COMHAIRLE CONTAE FHINE GALL
FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL
BALBRIGGAN/SWORDS AREA COMMITTEE MEETING
[Services A – Operational Matters]
Thursday 11th September, 2014
ITEM NO. 55
Question: Councillor B. Dennehy
“To ask the Chief Executive to install traffic calming measures on either side of the Sundrive Road where it
intersects Hands Lane in order to slow down the increased traffic using the route to avoid the Main Street Rush?”
Reply:
Fingal County Council makes application annually to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for funding for traffic
management schemes in the county. The emphasis in making NTA funding application has been on the
promotion of walking, cycling and accessibility to public transport, as these are the type of applications most
likely to be successful. Funding is also available from the National Roads Authority (NRA) for low cost safety
schemes such as speed readers and junction improvements.
The majority of the speed ramps provided in Fingal in the past were funded by development levies or were
provided as part of new housing developments. In recent years, applications by Fingal County Council to the
NRA for funding for speed ramps have been unsuccessful.
The provision of traffic calming measures at this location would require the installation of public lighting and
other civil works in addition to the provision of the ramps themselves.
A road traffic calming scheme consisting of the provision of a number of speed ramps on Channel Road, Rush
was implemented by the Council in 2005 and this scheme has proven very successful in improving safety and
reducing speeding along this road.
However, one of the knock-on effects of the introduction of ramps in one location is that it can increase traffic on
other roads and lanes in the immediate area including in this instance, South Shore Road, Rogerstown (Pier)
Road, Crescent Road, Sundrive Road, Golf Road (Corr’s Lane), Sandy Road, Sandy Lane, Hand’s Lane and St.
Joseph’s Road and numerous requests have been made to provide additional calming measures on these other
routes.
In response to these requests, further traffic calming measures have since been provided on Healy’s Lane, Daly’s
Lane, Spout Road, Rogerstown (Pier) Road and Convent Lane.
It is also apparent that some drivers will avoid the routes where traffic calming has been provided, effectively
passing the problem on from one road to another. It is not feasible to provide speed ramps throughout the entire
area and a more strategic approach to this issue would be considered appropriate.