Tramore Development Trust (TDT) hosted a successful introductory community transport workshop on Thursday, 10th July at the Coastguard Cultural Centre, marking the first major step in a new initiative to develop a Community-Led Mobility Strategy for Tramore. The initiative, a collaboration between TDT, Waterford City and County Council, the Waterford Public Participation Network (PPN), and researchers from the Conundrum team (a Trinity College Dublin/UCD consortium), seeks to transform how people move within Tramore.
The workshop followed on from the “Our Town, Our Future” survey conducted earlier this year, which gathered input from 737 residents. The survey revealed a strong desire to address issues such as traffic congestion, public transport accessibility, parking challenges, and poor connectivity between different parts of Tramore, especially between the Ring Road, Riverstown, and the town centre.
Attendees at the workshop included residents, local business owners, community representatives, and transport experts. The event aimed to open a dialogue about the town’s transport challenges and opportunities, and to begin shaping a vision for how Tramore can become a more connected, accessible, and sustainable town. A wide range of perspectives were shared, underscoring the community’s enthusiasm and commitment to creating real change.
The team from Conundrum presented examples of community-led transport transformations in other towns and introduced the types of data and local knowledge that will inform the strategy for Tramore. The event provided a valuable space for locals to voice their concerns, propose ideas, and learn how the strategy will evolve through continued collaboration.
Peter Foley of Tramore Development Trust expressed his satisfaction with how the process has begun: “The level of engagement at our first workshop has been really encouraging. It’s clear that the people of Tramore want to see improvements in how we move around our town — not just for convenience, but to support community life, tourism, and sustainability. This is only the beginning, and we’re looking forward to digging deeper at our next engagement event. We warmly invite everyone to join us again on Wednesday evening, 30th July, for a more detailed community workshop focused on shaping the transport and mobility strategy together.”
The next community engagement workshops will take place on the evening of Wednesday, 30th July in Tramore GAA Centre at 7.00pm , and there are 2 community mapping workshops the following day on the 31st July at Tramore Racecourse at 12.00pm and at 6.00pm. The mapping workshops will seek to provide a more detailed assessment, identifying and mapping the areas of Tramore where people experience challenges with transport and mobility whilst also suggesting actions to improve community mobility over the longer term.
This initiative signals a new, inclusive approach to planning that places the voices of local people at the centre of decision-making. Tramore Development Trust, along with its partners, remains committed to creating a community mobility strategy that reflects the needs of residents, supports the town’s future growth, and contributes to a more connected, accessible, and vibrant Tramore.
