The Galway County Council has commissioned engineering consultants to carry out a full feasibility report on the Main Street in Headford in a bid to improve vehicular movements and parking measures as well as to enhance the street scape in the town.
Fine Gael councillor Andrew Reddington said a solution to the traffic flow issue will have a positive impact for businesses in the town.
He said; “Over the last few weeks, pictures have been flying around social media of cars vans parked all over the footpaths in Headford. I am getting on average seven or eight pictures a week of vehicles parked [illegally] sent to me by email and social media, pleading with me to try and come up with a solution.
“I have consistently brought this up at municipal and county level and also had many conversations with [executive engineer of the Galway County Council], Damien Mitchell, about it. I want a solution that will work also for businesses who are just about surviving at the moment and also residents who are living on Main Street in Headford for generations.
“I had allocated €5000 to prevent parking on one side of Headford town. I wanted the engineers to put down double yellow lines on one side of the street and I wanted to introduce a bylaw to make this happen. However, from lengthy meetings with John Coyle from the Galway County Council, he has agreed to appoint traffic consultants to come up with a solution in Headford town’s Main street. We will wait for the report to come out and afterwards funding will have to be applied for. I am happy that we are coming close to some form of a decision on what to do. It has been hectic for 20 years.
“A full engineering and safety report will be required in order to proceed with any works on this street. This will take four to six weeks to do. Following this we will review the report and go through the scope of what works we envisage will be best with the elected members and the public. We will then be seeking funding from the Department of Transport. This more than likely will come from the 2021 roads budgets which will be adopted by the elected members in February 2021.
“I really believe that a free flowing street will help business. I am really keen to sort this issue out I have been witnessing it all my life. It is frustrating to say the least.”
