Galway city's Active Travel project at Miller's Lane has essentially been abandoned by the Council since the opening of the facility last June, according to Fianna Fail councillor Cllr John Connolly.
At the most recent meeting of Galway City Council, Cllr John Connolly said that future active travel projects in the city could be put at risk if the council continue to ignore the necessary management and maintenance that such facilities require.
“This Miller's Lane project received €1 Million funding from the NTA. The outcome of the construction phase of the project has received a substantial welcome from the community. Users have been complementary of the surface, the lighting, the planting scheme and generally the project has been embraced. However regretfully and despite highlighting its necessity beforehand, the management of the lane had been non-existent.”
“When this project was in planning and construction, I stressed to the active travel team and city officials of the imperative of a proper management schedule for the lane. I was advised that bins had been provided for in the costing of the project, I was also advised that the design of the lane facilitated its servicing by a compact road-sweeper," he said.
“There are no bins included, there is no scheduled servicing from a litter management team, the surface has suffered some defacement, and all of this is detracting from the amenity of the facility. I noted that at the outset of the project that it could be a prototype for other such projects in the city, however support for such active travel projects will be difficult to generate should the council fail to develop and implement appropriate management strategies for Millers Lane.”
He said that he is somewhat encouraged by the response of the Chief executive at the meeting.
"The CEO confirmed that an inter-departmental team was being organised to assess the management of Millers Lane. We were also advised by the director of active travel section that additional resources have been sought from the NTA to help manage Millers Lane and other active travel projects, I understand this to include funding for an additional compact road sweeper. Since the meeting, a litter management team visited Millers Lane last weekend.”
“I also asked the Council to expediate the turning-on of the pedestrian crossing at Rahoon as one exits Millers Lane. The infrastructure has been in-place for the past number of months. I have been advised that the pedestrian crossing will become operational in the coming days," he said.
