Mayor of Navan Cllr. Eddie Fennessy was joined today by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and the National Transport Authority (NTA) to officially open the bus interchange on Kennedy Road, Navan Co Meath.
The project was funded by NTA through the Government’s Project 2040 and is aligned with the Sustainable Mobility Action Plan, the Climate Action Plan and the GDA Transport Strategy.
Close co-operation between NTA and Meath County Council has led to major improvements to the public transport network for the people of the Navan area, over the last six years.
This includes the high frequency NX express service from Navan to Dublin; better connectivity with Dublin Airport on the 109A; enhanced regional connectivity with Drogheda, Mullingar and Athlone on the 190; new LocalLink routes 188 and 189; and a significant upgrade of the N1/ N2 Navan town bus service.
The new interchange acts as key link in the public transport network, allowing passengers to make easier connections to the wider bus network in an attractive and comfortable town centre location, facilitating the movement of people into and out of the heart of Navan to work, shop and visit. It also directly links the NX, Navan to Dublin express bus service to the recently constructed Moathill N51 Park and Ride site.
The works have included design features to improve the streetscape's overall appearance and ‘usability,’ including widening footpaths and safety improvements for pedestrians, particularly for mobility-impaired and visually impaired road users. The works have also included enhanced public lighting and the addition of green areas with seating for shoppers or those wishing to take a break.
Minister Eamon Ryan said: “We know that when we invest in public transport, by making it more useful, more frequent and more reliable, people respond.
“In recent years, thanks to an ongoing programme of investment in infrastructure and services, including the N1 and N2 introduced in 2020, patronage on the regional and local buses network in the Navan area has grown from 1.4m to 2.4m passengers per year. That’s an increase of 71%.
“The new Kennedy Road interchange will facilitate further increases in public transport usage in Navan over the next few years and will act as the focal point for more enhancements of the public transport network.”
Mayor of Navan Cllr. Eddie Fennessy said: “With the population of Navan continuing to grow and with further growth predicted, our approach to the movement of people must adapt to the delivery of transport infrastructure, which provides a viable solution whilst also ensuring a reduction in negative impacts on the environment.
“The completion of these new bus stops supports that adaption and, provides the opportunity for sustainable travel choices, and delivers a new, frequent, accessible, and convenient public transport service for the town.
“They will make for a better experience for those living in and visiting the town and will provide a real alternative to car trips around Navan, which will bring tangible environmental and health benefits.”
Chief Executive of Meath County Council Kieran Kehoe said: “The new interchange has been designed to meet the current and future needs of an ever-expanding population of Navan while strengthening economic growth in the town, supporting business, retail, and tourism.
“A key function of the bus interchange is to facilitate greater ease of movement for the public, in a central location, between bus services and the town centre, and to provide a viable alternative to private car use for both short and longer commuting trips, which originate or terminate in Navan.
“Transport policy has progressed significantly from the past ‘predict and provide’ approach and now has advanced to a ‘decide and provide’ approach, shifting from the traditional approach of planning for volumes of cars that typically results in places dominated by cars, to now planning for people with the aim of creating and delivering places for people.
“The completion of this new interchange supports that aim, provides an opportunity for sustainable travel choices, and delivers a new, frequent, accessible, and convenient public transport service for the town. The new bus interchange facility on Kennedy Road will make for a better experience for those living in and visiting the town.”
Chief Executive Officer of NTA Anne Graham said: “The infrastructure being opened today is an exemplar project and one that we hope will inspire communities and local authorities around the country.
“The co-operative and collaborative approach taken to improving public transport services in Navan is good for Meath County Council and good for NTA - and more importantly - good for the people of this town.
“NTA wants to continue to invest in towns like Navan, because we have seen here that when you provide a decent public transport service, people will use it.”
Stephen Kent, CEO, Bus Éireann said: “As part of the Navan Town Scheme, Navan 2030, Bus Éireann has worked in partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA ) and Meath County Council to streamline the stopping locations in Navan town.
“The new changes aim to enhance connectivity between regional, local and the town bus network (N1 and N2 services). This is very welcome news for our Navan customers who rely on our services daily and since the interchange, Bus Éireann has carried over 93,000 passengers using our NX, Route 109 and 109 services.”
Manager LocalLink Louth Meath Fingal, Deirdre Murtagh said: “We are delighted with the new bus interchange at Kennedy Road. Our Local Link services, Route 188 and Route 189 will now be brought into the centre of Navan which means our passengers will have access to shopping, employment, social activities and connectivity to Navan Town's local bus services, as well as other regional and inter-urban services.”
Also in attendance at the launch were Cllr. Emer Tóibín and Peader Tóibín TD.
