LIMERICK City and County Council has been urged to include the Newport Road section between Mackey Roundabout and Railway Crossing in the review being undertaken for the pending Park and Ride solution.
Making the call at February’s Metropolitan District meeting, Labour Party councillor Elena Secas told the Council executive that this section of the Newport Road road is very busy.
“There have been accidents, the road is totally unsuitable for pedestrians and even for cyclists. The local residents in the Newport Road area have been campaigning for a footpath here for decades,” Cllr Secas commented.
“Fortunately, the Council provided a footpath from the Mackey Roundabout as far as Grangewood estate. Unfortunately, that’s where it ends, even though there is another estate further up the road, namely Rich Hill Woods, as well as houses around the area within walking distance from the roundabout.”
The City East representative believes it would be common sense for the footpath to be extended as part of the Park and Ride solution so that all these people living nearby can walk safely there.
“The reason for the Park and Ride facility at this location is to address traffic congestion and encourage the use of public transport,” she said.
“Integrating this footpath as part of the bigger project will support a more sustainable, walkable community, will encourage the use of public transport, and will align with our own policies.
“This small but essential improvement on Newport Road will ensure that the Park and Ride solution is truly accessible for everyone in the area, not only for the people commuting a longer distance.
“It will make no sense at all for the people living nearby not to be able to avail of the Park and Ride facility on their doorstep. And if we believe just for one second that all those people will drive one minute from home, leave their cars there and take the public transport into town, then we must be really naive.”
She went on to say that local residents who live nearby must be actively engaged in the consultant’s review, saying that “they have first-hand knowledge of the issues faced in this area and can offer invaluable insights into any potential improvements, traffic patterns, or concerns that might otherwise be missed by external consultants.”
In response, the Council explained that it is preparing planning documentation, in conjunction with the NTA, for a strategic Park and Ride facility on the lands to the west of the Mackey Junction in accordance with the objectives of the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.
