Westport Town Councillors have postponed making a decision on whether the middle Mall should be reduced to one lane as part of smarter travel works for the town.
Town manager, Martin Keating said that the smarter travel project is to improve pedestrian safety, reduce speed and encourage walking and cycling and that the decision for councillors is whether the middle Mall should have one lane of traffic eradicated.
Mr Keating said that the findings of the trial which took place recently showed that there was an improvement in pedestrian safety and it slowed down traffic movement.
As part of the trial the right turn coming along the Mall from the Newport Road to the middle mall was stopped, however the town manager said that the right turn option is necessary. Mr Keating recommended that councillors reduce the two lane system on the bridge to just one.
Cllr Brendan Mulroy did not agree with this recommendation, he said that having three flows of traffic-from the Mall, Newport Road and Castlebar going into one lane won’t work. “To me it’s just absolute madness...this is the most illogical thing I have ever come across.” His party colleague Cllr Margaret Adams said that it is a “vexatious issue and it is not sitting lightly with me”. Independent councillor Martin Keane said that he would not be supporting it.
Fine Gael councillor Michael McLaughlin said that he is 100 per cent behind it, but is not supporting the right turn. The councillor said that the idea behind the restriction of traffic is to make it more pedestrian and cycle friendly, “unfortunately the people we are selling this to will never sit on a bike”. He added that “we are changing the plan of the town for the better”. He added that the study trip to smarter travel town Freiburg in Germany at the end of last year was important as the councillors who went saw the mechanics of smarter travel worked in a city and the councillor said that another study trip should be on the cards soon enough so that all councillors can go and see the vision that is trying to be achieved.
Cllr Keith Martin commented that the trial proved that it can work and added that “it is only four to five car lengths” and is not going to affect the entire traffic flow of the town. Cllr Martin also supported the right turn.
Fine Gael councillor Christy Hyland said that if there was a relief road around the town “then we wouldn’t be having this discussion”. He said that it is the wrong time to be interfering with the commercial life of the town as it will stop business coming into the town. Cllr Myles Staunton disagreed that this would have any effect on business in the town.
Cathaoirleach, Cllr Ollie Gannon proposed that a decision be made at the next meeting as he would like to see a consensus on this issue. He expressed his disappointment with the lack of public submissions about this. Cllr Hyland concurred and said that pub talk should not be taken on board, but submissions should have been made. “I’m sick of hurlers on the ditch,” he said.
