RESIDENTS living in a cluster of housing estates on the Southside fear a rise in excessive traffic on the narrow streets surrounding their homes will result in a serious accident.
Locals living in the estates, which surround the Meadowbrook Leisure Centre in Ballinteer, claim that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has failed to safeguard them against the traffic that is a daily occurrence on the streets where they live.
Householders in Broadford Road, Ludford Road and Meadowbrook, say that barriers installed by the council to alleviate the build-up of traffic on several residential roads that led to the leisure centre, were broken by vandals as far back as 2010.
The barrier system had been installed on three streets in the area after the leisure centre was refurbished in 2009.
Locals said the barriers on the three streets had succeeded in evenly dispersing the traffic throughout the many residential streets around the leisure centre.
However, they pointed out that because these barriers are no longer functioning, motorists are now using some of the residential roads around the leisure centre as
“rat runs
?.
They maintain that the lives of local cyclists and pedestrians are being endangered as a result.
Joe Mulvaney is spokesman for the St Attracta’s Parish Pastoral Council of Meadowbrook and a member of the Meadowbrook Residents’ Association.
He said locals were very concerned about the increasing volume of traffic on the streets in the estates.
According to Mr Mulvaney, a number of minor accidents have occurred in the area recently.
“We know there have been accidents here already but we are worried that there will be a much more serious one,
? he said.
“People on Willow Road, Meadowbrook, Acorn Road and Beech Drive are all talking about the increased volume of traffic and more worryingly the increased speeding.
“The council set up a new barrier system against the advice of the residents and it failed, and now we are concerned that they have left us with a problem of speeding and through traffic.
?
Joe Dunne, who lives on Ludford Road, echoed the concerns voiced by Mr Mulvaney and said resident there were experiencing similar problems.
“Now there are no barriers and motorists can do what they like,
? he said.
“Ludford Drive, which is one of the longest roads in the area, is the one that everyone uses as a through road,
? he said.
“There is no way I would let my daughter pass the front gate of the house. People are flying up and down there. I am parking my car on the road and one or two of my neighbours have started to stagger our cars to try and slow the traffic down it is that bad.
?
A spokesperson for the council said:
“The current barrier system is under review with a view to installing a more robust system that is fit for purpose.”
The spokesperson said the council was aware there were a number of
“traffic generators
? in the densely populated Ludford Drive area, including a number of schools, churches and club houses as well as the leisure centre itself.
“While the area is included as a priority on our list of traffic calming schemes, its implementation will be subject to funding and resources being made available in the future,
? the spokesperson added.