A number of traffic calming works are to get underway throughout the city after councillors approved the plans during Galway City Council meetings this month.
On the agenda for last Monday’s special meeting was plans to install traffic calming measures, under the Road Traffic Act 1994, Section 38, at Fr Griffin Road/Raven Terrace and Dr Colohan Road/Grattan Road. This was proposed by Cllr Donal Lyons and agreed by the majority of councillors present.
The works, which are to take place between now and December, involve the upgrading of traffic lights along Fr Griffin Road, and the removal of the right hand turn from Wolfe Tone Bridge into Raven Terrace. It will also change the traffic flow on Fairhill Road lower which sees two way traffic coming out onto Fr Griffin Road, and a right turn from Fr Griffin Road onto Fairhill Road.
Extensive consultations were undertaken with West End Traders and Raven Terrace residents and businesses. There were two open public meetings held with the Claddagh Residents Association and attended by local area councillors and representatives of Beach Court and Grattan Park residents associations.
These works are part of a much bigger plan to install traffic calming measures in other areas of the city. The plans were brought before councillors at last week’s city council meeting and were approved.
The plans include putting a speed ramp in place in Cartur Mór, Clybaun Road, adjacent to No 12A as this will help raise awareness of the requirement to reduce speed in this residential area. A number of raised table junctions are to be put in place along Dr Mannix Road, Salthill, because this area is a wide road that attracts high speeds, and there are national and secondary schools nearby as well as community facilities. There has been one fatal accident and a number of minor incidents on the road in recent years. It is hoped that these interventions, including the reduction of corner radius at junctions, will help make the area safer for all users including vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Other traffic calming measures will be introduced in areas such as White Oaks, Clybaun Road, Knocknacarra; Liosmore, Cappagh Road, Knocknacarra; Bóthar Stiofáin, Knocknacarra; Rahoon Road; Shangort Road, Knocknacarra; Friars Hill, Rahoon Road; Sceilig Ard, Headford Road; Crestwood, Coolagh Road; An Fiodan, Doughiska; Lurgan Park, Renmore; Ballyloughane Road, Renmore; Lakeshore Drive, Renmore; Ballyloughane Beach Road, Renmore (at Liam Mellows ); and Gort Greine, Rahoon Road.
Following last week’s meeting Cllr Niall McNelis welcomed the traffic calming measures for Knocknacarra explaining that “these improvements will slow the speed of traffic in estates and also will make pedestrians safer”.
“All the councillors met and agreed these works through the Local Improvement Scheme which is a fund that the elected councillors have for local projects. All of these schemes were advertised over the summer and submissions were accepted until the end of August. Works are to be carried out at White Oaks on Clybaun road, Cartur Mor, Liosmore, Bothar Stiofan, Rahoon Road, Shangort Road, Friars Hill on Rahoon Road and on Dr Manix Road in Salthill.
“I am calling on Galway City Council to get these works started and finished as soon as possible as each one will make the lives of the residents safer in their residential areas,” said Cllr McNelis.
