‘Back to business’ as street life is changed to ease transition...

As part of the Government roadmap for reopening the country Kerry County Council, like all local authorities, have been instructed to carry out a root and branch revamp of how our towns are laid out and function.

Work on this unprecedented and massive project has been underway since May 1 and details of what it will mean for Kerry’s 21 main towns is now available. People living in towns across the county – and particularly the larger and busier towns like Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Dingle, Kenmare and Killorglin – will have to adapt to some major changes as they go about their day to day business.

Pedestrians will be affected but the main impact will be felt by motorists with road closures, diversions and the removal of parking spaces among the main measures in the council’s plan to open Kerry for business, while meeting social distancing requirements. A loss of parking spaces is one of the measures introduced. For example, while Killarney will lose 58 spaces and Kenmare 25 the layout of Tralee and Dingle mean that they will lose only five each.

Council staff have worked to come up with the best possible plans for each town but in many areas they are hamstrung in what they can do in order to balance public safety (and the necessity for two metre social distancing) with a return to economic activity.

In doing so a formula was applied with streets categorised by the width of the pavements (whether they were over or under 2.5 metres in width); their average footfall; and the need to accommodate shop queues or seating for businesses.

Based on that formula a street with wide paths and low footfall, such as Denny Street in Tralee, will need only signs and pavement stencils – both of which are cheap and easy to install – to guide pedestrians and orient shop queues.

Meanwhile a street like Henry Street in Kenmare with only thin paths, high pedestrian footfall, numerous pubs and restaurants and a large volume of passing traffic, it will require far greater changes. It’s a new norm in every respect, but one that is designed to increase public safety and facilitate the best possible outcome.