Three Galway village roads in spotlight for new Active Travel Scheme targeting pedestrian safety
The Loughrea Active Travel Scheme is entering a final round of non-statutory public consultation, with plans aimed at slowing traffic and improving pedestrian access on three town-centre roads in Co Galway.
At the Loughrea Municipal District meeting this month, councillors received an update on the proposed 2.1km scheme for Bride Street, Danesfort Road and Bohercom.
The largest element of the scheme is the 1.2km section of Bride Street, which remains the main link road between Loughrea and the N65.
Officials noted the road is unusually wide, contributing to vehicles regularly exceeding the 50kmh speed limit.
The route includes Loughrea GAA Club, where officials observed more than 100 people crossing the road daily.
Due to the lack of cycling infrastructure, very few cyclists were recorded using the route. While high levels of pedestrian activity were observed near the Circle K service station on Bride Street.
The current preferred design for the scheme includes three signalised pedestrian crossings.
A two-way segregated cycle lane is planned along the north side of the road, along with clearly defined roadside parking for vehicles.
Bride Street remains one of the town’s busiest road, carrying an average of 6,000 vehicles per day.
Outline of three streets in preferred Active Travel plan.
Bohercom is a 0.3km one-way road running alongside the rear of St Raphael’s College and experiences high levels of student traffic during peak school times. While the road carries fewer than 200 vehicles daily, it is commonly used for parking due to its proximity to the school.
The proposed works aim to make the street more student-friendly by addressing informal parking, improving traffic management and maintaining access for local residents.
Finally, Danesfort Road, which links Bride Street with the N65, faces challenges due to the varying road width. The road serves a large residential catchment and a number of planned housing developments.
The focus on Danesfort Road will be the provision of footpaths on both sides of the road. Officials propose 2m-wide footpaths to improve pedestrian access for residents and students, while also closing existing gaps in the footpath network.
Additionally, Danesfort Road will have the carriageway narrowed for traffic calming measures.
At the junction connecting all three roads, the preferred design includes signalised crossings in all directions and shorter crossing distances for pedestrians. Traffic signals would also be introduced to improve traffic flow during busier periods.
The Loughrea Active Travel Scheme will undergo a non-statutory public consultation from September 18 to October 2.