OPINION: Why parking spaces will continue to disappear across Kildare
But more needs to be done for bus and rain users in Kildare
The schmozzle late last summer between a group of Naas residents and Kildare County Council was only ever going to have one outcome.
It started because of a plan to make it safer for pupils to make their way to a primary school in the town - Scoil an Linbh Íosa in Ballycane.
Built in 1980, it has about 470 girls and boys with one group of each class up to second class.
This is the Safe Route to School programme which is administered by An Taisce and funded by the State.
It is open to all schools in Ireland to apply for their own programme and it is endorsed by the Department of Transport and the Department of Education.
Locally, this one was managed by Kildare County Council.
The issue was raised at a Naas Municipal District meeting.
Efforts to contact a residents’ representative were unsuccessful but it seems some at least were concerned about access by emergency service vehicle to houses there, a deteriorating parking situation, a lack of information about the plan and the loss of car park spaces.
It’s hardly likely that KCC would proceed with any project that would hinder emergency service vehicles and, as was pointed out by KCC engineer Donal Hodgins, the project was widely advertised as it’s supposed to be and as all of these projects are.
It may well be that the principal complaint was about the loss of car parking places and if so, we are gradually waking up to smell the coffee.
Arguing against a plan to encourage active travel (walking, cycling, perhaps scootering) to school is, for the last while, a bit like arguing against measures designed to combat speeding on our roads. It won’t wash and it won’t make you popular.
Neither can KCC be responsible for the parking habits of people living in individual areas, like housing estates or elsewhere. Common sense has a role here.
Welcome to the future.
And whether we like it or not, our future has less parking places - at least ones in public spaces.
We’re gradually coming to the view that the more parking spaces we have the more drivers will feel inclined to turn up and use them.
Cars and traffic are not good for public health, and that means you and me, baby.
(Public transport hasn’t measured up to provide a decent alternative and there's a huge amount of work to be done here by the State and our government to create meaningful and usable public transport. Apart from buses and trains, we need facilities like decent shelters for commuters.)
Life is only going to get more vexatious for those of us who are partial to the Wild West scenario of being to drive and park where we like, how we like and when we like.
Parking spaces are disappearing across County Kildare; they’re becoming as endangered as the lowland gorilla.
The Kilcullen Road in Naas has been reconfigured to the benefit of walkers, cyclists and bus users. And there are plans for something similar from Poplar Square along Dublin Road. Cycle lanes are being created everywhere and while some may be slow to use them; we have to start somewhere.
These are projects which should be encouraged as well those creating public realm space. Do we want to live in places that are easily accessible and where there is less pollution or do we want to encourage car use ? The reconfiguration of the former town hall building in Naas into the Naas Library & Cultural Centre was as imaginative and beneficial a project you’re likely to see anywhere in Ireland.
The experience of those managing the M25 in London, a mega scale ring road around the capital running for 120 miles, is that upgrades done to ease congestion only attracted even more traffic.
It may well be that the co-location of Lacken View and the school was a tad unfortunate.
In hindsight, all of the schools in Naas town centre would be better located on the outskirts to avoid congestion and delay and to make travel safer.
The best situated school in Naas is Naas Community College.
The responsibility for encouraging projects which will tackle climate change doesn’t just rest with the irresponsible Chinese and their coal-fired power stations, though that would be a good place to start.
Set against environmental abuse like that, some of our measures look like we are taking a peashooter to a gunfight.
Still, we all need to be on the train; we all need to play our part because the climate is changing as Storm Éowyn violently demonstrated.