects at a local level. policy and expenditure. The following 7.3 POLICY CONTEXT transport related projects in Louth have been included in the NDP: The Movement and Transport Strategy in N2 upgrade Ardee to Castleblaney; this Draft Plan has been informed by a N52 Ardee Bypass; and broad range of national and regional DART Expansion Programme to policy documents and strategies. A brief Drogheda. summary of these documents is set out in Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy this section. (RSES) for the Eastern and Midland Region 7.3.1 National and Regional 2019-2031: The RSES supports the Strategies implementation of the National Planning Framework and the National Project Ireland 2040 – The National Development Plan by setting out a Planning Framework (NPF) and National strategic planning and economic Development Plan 2018-2027 (NDP): The framework that is consistent with the NPF recognises the importance of an National Policy Objectives and National integrated approach to land use and Strategic Outcomes set out in the NPF. transport planning in achieving the goals of the Framework. These goals are set out in the document as National Strategic Outcomes. 7-2 Draft Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 As part of the integration of land use and Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and transportation planning there is an Capital Investment 2016-2021: This emphasis on reducing the need to travel, Capital Plan presents the Government’s by focusing development in identified new €42 billion framework for centres of growth and ensuring there is a infrastructure investment in Ireland over closer alignment between population and the period 2016 to 2021. employment growth. Local Transport Smarter Travel: Is a transport policy Plans are to be prepared for identified published by the Department of settlements in the region, which include Transport, Tourism, and Sport in 2009. It Drogheda and Dundalk, to assist in the sets out a vision of how a sustainable integration of land use and transportation travel and transport system can be planning. achieved. There is also an emphasis on promoting a The document includes a series of goals modal shift away from a dependence on and targets including: the private car to more sustainable modes Improve accessibility to transport of transport, to facilitate greater efficiency Maximise the efficiency of the in transport networks and address the transport network and alleviate impacts of climate change. congestion and bottlenecks In addition to supporting the progression Reduce greenhouse gas emissions of infrastructure projects set out in the associated with transport National Development Plan, the RSES also Reduce travel demand and supports the delivery of enabling commuting distances travelled by the infrastructure that will facilitate private car population and economic growth in the Reduce the dependency on fossil Regional Growth Centres of Drogheda and fuels Dundalk and allow the settlements to The document acknowledges that the develop into centres of scale. This successful implementation of this policy includes the construction of the Port will require future employment and Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) in population growth to be predominantly Drogheda. concentrated in compact urban areas Planning Land Use and Transport – Outlook 2040 (PLUTO 2040): This is a 7.3.2 Planning Guidance framework for investing in land transport Spatial Planning and National Roads: The that was under preparation by the ‘Spatial Planning and National Roads – Department of Transport, Tourism, and Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ Sport at the time of writing. It is an update provides guidelines and planning of the document ‘Strategic Investment in considerations relating to development Land Transport’ published in 2015. It will affecting motorways, national primary set out key priorities and principles for and national secondary roads. future investment that will ensure the delivery of a transport network that meets the needs of the country and delivers the National Strategic Outcomes in Project Ireland 2040. Draft Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 7-3 The emphasis of the guidelines is to It recognises the tourism potential of maintain the efficiency, capacity and Greenways to act as economic drivers in safety of the national road network. local areas, particularly where associated The Guidelines highlight: infrastructure can be provided or is The interdependency between land available. The Strategy promotes a close use and transportation policies in working relationship between key minimising the need to travel and stakeholders including Local Authorities, The impact of new accesses on to landowners, local communities and other national roads in terms of road safety, state bodies in delivering successful and the importance of development Greenways. management in achieving high Design Manual for Urban Roads and standards in relation to design quality Streets (DMURS): Commonly referred to and traffic management. as ‘DMURS’, the Design Manual for Urban Plan led development that takes account Roads and Streets was originally published of future development patterns including in 2013 with an updated version published trip generation associated with land use in 2019. DMURS seeks to put well- zoning and how this will be catered for is designed streets at the heart of promoted in the Guidelines. sustainable communities and supports National Cycle Policy Framework: The boarder government policies on the National Cycle Policy Framework was environment, planning and published in 2009 alongside the Smarter transportation. It provides the practical Travel policy document. The goal of this measures to achieve: Framework is to create a strong cycling Highly connected streets