School children risk death daily just on the walk to catch a school bus, according to residents living in a once quiet rural area on the new Cork City boundary.
Members of the Moneygourney Residents Association near Douglas pleaded for urgent road safety measures before a pedestrian is killed saying aggressive driving and speeding by commuter traffic through their area is putting lives at risk.
“Most of our residents are no longer brave, or mad enough, to walk on our road. But a number of residents defiantly continue to walk to school with our children each morning,” residents’ spokesperson Lisa Leahy said.
They are the latest community in an area which became part of the city following the 2019 city boundary extension to plead for road safety and traffic calming measures following a surge in speeding suburban traffic on their local road network.
Similar calls have come from residents in Kilcully, on the city’s northside, where a major pedestrian safety scheme is finally advancing, and from residents in Lehanaghmore, near Togher, on the southside, where a similar long-awaited road safety improvement scheme was recently approved.
Complex land acquisition issues meant both schemes have taken years to progress to this stage, with work yet to start. A large pedestrian safety scheme in Kerry Pike has also been approved.
The residents of Moneygourney Road, where three family pets have been knocked down and killed by speeding motorists in recent weeks, said something needs to be done in their area now.
The once quiet and narrow local road, which is overseen by the city council at its northern third, and by the county council at its southern two-thirds, has become a major rat run for motorists heading to or from Ringaskiddy and Carrigaline.
Traffic is at its worst, and fastest, during morning and evening rush hours, they say.
The lack of footpaths means pedestrians have to take their lives in their hands and walk on the road or on a grass verge. The speed limit varies along the 2.5km stretch from 50kph to 60kph to 80kph.
Ms Leahy said they secured a recent meeting with City Hall, and the council painted some ‘go slow’ road markings at the city end, leading to a slight improvement.
“It’s a good first step but we have been told that is all they can do at this stage until they get more funding,” she said.
More than 400 people have now signed a petition urging both councils to work together on a raft of additional measures, including:
- reducing the speed limit to 40kph or lower;
- installing vehicle-activated speed indicator signs;
- installing traffic calming islands.
In the absence of permanent fixed speed cameras, they have also called on gardaí to ramp up speed detection patrols in the area.
“As residents, we would love to reclaim the road for all to enjoy once again,” Ms Leahy said.
In response to a motion from Green Cllr Honore Kamegni in July, City Hall said there are no current planned projects on the road, but it is likely that the speed limit will be reduced in the 80kph zone to 60kph.
“In addition, the Moneygourney Road will be added to the list of requests for traffic calming,” they were told.
“All requests for traffic calming and locations are selected by the members (city councillors) subject to funds being available.”
Councillors were told if they want to increase the pace of delivery of traffic calming infrastructure, then they can increase the budget or assign some of the 2024 local area committee budgets towards such works.
