A KILLALOE “rat run” is to be subject to a speed survey to determine if it fits the bill for low cost safety improvement funding.
An appeal for traffic calming measures “to slow down traffic” between the tennis club and The Benson Box factory in Killaloe was voiced by Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF). The area is located within an existing 50km/h speed limit on the L3084.
Derek Troy, acting senior executive engineer in the Killaloe Municipal District acknowledged that housing estate entrances, a creche and playground were all along the road “which results in a large volume of both vehicular and pedestrian movements”.
He said a speed limit would be completed “to establish if the speed limit is being exceeded”. The results of this and consultation with An Garda Síochána will influence if the location is considered for submission for low-cost safety improvement funding next year. “If funding was granted to implement any traffic calming measures including the construction of ramps and associated signage, the local authority is required to comply with Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 which includes a public consultation process”.
Speaking at a recent sitting of the Killaloe MD, Cllr O’Brien flagged that the road was “heavily traversed by kids, it’s used as a rat run”. He believed the timing of the speed survey was “hugely important” and pointed out that from 4:30pm to 6pm “it is a huge problem” with school runs and people trying to avoid traffic when returning home from work. “The speed survey should inform us that this is necessary and we need to do it, if the Gardaí have to be brought into it, well and good,” he added.
Support was voiced by Cllr Pat Burke (FG) when seconding the proposal, “it is a very busy stretch of road, there is a lot of activity there”.
Speed surveys are not proving to be realistic, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) affirmed. “I often feel that with these surveys, I’ve seen them come back in the past, the feeling you get from the survey and the people on the ground are different synopses”.
Clarity was then provided by the senior engineer, “speed surveys are generally undertaken over a two to three day period, they should catch night and day speeding”.
