Safety concerns for pedestrians at junction in Maynooth, Kildare
A number of politicians in the Clane-Maynooth Municipal District (MD) have said that the top of the is unsafe.
Kildare Mayor Naoise Ó Cearúil proposed the following motion at the latest MD meeting on Friday, January 7: "That the council assess the safety of the junction between Main Street, Convent Lane and the Dublin Road, in Maynooth, paying particular attention to the pedestrian crossing."
He told those in attendance: "What we are dealing with here is, to be frank, unsafe."
"Parents have been demanding changes (in this area) for years now," he added.
In its report, Kildare County Council (KCC) said: "This location is within the area to be examined as part of the Maynooth Town Centre Renewal Plan."
"This plan is to be progressed and developed in 2022 and will include an assessment of all junctions and pedestrian routes."
The Mayor however said that he didn't accept the report.
He added: "We should call a spade a spade and acknowledge that some people go through pedestrian crossings if they spot an opening."
His argument was supported by Labour Cllr Angela Feeney and Fine Gael Cllr Tim Durkan, the latter of whom said: "There has been too much area taken by the traffic... we need to start from scratch."
Mayor Ó Cearúil admitted that he is concerned that the matter won't be properly resolved, and called for the roads office of Kildare County Council (KCC) to look into the matter.
Fine Gael Cllr Brendan Wyse added that he supported this idea.
KCC confirmed that it would investigate conditions at the junction.