'There is no quick fix but we need to see more action' on Letterkenny traffic
Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly of Fianna Fáil believes that walking and cycling lanes that form the existing Letterkenny Active Travel Projects could be narrowed
A Donegal County Councillor says it is not too late to make Letterkenny's roads more workable.
Traffic in and around the town has been almost at a standstill in the mornings and evenings of late, particularly since the reopening of schools this month, with many people saying that the Letterkenny Active Travel Projects have exacerbated the issue.
The Letterkenny Active Travel Projects are a series of infrastructure developments managed by Donegal County Council to transform the car-dominated town into a safer area for pedestrians and cyclists.
Active Travel projects involve narrowing the existing car lanes and removing right-turn lanes to make room for the new walking and cycling paths.
Cllr Donal Mandy Kelly of Fianna Fáil says that the timing was not right for Active Travel, having voted against its introduction last year, saying the time was not right but believes that walking and cycling lanes could be narrowed.
“There is no quick fix, but we need to see more action; we need action implementing measures to address the daily build-up of traffic and, in doing so, will hopefully help build the confidence of the people of Letterkenny and all that come to visit, commute, and spend there hard earned money in the town we all love so well,” he said. “The walking and cycle lanes in my opinion, do not need to be so wide. It’s not just Letterkenny; it's all over the country.
"I have always expressed my opinion that the money would be better spent implementing a bus and taxi lane for Letterkenny that would also facilitate emergency services. I'm not putting the full blame on Active Travel nor the people doing the work but it certainly has added fuel to the fire so to speak. It’s premature.
“If you were today, tomorrow or the next day sitting in traffic and the bus passed or a taxi passed you every morning, then you would start to think ‘maybe I should get the bus to work from now on, or a taxi; it will be more convenient and faster’ and ya know in a lot of cases, cheaper as well.
“There are alot of good things happening in our town that we have to focus on also but the ongoing traffic issues have to be dealt with. I still feel it's not too late to rectify this and put in measures like bus/taxi and emergency lanes.
“I have asked on several occasions that a full review take place of this scheme, as I stated publicly many times that it's doomed to fail, and if I'm proven wrong down the line I'll be the first to put my hands up and say I was wrong.”