The future of Athlone’s one-way system will be known in just a few days, when councillors hold a special meeting this Monday October 20 to decide on the fate of the town’s streets.
Councillors at last week’s meeting of Athlone Town Council decided by a majority of six to three to push back the decision for two weeks, ending on Monday, in order to obtain feedback from the council about the effects of the system on traffic flow, footfall, and revenue for the town’s traders.
It was Cllr Mark Cooney who proposed the two week postponement of the decision, and he was supported by all but three councillors - independent councillor Austin Berry, Labour’s Cllr Ray Lennon, and his party colleague Cllr Mick O’Connell, all of whom were in favour of immediately reinstating the two-way traffic system in the town.
An in-depth debate saw councillors divided on the level of success the one-way system, which has been in place for two months, has enjoyed. Director of services Barry Kehoe made an impassioned plea at the outset for councillors to seriously consider the improvements that had taken place for both traffic and pedestrians as a result of the new system, as well as the necessity of having the one-way system in place so that streetscaping could be carried out in the town centre.
“We are in a position to fund the €6 million required to get the scheme in place in 2009. There is no point in going ahead if there is a two-way system in Church Street. The long-term plan for Athlone is to create a town we can be proud of - we need to be looking five, 10, and 15 years down the line,” he said, while town engineer Alan Kelly outlined the traffic problems that would return if there was a reversion to the two-way system.
Cllr John Butler spoke out particularly strongly in favour of the one-way system, saying councillors couldn’t possibly be proud of the streets as they are. “We have a commitment in these times of €6 million - are we going to turn this back in the executive’s face? This would be one of the most disastrous decisions this council could make,” he said.
Referring to opposition to the one-way system emanating from town centre traders, Cllr Kieran Molloy said there was no way of knowing whether the recent drop in footfall was not as a result of the recent unfavourable economic downturn.
Proposing the two week wait, Cllr Mark Cooney said that councillors were being asked to choose between “two unpalatable options”. “Returning to the two-way system would mean the benefits to the town centre would be lost, but to proceed with the streetscaping could irreparably damage the town and affect business, which by all accounts it already has. We could make the wrong decision so easily, and we need to give it a period of time and do some surveys in the meantime.”
Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran agreed, suggesting that a private consultant be hired to investigate traffic flow and footfall in the town, while Cllr Paul Hogan said it was a worrying time for traders and that he would remain open-minded regarding the one-way system.
Mayor Cllr Egbert Moran drew attention to figures that showed that footfall in Athlone had increased by 25 per cent between March and the end of September; however other councillors argued that Tullamore’s footfall had increased by 57 per cent during the same period. “This is the bravest decision we have had to take, and I don’t see why we should rush into it,” said Cllr Moran.
However Cllr Austin Berry argued strongly that there was little point in putting off the decision for two weeks, when the process of reverting to the two-way system could cause chaos in the run up to the Christmas season. Cllr Ray Lennon added that people’s livelihoods would continue to be affected the longer the one-way system remained in place.
Cllr Mick O’Connell said that councillors had to take into account the feedback they had received from the town’s residents and traders, and that the system was clearly not working. “I don’t like the idea that we have to have the one-way system and the streetscaping or nothing, or that the idea won’t be revisited for another 10 years.”
Responding to the councillors’ comments, county manager Dan McLoughlin agreed that it would be possible to carry out a traffic analysis, but said it would be more difficult to analyse footfall and turnover as the figures would be subject to interpretation and economic context.
Councillors are to attend a special meeting on Monday October 20 to make a final decision on whether to revert to the two-way traffic system, or to retain the one-way system and move forward with the streetscaping plans for the town centre.
Meanwhile a petition containing over 1,000 signatures from people who oppose the one-way system was presented to councillors by Fine Gael candidate Gabrielle McFadden prior to last week’s council meeting.
