Banbridge / Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015
Strategic Plan Framework: Transportation

The movement of people and the efficient distribution of goods and services are essential to the functioning of any area. Good communications are, therefore, important to the local economy and to attract inward investment. Good transport links also connect people socially and provide access to leisure and recreational opportunities.

There are comprehensive networks of transport infrastructure and services within the Plan Area. There is an extensive footpath system in most of the designated settlements. A number of rural recreational footpaths and elements of the National Cycle Network pass through the area. Public transport provision consists of rail services on the Belfast to Dublin line and a network of urban and rural bus services including inter-urban express routes. There is an extensive network of roads ranging from major strategic routes to minor rural roads. Additionally, the port of Warrenpoint is located in the Plan Area.

Continuing growth in road transport and its consequential environmental impacts in terms of, for example, air quality, tranquillity, and impact on landscapes and habitats present a major challenge to the objective of sustainable development. Unmanaged traffic growth also has social and economic consequences, such as congestion and the effect on residents' quality of environment, and the reduced attractiveness of town centres as retail and service destinations.

The Plan considers how the location and nature of development affects the amount and nature of travel, and how the pattern of development is influenced by transport infrastructure and policies.