Immediate action urged to prevent more accidents

SOUTH Dublin County Council has again said it will “look at” upgrade works to promote safe travel at St Mark’s Community School after a speeding incident saw a car overturn on the nearby road.

Speeding is a daily occurrence and an ongoing issue along the Cookstown Road, which serves as the main travel route for those attending St Mark’s CS and St Mark’s GAA Club.

In December, shortly after students from St Mark’s had finished school, there was an incident which left a car overturned on the road with a trail of debris, including shattered glass, behind it.

The car entered the footpath, hitting a bus stop and fence before flipping to a halt.

Following the incident, Cllr O’Connor raised a motion calling for “immediate action” at the secondary school after concerns were raised once again by members of the school’s parent association and St Mark’s GAA club.

Among the calls being made were for the provision of pedestrian lights and other actions to prevent accidents.

At the Tallaght Area Committee Meeting in December, the council said: “St. Mark’s Community school area will be looked at for upgrade works to promote active travel.

“There are no schemes proposed on Maplewood Road or on Fettercairn Road under the Cycle South Dublin Programme.

“However, we anticipate that the NTA will provide funding to the council in 2023 to advance ‘Rapid Deployment Cycle Facilities’ across the county.

“The Active Travel team has arranged to carry out a survey in the vicinity of the school to establish if rapid deployment cycle facilities (such as Bollards, bolt down kerbs, etc) could be installed at the location.

“Should the location be suitable, and the funding made available by the NTA, a consultation process would be arranged in advance of progressing works.”

As reported in The Echo, St Mark’s Junior and Senior schools were selected as pilot schools for the project (previously referred to as the School Street project) at a council meeting for the Tallaght area in October 2020.

Currently at design stage, the preferred option proposed by the council for this pilot project would see the radius of the junction at Cookstown Road tightened, and Maplewood Road width reduced to widen footpaths.

That proposal also incorporated a “school ahead” warning sign, controlled zebra crossing and reduction in width of Fernwood Way from 7m to 5m.

Further up the Cookstown Road, at the stretch of road at St Mark’s Community School, St Mark’s GAA Club and Bellvue apartments, the issue of speeding has further intensified.

At the October Tallaght Area Committee Meeting, Cllr Charlie O’Connor asked CEO Daniel McLoughlin to refer to previous contact with the Parents Association of St Mark’s Community School.

This was in respect to their concerns regarding traffic management issues around the school requesting that action be taken including improved signage and a pedestrian crossing.

In response, the council stated that St Mark’s CS would be “looked at for safety upgrade works following the completion” of works at St Mark’s National Schools, which are at design stage.

Two-months-later, after the incident involving the car overturning, the authority has reiterated its intention to “look at safety upgrade works”.