Annie May Reape has called for some kind of traffic calming measures to be put in place at Quay Lane, Ballina. Cllr Reape put forward a motion at this week’s Ballina Municipal District Meeting, saying: “I do welcome the ongoing work at the junction at the top of the lane, but this is no longer a lane in my opinion, it’s more of a roadway. There are 33 to 34 houses and 20 children living there. It’s a de facto housing estate, houses on both sides of the road, and there is a lot of activity going on there. We need to have some way of making it safe for the residents who live there, so people can walk, drive, and children can play. Even signage would be appreciated. I’ve had a lot of representation from residents there. There was a time a number of years ago, there was four houses, now we’ve 30 or so.”
Cllr Reape’s motion was seconded by Fine Gael councillor John O’Hara. Senior engineer for Mayo County Council, Paul Dolan, responded to Cllr Reape’s request, saying: “I don’t see where the speeding issue is, but we’ll take on board the comments that have been made. I don’t think it’s possible to speed on that road with the alignment that’s up there. I’ve replied to the residents’ association, I’m not in favour of any traffic calming on it because I don’t think it’s warranted. But what I have agreed to do is we will put up a sign that will measure the speed on it, then we will have a definitive figure on the speed cars are driving at. I’ve also agreed that we’d consider the new speed limit of 30km that will be applied in housing estates that is coming in, and we’ll consider Quay Lane for the installation of it. However there will be a lot of other estates around Ballina that will get it first on a phased basis. It may not be this year, it could be next year.”
