Darren’s Blog

I recently received a Ballyfermot newsletter from the people before profit alliance the other day in the post. As I was reading through the newsletter the topic “Traffic & Parking in Ballyfermot Drive and Parade” caught my eye, but as I read through the two short paragraphs about the proposed health and safety issue, I couldn’t help it but to laugh at both proposals from both sides, Dublin City Council and Brid Smiths. They are creating a problem where there wasn’t a problem to begin with. Below I will place the newsletter and an aerial photo of the location.

“Traffic & Parking in Ballyfermot Drive and Parade”

“After a number of meetings between the traffic deptpartment of Dublin City Council and local people who are concerned for their health and safety because of the volume of traffic using the area to U-turn and park,People Before Profit councillor Brid Smith has been told that the council will erect NO U-TURN signs in the area.

Local people had asked for the paths to be widened and double yellow lines to be marked up. But the council are obviously choosing the cheapest and easiest option. We will have to monitor the outcome and get back to the traffic department if the problem is not resolved…”

Below I create an animated demonstration of what they are trying to say is a serious issue to the residents health and safety.

I drove down Ballyfermot Parade yesterday and noticed the sign was already erected in place. There should of been more notice and advertising giving plus more to time for locals to prepare to oppose the sign being erected in the location. Normally weeks of notice should be given to the local residents before the road is to be altered in anyway.

The Main Problem

The main problem caused now because of Brid Smith and DCC is that the local residents of the area will be prosocuted for simply turning around outside the residence manovering such as a simply 3 point turn. The sign erected is a statutory legal sign and the residents must comply with it until their vehicle leaves Ballyfermot Parade and Ballyfermot Drive.

“After a number of meetings between the traffic deptpartment of Dublin City Council and local people who are concerned for their health and safety because of the volume of traffic using the area to U-turn”

To be honest I’m kind of puzzled by that statement because there was no data or documentation produced to prove or show that there was any danger, risk or problems. It seems to me that possibly one person said there was a problem with nothing to back it up. Something as simple as a traffic count or a traffic conflict report or even a road safety audit. I know Ballyfermot Drive and Parade like the back of hand there isn’t a problem with a large volume of traffic U-turning or parking. There may be 1-2 cars U-turning that aren’t localally from the road every 1-2 hours. And as far the parking problem statement goes, is absolute rubbish it doesn’t happen. The only vehicles that park on Ballyfermot Drive and Parade are the vehicles of the residents

“Local people had asked for the paths to be widened and double yellow lines to be marked up. But the council are obviously choosing the cheapest and easiest option.”

The local people or person who had asked for the footpaths to be widened and double yellow lines to be marked made a terrible recommendation in suggesting that. Okay widening the pedestrian footpaths is a method of traffic calming, so fair enough but there isn’t enough space for the pavement to be widened. The road is already narrowed to a minimum. Every local person knows that already.

Marking double yellow lines up the two streets will just add to the choas, the road is so narrow and some of the local residents don’t have a drive way or have more than one car, so they have to park their personal vehicle outside their residence usually half way on the footpath and half way on the road to allow other vehicles to pass by. I’m still kind of puzzled as to why this newsletter said the local people want double yellow lines to be marked, I just doesn’t make any sense because they wouldn’t even be able to park outside their own homes without receiving a parking fine, being clamped or have their vehicle towed away by Dublin City Councils traffic wardens.