*Cllr Pat Burke (FG). Photograph: Martin Connolly
“SOMETIMES I wonder do we have anything else to talk about,” remarked Cllr Pat Burke (FG) at the latest sitting of the Killaloe Municipal District.
His comments were in relation to yet another appeal for traffic calming measures in East Clare. Whether it is Kilkishen, Killaloe, Flagmount, Feakle, Tulla or Tuamgraney, for each bi-monthly meeting of the Municipal District the chances of a county councillor tabling a motion on roads or trying to slow down the cars using such roads is as good as guaranteed.
For the latest sitting, traffic calming measures on the R463 approaching the village of Tuamgraney was the request issued by Cllr Burke.
Acting senior executive engineer, Declan Flanagan acknowledged, “It is clear there are relatively high traffic speeds approaching Tuamgraney on the R463 from Killaloe, and in common with other areas, traffic calming measure are required. Any such traffic calming proposals need to be considered and undertaken in a holistic manner with other initiatives in the area”.
He reminded councillors that the Killaloe MD successfully sought and obtained funding through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) to provide
an off-road outdoor trail from Tuamgraney to Raheen Hill to join up with the existing sections of pathway and walkway along the existing amenity Trail to Ballycuggeran and also towards the East Clare Way.
Flanagan advised, “Part of this ORIS scheme includes for proposals of a zebra crossing proximate to the entry of Tuamgraney. As part of the ORIS scheme, we have drafted plans for an off-road section of footpath from Tuamgraney to provide a safe, pleasant and Accessible amenity for pedestrians, cyclists of all ages and abilities. We are currently meeting with community groups with a view to hopefully finalising plans with their agreement for this off-road section and which comply with the requirements of the ORIS funding and which may also include a zebra crossing”.
Once agreement is reached with the stakeholders, draft drawings will include a zebra crossing as a traffic calming measure. It is envisaged the project would be submitted for planning consent through a Part VIII process.
Speaking at the latest Killaloe MD meeting, Cllr Burke remarked, “Every meeting we’re putting down motions for traffic calming and trying to slow down traffic, sometimes I wonder have we anything to talk about”.
Tuamgraney’s handball alley is “a very busy facility” with children getting collected by their parents on dark evenings in the winter prompting the need to slow down traffic, he said. “There are children and the not so young using the ball alley from parishes all over East Clare playing handball, the traffic needs to be slowed down there. I welcome the reply, the driver feedback display sign which flashes the speed back in the day could have been located further back on the road”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) stated, “Every two months there is bound to be a couple of motions relating to speeding, this is positive feedback, we can only do so much, there is a huge lack of enforcement for speeding in our towns and villages. We need to get the Gardaí back in here to see what is happening in our Municipal District. Speed and lack of enforcement is coming up in every village, it is a serious concern, Tuamgraney handball alley is a fantastic amenity, everybody is using it both young and old but cars are flying past it and breaking the law”.
A plan to deal with traffic calming in towns and villages must be identified, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) maintained. “I’m happy to a degree with the reply but I’m very unhappy with the progress on the section of road coming into Scariff, we’ve done the speed survey, it is above the normal speed limit in several areas, I’m not sure who is going to take on this piece of work”. He added, “the overall issue hasn’t been addressed”.
Raised tables are one effective of slowing down traffic, Cllr Burke believed. “Any town or village we approach and you meet a raised table like we have in Whitegate which isn’t as busy as the road in Tuamgraney but the difference it makes to people is visible. Locals can be more guilty than visitors because they can come flying into Tuamgraney, a raised table gives a reminder that you need to slow down in a built-up area”.
Flanagan confirmed a raised table for Tuamgraney will be included as part of the application. He said councillors would be briefed before any Part VIII process progresses. “We’re working on Scariff, we’ve a consultant hired and we are progressing it,” he said in response to Cllr Hayes, this consultant is also looking at the Mountshannon Rd.
