Limerick residents submit appeal over strongly opposed traffic measures
LIMERICK residents handed out over 200 signed requests to councillors opposing what they described as a "misleading" traffic measure set to be trialed in their area.
Last week, Limerick Live reported that a newly proposed Active Travel permeability trial for Bellefield Gardens in the north of the city received upwards of 100 observations, with the majority citing severe "traffic congestion" issues.
This Monday morning, residents in the area handed out signed petitions to city-based councillors in response to what they described as an "overwhelming objection" to the proposed traffic measures.
"After overwhelming objection to the Bellefield Gardens Permeability Trial, we are handing our Metro North Councillors a proposed way forward by consensus from local residents," their statement began.
They explained that these 200+ signed letters are a "sampling of the feedback coming from locals of the residential neighbourhood bounded by Bellefield Gardens and the Ennis, Shelbourne and High Roads."
Many people from almost 500 homesteads within this area are identifying as one residential neighborhood, they remarked.
The group said: "We are requesting that an inclusive permeability scheme be designed for all of us, and that this follows the procedure from the NTA "Best Practice Guide for Permeability."
The request states that they understand the proposed trial from the council as regarding only 100 households located on Bellefield/Rockspring Gardens as "local traffic" while deeming 280 other households as cut through motorised traffic.
"This is divisive and offensive on many levels," they said.
The second point states that they understand Farranshone Road will be left as the only remaining primary "cut through" route in the city block.
It stresses that 110 households are expected to accept on faith that the motorised traffic past their doors will not increase.
Lastly, it states that the trial proposes Farranshone Road will benefit from traffic evaporation.
"As a resident homeowner on the Farranshone Road, it would be naive of me to believe that this trial could ever benefit me. Instead it puts my amenity at risk. I strongly object and do not consent to this trial," the letter reads.
It concludes by asking that councillors "find the political will" to come speak to residents as well as "prioritise our neighbourhood for appropriate funding and qualified urban planning services."