Immediate action is required to address traffic congestion and safety concerns in Oranmore, according to local Fine Gael TD Hildegarde Naughton.
The traffic management plan for the town has been the subject of criticism, with motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all raising concerns over traffic flow on the main thoroughfare.
Deputy Naughton has warned that tourism, business and the general amenity of the town will be adversely affected unless a number of basic measures are taken to address traffic issues.
“This is not rocket science. There are relatively simple remedies that can be implemented in the short term to alleviate the problems that the town is experiencing,” said the Oranmore TD.
“I have engaged with Galway County Council to outline some of these problems and proposed solutions, and I am hopeful that there will be measurable progress in this regard soon. ”One of the problems that has been highlighted concerns cars exiting from the Astro-turf carpark in the town, where sightlines are dangerously obstructed by cars parked on the main road.
Deputy Naughton has proposed swapping the entrance and the exit to the one-way carpark, allowing cars to enter via the main road and exit onto Castle Road, where views of the road are unimpeded.“This is just one example of how quite modest measures can be devised and implemented in order to improve road safety and traffic congestion in our town,” she said.
Other traffic-related issues that have been raised by local residents include similar sightline issues exiting Lidl and obstructions at the traffic island near Poppyseed Restaurant in the town. Deputy Naughton, who established and led Galway Transport Forum while she was Mayor of Galway City in 2011, said the prosperity and amenity of Oranmore would be affected if traffic issues continued unabated.
“Oranmore has experienced huge growth in recent years as job creation has attracted new commuters and residents, but traffic management has not kept pace with this development.
“We need to look at practical solutions for Oranmore before the traffic situation becomes unmanageable. We can’t turn a blind eye to this until it reaches crisis point and fixing problems will be more expensive and difficult,” said the Galway West TD.
