School openings create traffic volume worries
The large volume of traffic and the tendency for cars to break red lights in Lucan are causing grave concern as schools prepare to open again.
Wtih two secondary schools and three primary schools in the area, accommodating nearly 4,000 students, councillors for Lucan are hoping to improve access routes to a number of schools in Lucan, particularly along the Old Lucan Road, as well as encourage alternative travel methods such as walking and cycling.
At a June meeting chaired by Independent councillor Liona O’Toole, a deputation led by residents and parents from Lucan, addressed concerns with traffic, including the ‘extremely dangerous junction’ near Woodie’s DIY.
The group asked South Dublin County councillors, including Guss O’Connell, Ed O’Brien and Paul Gogarty, to look into a school warden being put at this location, to which they were given a commitment.
However speaking to The Echo this week, Cllr O’Toole said they had yet to secure a School Warden for the Lucan area. She said: “The difficulty is that they’re not able to get people to take up the position.
She said there had been a number of ‘near misses’ as children attempted to cross this pedestrian crossing.
The group was led by St Andrew’s Church Rev. Scott Peoples. Rev. Peoples told The Echo: “We’ve had general concerns about the width of the footpaths, we want to make them a bit more wide.
“Parking on footpaths outside of businesses has become a problem. The footpath into the St Andrew’s school is very narrow.”
The issue of cars breaking red lights at the junction at the old St Andrew’s school was also addressed.
Rev. Peoples said the area was ‘notorious for breaking lights’ and said unless there was a risk of getting caught, people would continue to chance it.
Independent councillor for Lucan Guss O’Connell also commented on the desire to encourage cycling and walking to school and said: “We’re trying to facilitate pedestrian lanes with the increasing volume of traffic in Lucan.”
The group said they were doubtful that parents would let their children use cycle lanes on these roads, as there were a number of businesses operating along the road with several entrances to estates where children have to cross roads to get to school.
South Dublin County Council hope to combat this by introducing the N4 to City Centre Cycle and Pedestrian scheme.
The council plans stated: “The cycle facilities will join to existing ones on Willsbrook Road and the R136, that are heavily used by school pupils, attributed to several primary and secondary schools located near the proposed scheme and also to commuters using the existing N4 cycle route to city centre.”
However proposed works included removal of the right turn from the southbound R136 (Outer Ring Rd) onto the N4 on-ramp in order to provide a cycle track in both directions over the bridge.
Cllr O’Toole said that these plans caused an unprecedented volume of submissions: “The plans have received 195 submissions, most of them about the right turn.”
O’Toole said that the issue with traffic management in Lucan was ongoing and unresolved, and blamed issues on the number of schools being built in a relatively short time.
