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THREAD #OConnellStLk
1 An important vote is happening this Monday 30th Sept which is going to change the face of our city for the next 25 - 30 years. Councillors are being asked to vote on a 'flexible' future use plan for OCS that will see a two lane thoroughfare on our main St
1 An important vote is happening this Monday 30th Sept which is going to change the face of our city for the next 25 - 30 years. Councillors are being asked to vote on a 'flexible' future use plan for OCS that will see a two lane thoroughfare on our main St
2. Groups including @liveablelimerick @IGSLimerick @limerickcycle @cyclebuslimerick @fixlimerickbus Limerick City Centre Business Forum will present their views on OCS to Councillors this Monday.
3. So what are the issues? The current use on OCS is a two lane (one-way) thoroughfare, which acts are the main movement corridor for all motorised through-traffic from the East of the city (Corbally) to the West (Raheen)
4. *through-traffic: is traffic that does not stop. It is traffic that uses the historic city centre as it's most direct route (not fastest) to cross the city, delivering not € in our pockets but pollution for our children to breath.
5. @limerickcouncil proposes to RETAIN a two lane (one-way) thoroughfare, which will continue to act as the main movement corridor for all motorised through-traffic from city East to city West.
6. DMURS states that street design should follow a strict user hierarchy
1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transport
4. Private cars
1. Pedestrians
2. Cyclists
3. Public transport
4. Private cars
7. @Limerickcouncil have proposed a user hierarchy which reverses the order.
1. Private cars retain a lane all of their own
2. Public Transport and Cyclist* share the second position
3. Pedestrians come last.
*no segregated cycle infrastructure
1. Private cars retain a lane all of their own
2. Public Transport and Cyclist* share the second position
3. Pedestrians come last.
*no segregated cycle infrastructure
8. @limerickcouncil proposes to retain two lanes of one way through-traffic (one bus lane and one private vehicle lane) but they say that pedestrians can 'share' the road with private cars, buses, taxis and cyclists.
9. Doesn't that put our most vulnerable users at the highest risk? Children should cycle along side a double decker bus? Visually impaired will have no crossing points, kerbs to reference and a plethora of bollards to manoeuvre.
10. *Shared streets/spaces: are local streets with very low volume local traffic (not through-traffic), usually found in historic centres, eg. in Italian cities and the concept has been used successfully in quiet residential neighbourhoods.
11. Shared streets/spaces cannot work in high volumes traffic corridors, with back to back heavy vehicles such as double decker buses.
12. We already have 'shared streets' in Limerick which have failed to live up to the vision, Howley's Quay. The shared space at the GPO Dublin is a catastrophic failure. Exhibition Road in London is now recognised as a failure.
13. Following 62 submissions, the majority calling for drastically improved pedestrian space and cycle lanes, @limerickcouncil responded with this statement repeated ad nauseam in the Executives Report
14. 'NTA have strongly indicated that they will recommend two dedicated bus lanes on OCS'
Bus corridors such as Pearse Street in Dublin see nitrogen dioxide levels frequently exceed dangerous levels. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/air-quality-parts-of-dublin-city-on-course-to-breach-eu-guidelines-1.4029221
Bus corridors such as Pearse Street in Dublin see nitrogen dioxide levels frequently exceed dangerous levels. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/air-quality-parts-of-dublin-city-on-course-to-breach-eu-guidelines-1.4029221
15. So how happy are Cork and Dublin with their bus corridors on their main streets? Not happy. Coucillors in both Cork and Dublin are proposing to remove the bus corridors and revitalise their main streets for PEOPLE. But 20 years on this is a huge task.
16. We know we must have an efficient, rapid, clean, frequent bus system. But this does not have to be on our main street cutting right through out historic core.
http://thomas.bibby.ie/supercharging-public-transport-around-limericks-superblock/
http://thomas.bibby.ie/supercharging-public-transport-around-limericks-superblock/
17. I for one, am tired of seeing our most vulnerable, our kids, older people, people with disabilities, being bullied off our streets by cars, trucks, buses, pollution and noise. When are we going to open our eyes and see who this city is for?
18. The science and the evidence is there, it is proven, it is tangible, we see it it globally in cities all over the world. Cities flourish if you put people at their heart. Footfall will increase, businesses will thrive, people will be healthier, happier.
We don't have to go to Europe or Canada or the US to see great people focused streets. Look at Clonakilty, Waterford, Galway and Westport.
19. If you are interested in learning more about cities and what makes them successful, start with Jane Jacobs 'The Death and Life of Great American Cities', published in 1961, still relevant today. How are we 58 years on and and still making the same mistakes?
20. Other good reads: Jeff Speck Walkable City, Jan Gehl Cities for People, Janette Sadik-Kahn Street Fight, Peter Walker Bike Nation, Charles Montgomery Happy City to name a few
21. The groups presenting on Monday have worked together, we have compromised. We want our Councillors to amend this plan to put a pedestrian plaza at the heart of O'Connell Street. We want through-traffic and the transport corridor to be moved to an orbital route.
22. We are calling on you as voters to contact your Councillors, support our call for a cleaner, safer, people focused city centre, one which is a destination, where we can meet, have fun, and look after our mental health and general well being.
@BrianLeddin @DanielButlerFG @jamesjcollins @elisaodonovan @JerryODea @Cllrfrankiedaly @JLeddin @ElenaSecas @ConorSheehan93 @oliviaos @KieranOHan
Very disappointed that Limerick Metropolitan Councillors have opted to hand over control of the future of OCS to NTA. Thank you to Coucillors who took the time to listen to us. Interestingly the most vocal voices against any proposed amendments were those who did not meet us.
I'm particularly disappointed for Maureen from Step Forward Disability who spoke so eloquently this morning about the difficulties of shared space for visually impaired, but of course half the Councillors did not attend.
