Concerns raised over the traffic lights system causing congestion

Residents have raised issues with the traffic light system in Adamstown, with congestion noted to appear on the way out of the area.

Travelling within the Strategic Development Zone has been an issue for locals commuting, with green light sequences only allowing a limited number of vehicles through before changing to red.

The journey from Adamstown Avenue through Castlegate Way onto the main road outside of the town centre has been highlighted by locals recently as one of the most visible traffic issues in the area.

Dublin Mid-West TD Paul Gogarty said that the lack of public transport options in Adamstown is the main cause of such congestion, with subpar alternatives on offer to residents.

The public transport available is extensions of existing routes that were pushed out from areas such as Lucan, rather than dedicated networks created for Adamstown.

Deputy Gogarty said: “There are too many houses without enough reliable public transport options tied into the SDZs at Adamstown and Clonburris.

“Many of these decisions were made years ago but are coming home to roost. Motions to tie in public transport infrastructure with each phase were voted down or else overruled by An Bord Pleanala.”

South Dublin County Council stated in May that buses were full at peak times in the area and that the National Transport Authority constantly monitor the changes in bus demand.

Councillor Liona O’Toole has been dealing with the issue for several years in both a personal and professional sense.

Cllr O’Toole noted that Adamstown’s infrastructure is merely an extension of existing services in Lucan and that the traffic problems in both areas go hand-in-hand in certain aspects.

“I’ve had multiple motions down on the agenda and many requests to meet with the NTA…

“…I have my grown children, they will use the bus service on a daily basis and I’m constantly getting text messages from them – ‘the bus didn’t show up’.

“Nearly every day a bus doesn’t show up.”

Dublin Mid-West TD Paul Gogarty put the congestion in the SDZ down to bad planning from developers and stated that changes may not improve the situation.

He noted that he believes the issue is caused by the traffic management and not the volume of it.

The TD said that people complain about the route through Castlegate Way often but allowing more time for cars to pass lights will not alleviate the issue.

Deputy Gogarty said: “While the sequence can be tweaked, which has been requested, any major change will lead to more traffic taking this route to avoid additional congestion on the Newcastle Road and other major roads.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.