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Frank Fahey and the Galway Outer Bypass online
Read more about: Environment, Fianna Fail, Galway West, Government, Green Ink, Transport
Galway West Fianna Fail TD and Minister of State Frank Fahey has launched a website allowing visitors to leave messages of support for the Galway Outer Bypass. However the site seems to have attracted more than a few detractors; comments so far include:
“This is another bad example of the ‘predict and provide’ approach to transport which will increase car dependency and will attract even more traffic in the long run”
“Fahey can get a Russian hair salon built faster then this road.”
“It’ll be Knocknatallaght all the way to Carraroe”
There are a number of supportive messages, and the site has only been up for a few days, but it will be interesting to see if Fahy has inadvertently set up a forum for dissenters and whether such comments will be deleted.
UPDATE: It’s also becoming a forum for knocking Cllr. Niall O’Brolchain of the Greens and current Mayor of Galway. O’Brolchain recently and controversially objected to the bypass on mayoral headed paper.
Interesting to see that all comments whether supportive or not are used to calculate the number of “supporters” that is listed under the map on the top right hand corner.
I also find that if i click on “don’t support” it increases the percentage supporting. but if i click on support (in an experimental manner) it increases the number supporting it.
The comments are real though. I like it but people don’t fully understand the issue at hand and Frank Fahey is trying to polarise the himself and the greens on a single issue in the upcoming election.
The greens are not against roads and cars they just want to invest in public transport. If the greens were to prioritise in Galway. Public transport would come first. this would clear up a lot of the traffic in the city while improving the quality of life for the locals.
If there is a future, it will be Green.
This outer ring route is all about land speculation, not transport. an M50 mess for the west.
iam an land ownner in ballindooley
It seems quite a majority are against the bypass.This has backfired on Fahey!
I’m actually really surprised at the result. then again though its an online poll which are worth next to nothing in my opinion.
especially when it made no sense earlier on. (i.e. the poll was completely for then swung right around to a good majority against)
The http://www.isupportthebypass.com website is a good idea, most of the comments are genuine and the level of support for the bypass is very high as expected. It was a pity to see the green party try to manipulate the vote, however it has really backfired on them.
“It was a pity to see the green party try to manipulate the vote, however it has really backfired on them.”
How did they “try to manipulate the vote” and how exactly has it backfired on them? From what I can tell, the only people it has backfired on are Frank Fahey and his “system admin”, who have had to change the rules at least twice, showing they have absolutely no appreciation of online polling or campaigning. Setting the results back by four days or so was a stroke of comic genius.
Fahey should really pull the site to save himself further embarrassment. He can even blame the Greens if he likes.