Tralee Mall to remain pedestrian

COUNCILLORS VOTE TO KEEP STREET FREE OF TRAFFIC DURING THE DAY

AS was widely expected Tralee Municipal District Councillors have voted to keep the newly refurbished Mall free of motor traffic during the day.

The decision to pedestrianise The Mall and Bridge Street from 10.30am to 6.30pm was approved by councillors at a special meeting of the Tralee Municipal District council on Friday afternoon.

During these times deliveries to and from businesses will be facilitated through loading bays at Bridge Street (close to Shaws and just north of the junction with Domnick Street) and on Denny Street (near the Imperial Hotel).

Before 10.30am and after 6.30pm deliveries can be made via loading bays on The Mall.

Taxis will be allowed operate from a four space rank on The Mall between 7pm and 7am.

While some businesses on The Mall and in the wider town centre area were against the street’s pedestrianisation the proposal had widespread backing from the public and the business community.

A Tralee Chamber Alliance (TCA) survey on the pedestrianisation plan showed clear support for the measure.

Of the 84 TCA members who responded to the survey 52 were in favour of full pedestrianisation during business hours while 15 were agreeable to partial pedestrianisation (at weekends only or solely on weekdays).

John Locke also presented Kerry County Council with 191 individually signed and standardised submissions from members of the public who were in favour of the proposal.

A number of businesses expressed reservations or outright opposition to the pedestrianisation proposal.

These included Quinlans Fish Shop; John Fitzgerald’s Jewellers; The Mall Tavern and Hugh Culloty’s Expert Electrical all made submissions declaring that they opposed the proposal to ban day time traffic.

CH Chemists said they were in favour provided it was only introduced for a 12 month trial period to examine the long term impact on business.

Tralee Municipal District Councillors who were at Friday’s meeting voted unanimously in favour of pedestrianisation with the strict proviso that a full review is carried out by September 1, 2017. Cllr Jim Finucane (FG) could not attend the vote due to a family bereavement.