LIMERICK City and County Council’s Active Travel Team have been asked to examine the entrance to Woodlawn Park in Ballysimon and address the safety concerns of local residents.
The motion brought before this Monday’s Metropolitan District meeting by Fianna Fáil councillor Catherine Slattery also asked that the existing pedestrian crossing, located to the left of the Woodlawn Park entrance, be replaced with traffic lights.
Cllr Slattery took the view that measures need to be put in place so that the local community can safely exit on to the Ballysimon Road. She said residents are locked in the estate with no traffic calming measures.
“Ballysimon Road is a very busy road and exiting this road from Woodlawn can be a nightmare for residents.
“There is a lot of elderly people in Woodlawn Park who have told me that the thought of getting into their cars to leave at weekends is awful because they could be waiting 15 minutes for someone to let them out.
“Now there is a proposal for apartments at the entrance to the estate for the elderly and disabled, who will now experience this chaos,” the City East representative pointed out.
She explained that residents wanted traffic lights as this new development will bring additional traffic.
“Elderly people are frightened to cross as cars do not stop. The lights constantly flashing are affecting people who are living right in front of the pelican crossing.
“Road safety is very important in this area and I feel Woodlawn Park residents are being forgotten. I urge you to install traffic lights and safety measures in this area so residents can safely exit their community and feel safe and confident doing so,” she concluded.
Cllr Joe Pond (FF) seconded the motion saying that the “Ballysimon Road is a very busy road and extremely dangerous”.
