Concern that people will mistake paved spot for official crossing
COUNCILLORS decided the allocation of remaining discretionary funding at last week’s meeting of Greystones Municipal District.
It was agreed to allocate the remainder of the public realm budget of €39,000 to implement the recommendations from last year’s tree surveys and to cover any over-run on the Mll Lane and St Crispin’s projects already agreed.
It was agreed to allocate €2,000 to the Christmas Market group for a marquee at the harbour and €2,000 for a Battle of the Bands competition subject to their submission of full details of last year’s event. €10,000 was allocated to commence a programme of road name signs on all public roads.
The discretionary sum was €168,750, with €6,000 also allocated for twinning, €8,000 for economic development and promotion, €20,000 for festivals and €1,000 for civic receptions. Members agreed a number of items earlier in the year, including €50,000 to improved road surfacing at Mill Lane, as well as ducting for possible future lighting. At Bow Lane to Eden Road, they allocated €10,000 for improvements to the existing worn surface. €20,000 was agreed for footpath renewal in Seamount Drive, Newcastle, before road resurfacing is needed. At Newcastle Road, Kilcoole, it was agreed to allocate €10,000 to install pedestrian safe refuge islands on the R761 and drop kerbs at footpaths to allow for safer crossing for school children to Colaiste Chraobh Abhann.
Greystones Tidy Towns was allocated €5,000, with a further €2,500 each to Kilcoole, Delgany and Newcastle Tidy Towns. €10,000 for Wicklow Hospice was previously agreed at the December 2016 meeting. €300 was approved for bags for the dog fouling campaign in Kilcoole. €1,000 was allocated in funding to the County Wicklow Volunteer Centre. The St Patrick’s Day Parade, People of the Year awards and Christmas lights were allocated money from festivals. CLLR Tom Fortune said that he is concerned about the ‘courtesy crossings’ in Greystones.
‘I witnessed a semi-incident,’ said Cllr Fortune. He said that on Church Road there are pavings across the road, people assume they are pedestrian crossings. ‘Some cars are stopping and others are not. Someone will get clobbered.’
Cllr Fortune said that he saw a near-miss at one of these areas and he is very concerned that someone might get hurt.
Engineer Ruairi O’Hanlon said that they have discussed the courtesy crossings before.
They are at places where it is easier to cross, but they are not pedestrian crossings.
Courtesy crossings are usually made of bricks or paving and are often raised above the level of the road. They are not official pedestrian crossings, but they do provide a place where drivers can stop safely to allow pedestrians to cross.
Mr O’Hanlon agreed that people have various thoughts about courtesy crossings. He said that there have been no complaints to the district office about them.
He added that people should not walk out in front of traffic.