Retired Tipperary businessman hits out at plan for one-way traffic system
Opposition to one-way plan for Cantwell Street Clonmel
A retired Clonmel businessman has objected to a plan to turn Cantwell Street in Clonmel into a one-way street.
The street will close for two months from July 1 to allow works take place that will see the street made one-way.
Aiden Barlow has appealed to Clonmel Borough Council not to go ahead with the plan.
“Please don’t destroy Cantwell Street,” Aiden Barlow told The Nationalist.
“There is a saying, if it is not broken, don’t fix it,” said Aiden Barlow and he maintained that should apply to Cantwell Street.
Aidan Barlow said that Cantwell Street was the main artery to and from the town centre for a few thousand people in Cherrymount and the large growth area of Glenconnor.
“It will create havoc for a lot of people,” he warned.
He said that Clonmel Borough Council should employ a traffic warden on the street for the times that children are coming and going to Clonmel Gaelscoil.
DEEP END
“The council have jumped in at the deep end and decided to close the street and change it to a one-way street,” he said.
“They will still have to employ a lollipop person for the one-way system, they would have to do that if it is a two-way or one way street,” he said.
A recent survey, he said, showed there was a vehicle count of 223 (63%) using the street from the Irishtown to Western Road direction and 128 vehicles using the street from Western Road to Irishtown between 2.20pm and 3.20pm on a school day.
Aiden Barlow said that people should keep in mind that Cantwell Street was the only exit from the Irishtown area to the hospital.
“The school is the problem, they should fix the school problem.Could the council provide a pedestrian crossing for the school and provide a lollipop person for one or two hours a day,” he said.
“There is nothing wrong with Cantwell Street. Don’t destroy the street,” he pleaded. He said it was wrong to put all of the traffic that came up Irishtown and used Cantwell Street, to now force them to go up Connolly Park instead. “All of the traffic is to go up Connolly Park now, a 70 year old estate. It is very narrow with settled families and in some case there are three generations of families living in a house and there are a lot of cars parked on both sides of the road.
“I hope common sense prevails. This plan should just stop,” he said.
Aiden Barlow said local councillors had no say anymore. “You would wonder why they are elected at all at this stage,” he said.