Sir, - Whole communities in Blackrock are deeply concerned at the latest Traffic Management Proposals being considered by our Planning Authority. Resident Associations have called public representatives to packed meetings to convey to them their alarm at the effect these plans will have on their particular community. Reaching consensus will, I believe, be an almost impossible task.
However there is a general consensus that the bottom line of any plan must be to reduce the number of car journeys in Blackrock. Permitted development has seen an increase of over 800 homes in this neighbourhood. Sion Hill's playing fields, Carysfort farm land, and market garden space at St. Augustine's now house residential communities, communities with a high car ownership. The office developments permitted by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown in recent years have also contributed to our traffic congestion problems, generating a huge number of inward car journeys to a town with insufficient public car parking spaces.
Any plan to manage Blackrock's drastic traffic problems needs more than just proposing road closures and one way traffic systems. There must be a public transport element in any proposed solution. Given the recent findings of the number of school pupils being driven to school in this area, the authorities need to address the introduction of a school transport option and a network of cycle lanes to serve the dozen schools in this location. Day long parking on residential roads causes much grief. There is a shortage of off street parking for residents. Residents need legal rights to allow them park outside their own homes. Permitted day long parking facilities could be developed in the Blackrock Park area to facilitate DART users during the week and park visitors during the weekends.
Blackrock is a wonderful place to live in, but its traffic needs to be managed. This plan, I fear, is not the answer. - Yours, etc., Niamh Bhreathnach
Blackrock, Co. Dublin.