Renmore rat-run cure “is worse than the disease”

The Council’s proposed cure for rat-running in Renmore is worse than the disease, a group of Galway City East councillors has warned.

As part of a planned overhaul of roads through the residential area, a ‘shared space’ for cyclists and motorists is proposed for motorists along the Ballyloughane Road in conjunction with traffic calming measures on Renmore Avenue.

Following a meeting with City Council engineers this week, Renmore-based Councillor Terry O’Flaherty (Ind), as well as her colleagues Cllr Declan McDonnell (Ind) and Cllr Alan Cheevers (FF) came out in strong opposition to the plan.

The Council has stated the works will increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists by reducing the ‘frequency of conflict’ between all road users.

Cllr O’Flaherty again called for the scheme to be scrapped and said the proposal – to be funded by the Department of Transport’s Active Travel Scheme – would be the ‘ruination’ of the area.

“Ultimately, the goal is to solve the problem of people turning down from the Dublin Road at the roundabout near the former GMIT, now ATU, onto the Ballyloughane Road and using Renmore Avenue as a rat-run,” she said, in order to avoid traffic on the Dublin Road.

“But the problem is, by signalising a number of junctions and increasing the raised crossings on Ballyloughane Road and Renmore Avenue, that it will drive the traffic further and deeper into Renmore,” said the Independent councillor.

Cllr O’Flaherty was critical of the plan’s proposed removal of all on-street parking for residents on the Ballyloughane Road while providing no alternative.

The measures proposed include the installation of three new sets of traffic lights – at the junctions of both ends of Renmore Avenue (at the Renmore Road and Ballyloughane Road junctions) and at the entrance to Gaelscoil Dara.

Some 20 raised crossings and speed ramps are to be installed along Renmore Avenue and Ballyloughane Road, while double-yellow lines are to be painted on both sides of the Ballyloughane Road, from the former Dawn Dairies as far as the railway bridge – and along Renmore Avenue.

“The options for traffic exiting onto the Dublin Road [at Dawn Dairies] will be reduced from two lanes to one lane, to give more room to pedestrians and cyclists.

“This will cause further congestion on the Ballyloughane Road as the right-turning traffic currently has great difficulty getting onto the Dublin Road and this would mean anyone caught behind them and wishing to turn left would have to wait for long periods – which would mean that drivers would use other areas in Renmore for access instead,” said Cllr O’Flaherty.

She said the proposals did nothing to address rat-running on Murrough Avenue which had been the greatest gripe for Renmore residents for years, despite rolling out a plan that included an ‘overall total’ of 32 changes.