Dundalk Active Travel Projects

Client: Louth County Council
Duration: August 2023, ongoing

Project Summary

Transport Insights, as part of a WSP Ireland-led multi-disciplinary project team, was commissioned to provide transport planning and modelling support to the design of 5 no. active travel schemes within the Dundalk Urban Area. Each scheme seeks to provide improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, while concurrently minimising impacts to general traffic within the Town. Through provision of upgraded active travel infrastructure between existing and new residential areas and local amenities in Dundalk, the schemes seek to enhance user safety and support a modal shift towards sustainable travel.

Key tasks undertaken by Transport Insights has included scoping, commissioning and analysis of extensive traffic and parking surveys for each scheme covering both motorised and non-motorised road users; supporting the option development process; and analysing of the preferred option through microsimulation (PTV Vissim software) and individual junction model development (LinSig and Junctions 9 software). In addition, Transport Insights’ team has also contributed to and/ or prepared key deliverables based on requirement of the National Transport Authority’s Project Approval Guidelines (NTA PAG) 2024.

Added Value Brought to Project

In-depth analyses of the survey data provided a comprehensive understanding of baseline travel activity through each scheme area, and a robust basis from which the schemes can be designed, optimised and assessed. Traffic modelling of the proposed road layout changes (e.g. protected junctions, carriageway reallocation, alternative traffic routing etc.) provided Client and stakeholder confidence that the traffic impacts of emerging proposed scheme designs were minimised and that the schemes achieved an appropriate balance between the needs of all road users.

background image: WSP