Council avoids ‘head-on’ collision over cycle enhancement plan for Renmore
A head-on collision between local councillors and the executive of Galway City Council over a cycle enhancement project for the Renmore area was averted at the last minute this week.
Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath asked at the end of a heated two-hour plus debate on the Ballyloughane Road cycle proposals, for city councillors not to reject the scheme out of hand, but instead to give time for further consultations with all interested parties.
“I will not ride roughshod over the councillors on this issue, but I feel strongly that going back to ‘square one’ is not the best option. I am willing to work with councillors to tweak parts of the scheme,” Mr McGrath told councillors.
Councillors gave the go-ahead for an Active Travel Cycle Plan for the Doughiska Road South on the basis that there was ample room (width) along this route to provide segregated cycle lanes on either side of the road.
Over the course of the lengthy debate, local councillors had outlined a series of problems they had with the scheme mainly relating to parking issues along the 650-metre stretch of roadway – for local people, churchgoers at funerals, and those attending matches at local sports facilities.
Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) had a listed Notice of Motion at Monday’s meeting in the Galmont Hotel proposing the ‘rejection’ of the scheme in its current format in relation to the Ballyloughane Active Travel proposal put before the Council.
Her motion also called upon the City Council Executive to have further discussions with the two local national schools – Gaelscoil Dara and Scoil Chaitríona – as well as local residents’ representatives, sporting organisations and other stakeholders to ensure ‘agreement’ on the Active Travel Scheme.
Cllr Flaherty also criticised the Council for the consultation process they had with local residents, most of whom, she said, knew nothing about the Active Travel Scheme proposals and the implications that this would have for them.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read extensive coverage of the debate from the City Council meeting, see the June 17 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.