Kildare 'Road to Nowhere' meeting was 'box ticking exercise'
The controversial cycle path
MEMBERS of the Moone Timolin Positive Action Group and the wider community gathered on Wednesday 8 April, to share details of a meeting held earlier that day with Kildare County Council, Aecom and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
The meeting was arranged by Kildare County Council in response to issues identified in a safety audit of the R448, locally known as the 'road to nowhere'.
The action group’s Chairperson, Mark Hilliard, attended the meeting accompanied by Labour councillor Mark Leigh, and was presented with a plan to address some 25 safety concerns on the pilot scheme’s infrastructure.
“It was a box ticking exercise,” said Mr Hilliard, and told the that a major change included by Kildare Council and TII is to install high bollards on the road that separate the cycle lane from the rest of the road.
Mr Hilliard argued that the introduction of these bollards go against the initial purpose of the cycle lane pilot scheme, which he said is to observe the behaviour of road users.
As well as the bollards, improved signage and reflective surfaces on the roads were included in the plan in a bid to increase the safety of the road. However, no lighting has been included in the plans, which was requested by the group for the largely unlit road.
The group put several questions to meeting, including an estimate on how much has been spent on the road at this stage, as well as projected future costs. Mr Hilliard said that they could not answer those questions.
The group also brought to their attention some 115 road incidents which have occurred on the road since the road was changed.
Mr Hilliard said officials responded that some road incidents are to be expected while the road is in construction phase.
Since last week’s meeting, more incidents have been reported by Naas Cycling Group who described the cycle lane as appalling and not fit for purpose after two cyclists got wheel punctures from their journey down the R448 cycle lane.
The action group has called on South Kildare Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon TD, to liaise with Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, to take the road out altogether.
“We’re fed up,” said Mark. “We’ve spoken to all the right people, we have put the pressure on, what is there left to do?”
