Stop letting cars park on footpaths and have more bins: Readers share their views on how to improve Irish cities

Una Mullally this week outlined 30 ways to immediately improve Dublin, including employing eyes on the streets, addressing the over-concentration of bookmakers and street clutter and making the design of awnings uniform and cohesive.

Off the back of this article, we asked our readers to suggest ways their city could be fixed or improved. We received many responses from around the country and thanks to all who contributed.

Here are a selection of the submissions.

Reader comments

“All cities in Ireland – and towns and villages – need public waste bins. The argument I hear against this is always the same, that if we have them, people will use them. Public waste bins (and recycling, of course) keep streets clean. They don’t cause more waste. On a recent trip to Vienna, I saw a waste bin on each corner of a four-way stop and, meanwhile, we search high and low to find one, anywhere.” – Valerie Smith, Cork

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“Galway would be better if the infamous traffic problem is addressed. We are taunted by this dated bypass road that has been looming over us for over 10 years now, with unrealistic promises of hope to some and dread to others whose homes have been held hostage by being in possible route options with no end in sight. Galway could be better if we accepted the weather here and built amenities and areas for our weather, such as all bus stops having cover from all sides. I have lived in sunny places where they have many shade options, surely we can do the same for the rain?” – Aoife Steven, Galway

“Employ more staff at Dart stations. My family was verbally abused at a Dart station and when I remonstrated, my way to the staircase was blocked and a teenager shouted in my face asking if I wanted to be thrown down the stairs. We were carrying bikes and it was hard to get away. This was on a Sunday afternoon. I no longer take my bike on the train if the station involves staircases.” – Anonymous, Dublin

“Simple: people make a city. Encourage living above shops and renovate disused buildings. People living in a city makes it feel safe, friendly and full of culture. With bar, restaurant and cafe culture increasing, the look and feel of the city will improve, pulling people into Waterford.” – Hugh O’Sullivan, Waterford

“Dublin would be better if we had more street art. Post box art is good but isn’t enough.” – Daniel Gibbons, Dublin

“Remove or at least reduce the rash of ugly and usually pointless street signage. So many poles on our pavements could be done away with, for example, by using ground markings. Look at any photo of old Dublin before it became so defined by the car – ironically, it looks more modern and sleek because of the clean lines and absence of clutter. So easily done and would have a big impact.” – David O’Connell, Dublin

“I suggest that Cork City Council could spare a thought for dog owners. Make public spaces in Cork more accessible for me and my many fellow dog lovers and start creating zones where our four legged friends can be left off and also be far more conscious of including dog poop bins along walking trails. This provision is only logical and serves everyone.” – Anonymous, Cork

“Congestion charges for the city centre. More covered streets and civic spaces. It rains, we should expect it.” – Alex Doyle, Dublin

“Fix the footpaths. Make every city in Ireland safer and walkable. Fix broken footpaths, kerbs and broken slabs.” – Patricia Carey, Dublin

“Limerick would be greatly improved if the city worked with landlords to convert empty Georgian buildings in the city centre to living accommodation. A vibrant night-time economy would follow. Limerick city is desolate after 6pm currently.” – Anonymous, Limerick

“We need to take back control of the waste management in Dublin. Having four/five companies sending three/four trucks into an area daily is insane. The results are that there is always bags/bins left out on the streets 24/7. Routes should be centrally managed by the council and put out to tender. We need to be efficient and fast with our waste collection so the streets are kept tidy and free from bins. Communal street bins would be the best solution in my view, like they do in most European cities.” – Ronan Rogerson, Dublin

“Galway would be better if there was more public seating in the city centre. We need seats on Shop St, especially for our older people. The only place to sit is on the sills of Eason’s windows. Galway would be better if the shops were compelled to ensure that the signwriting over them is aesthetically pleasing and blends in with the medieval layout and feel of the city. The number of tacky and neon signs is appalling.” – Anonymous, Galway

[ Dublin ranked worst for public transport in Europe due to price and ways to buy tickets ]

“I believe that youth clubs would be the answer to almost every problem in all of our cities. Youth clubs could be a significant tool in combating street violence, racism and the spread of disinformation by bored youths. The provision of youth clubs might even be the answer to tourism and racial tensions. I mean, why would you want to visit beautiful Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Donegal or Belfast if there are gangs, public disorder, litter and general unhappiness?” – Anonymous, Dublin

“I’m now retired but spent most of career travelling and one feature of policing in many countries are two and three tier arrangements where you have a State wide force, a Metropolitan force and, as in New York, a local level. I believe in Ireland we need a focused Metropolitan force in major cities and a State wide force focused on motorways and smaller local area, highly mobile. In metropolitan areas, there’s nothing better than ‘feet on the street’ with fast mobile backup.” – Patrick Burke, Dublin

“Enforcement of basic traffic laws for cars. Stop letting cars park on footpaths, double yellows or just block non drivers. Traffic light policing would be nice. It’s surprising there are not more accidents [in] police bus lanes. What is the point of them if they are just full of cars and taxis?” – Cian Hyland, Dublin

“Galway would be better if it had more public art, sculptures and working fountains. For example, a large fountain, doubling as a work of art and dedicated to the eponymous tribes of the city, would become a unique feature of the city. It would be better with more trees and green spaces.” – Stephen Moriarty, Galway

“Create a branching Dart line to Dublin Airport off the existing Malahide line. This would be a cheaper and quicker way to connect the Airport to Dublin city Centre than the proposed metro as most of it could be built above aground across greenfield land.” – Charlie O’Grady, Massachusetts, United States

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