New cycle lane causing traffic chaos and ‘fury’ with residents
By Aideen O'Flaherty
AN ONLINE petition calling on South Dublin County Council to reinstate the two lanes approaching the Orlagh Roundabout in Knocklyon has amassed over 2,700 signatures, with the councillor who set up the petition saying that the traffic issues have caused ‘fury’ in the area.
Independent councillor for Rathfarnham, Deirdre O’Donovan, set up the petition on Monday after residents told her about their frustration with the car lanes leading to the roundabout being reduced to a single lane to make way for a cycle lane.
The roundabout in Knocklyon
Construction work began on the installation of a shared cycle and footway leading to the Orlagh Roundabout in July, where traffic was then reduced to a single lane on approach to the roundabout, which is now leading to traffic tailbacks in the area.
Cllr O’Donovan told The Echo: “It makes sense that they want to build a cycle lane so kids can cycle to school – St Colmcille’s is one of the largest primary schools in Europe – but what they’ve done to the road and the roundabout is all for the sake of a few kids to go to school.
“They’ve made it impossible for motorists.
“Even at a quarter to four on a Saturday afternoon there’s tailbacks up to the roundabout.
“The road has been narrowed so much that on the roads to the roundabout residents have been telling me about near misses, and some buses and trucks are having to go up on the path.
“There is fury – that was a perfectly working, adequate roundabout that has been reduced from two lanes down to one.
“It has had a catastrophic affect on traffic in Knocklyon, it’s an unmitigated disaster.
“The roundabout needs to be put back the way it was.”
The people who signed the petition had a number of criticisms about the development, with local residents citing a “dramatic” increase in traffic and the delays that the single lane is causing for both commuters and motorists as their reasons for signing the petition.
Cllr O’Donovan will be raising the issue at this month’s meeting of the Rathfarnham Area Committee on December 11.
A spokesperson for South Dublin County Council was contacted for comment, but they did not respond in time for print.
