Public meeting calls for solutions to traffic congestion in Donegal Town

A public meeting took place with Donegal Town business and community representatives, councillors in the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal, and council Roads Section staff. 

Around 100 members of the public also attended the meeting at Donegal Public Services Centre on Thursday evening, October 24. 

Mayor Pauric Kennedy opened the meeting saying: “It is not a witch hunt here, it's a great opportunity for us all to talk to the councillors about our town and how you see your town going and if improvements can be made or changes can be made.”

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The meeting was chaired by Rosy Temple of the Donegal Town Traffic and Parking Improvement Committee (DTTPIC). She called on people to keep to the agenda items of parking and traffic congestion. 

Denise McMenamin spoke on behalf of the DTTPIC, outlining how the committee came about following a public meeting in May, and explained that several meetings had taken place with Donegal County Council.

“We requested parts of the one-way system be revised and to reintroduce a two-way system in Water Street and New Row, for parking by-laws to be reviewed, for additional town centre parking and loading bays, and for improvement to the public consultation process.”

Rosy Temple told those gathered that Donegal County Council had replied with a detailed, 32-page response. She explained that it was acknowledged in the response that congestion had increased. However, a number of causes were cited, including an increased number of buses.

Ms Temple said: “We strongly believe the one-way system has caused new congestion and must urgently be addressed and cannot be accepted as the traffic system for the town.

Area Roads Officer for Donegal County Council Mark Sweeney addressed concerns raised by the DTTPIC and answered questions from the floor.

He said that restoring two-lane traffic flow to the Diamond was a top priority for himself and his team as a big part of the solution to the congestion. 

He explained that there are now in excess of 90 buses a day stopping on the Diamond, and that did not include private buses. Plans for a transport hub at the new development at the Mullins had been rejected by the National Transport Authority (NTA). Other sites had been considered, including an area of the pier car park known as ‘the small pier.’

He also highlighted an ongoing issue with double parking on the Diamond.

“That has to stop,” he said. “It is adding to the congestion. 

“If you are parked in the carriageway you are blocking the carriageway and that has a ripple effect.”

Mr Sweeney outlined how a bylaw review had been ongoing for some time, and was due to be finalised in the coming months. This would limit town centre parking to short stay only, and those working in the town centre would be incentivised to park further away for lower parking rates.

In regard to the number of parking spaces in the town, Mr Sweeney said: “Since we started planning the traffic management system, we have increased parking by 123 spaces.”These include the old fire station, the back of McGettigan’s butchers and the Bosco Centre. 

“That is a 20% increase.

“And we are all the time on the lookout for more parking. I need a car park in the north side of the town.”

He pointed out that there was only so much space in the town centre and that a new car park could easily be accommodated.

In response to suggestions that a multi storey car park could be built that could also accommodate buses at ground floor level, Mr Sweeney said that the council was open to any land that became available. But he stressed that multi-storey car parks were very expensive to build.

“I am all the time looking for funding,” he said. “But we have to remember that anything we build has to be funded.”

A shortage of loading bays was another issue raised by DTTPIC. 

Mr Sweeney said he was working with the Donegal Town Business Focus Group to find potential locations for loading bays. One proposal is to use some areas as loading bays in the early part of the day, and as car parking spaces outside of designated times.

Councillors for the MD, Cllr Noel Jordan (SF), Cllr Michael McMahon (SF), Cllr Niamh Kennedy (Ind), Cllr Manus Boyle (FG) Cllr Micheál Naughton (FF) and Cllr Jimmy Brogan (Ind) all stressed that everyone was on the same page in terms of trying to do what was best for the town.

Cathaoirleach of Donegal MD Cllr Noel Jordan, said that he would be chairing the council’s Strategic Policy Committees (SPC) for roads. He said that new housing developments, while welcome, were adding to the number of road users in the town.

Cllr Jordan said that the concerns raised by the DTTPIC would be given much consideration by the Roads SPC.

Cllr Micheál Naughton suggested new link roads diverting traffic from the town centre needed to be considered as a long term strategy. 

Rosy Temple brought the meeting to a close, saying: “It is very evident in the room that there is huge pride in Donegal Town and real desire to see progress.”

She called on the councillors and council officials to provide solutions to the negative impact of recent works.

It was agreed that further meetings would be held to keep members of the public informed.