Clarity sought over emergency vehicle access in one busy Kildare region

iClarity has been sought over emergency vehicle access in one busy County Kildare region.

The matter was highlighted at the latest Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District (MD) meeting, which took place on Wednesday, March 18 last, by the Mayor of the MD, Fianna Fáil Cllr Noel Heavey.

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As part of this motion, he requested KCC to outline "how emergency vehicles can access passage through peak hour traffic on the stretch of road from Newbridge town to and from Naas via the Pfizer roundabout, with high kerbs separating [the] single file carriageway from the newly constructed cycleways".

Mayor Heavey's motion was seconded by Fine Gael Cllr Peggy O'Dwyer.

It was also taken alongside a question by Cllr O'Dwyer, which read as follows: "Can KCC confirm if a safety audit is planned for the new road layout once completed from Buckley’s Cross to Newbridge?"

RESPONSES

In response to Mayor Heavey's request, KCC said via the report it submitted at the meeting: "Emergency vehicles will continue to be accommodated through normal operational practices, including other road users giving way, forming a centre line gap where possible, and clearing junctions when emergency vehicles approach.

"This is standard practice on single lane urban roads with segregated cycle tracks, and KCC has not received any requests or concerns from emergency services in relation to this arrangement."

KCC added: "For clarity, the carriageway width along this section of the Naas Road is a standard urban lane width of approximately 3.5 metres, which is fully appropriate for an urban area and consistent with the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) design principles.

"The adjacent cycle facilities are separated from traffic using a standard Cycle Design Manual compliant kerb upstand, which is required to provide safe physical protection for cyclists, prevent vehicle encroachment, and maintain clear separation between traffic."

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KCC also explained that the design used here "is not unusual" and that it "reflects current national design standards, supporting safer conditions for all road users".

Furthermore, KCC said that this design has been the subject of a Stage 2 Road Safety Audit and will subsequently be subject to a Stage 3 Road Safety Audit upon completion.

KCC concluded by offering the following assurance to Mayor Heavey: "KCC will monitor the situation as road users become accustomed to the new layout, noting that ongoing construction activity and temporary construction related traffic do not yet reflect the final operational conditions that will apply once Works are fully complete."

And as for Cllr O'Dwyer's query, KCC repeated that a Stage 3 Road Safety Audit will take place once works are completed.

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Speaking further on the motion and query, Cllr O'Dwyer told KCC: "The cycle lanes there are welcome, but they end very abruptly."

However, she added that she is "looking forward" to the upcoming review from KCC.

A representative of KCC also spoke further on the matter, telling the attendees: "Just to add to the report, we are still in the construction phase, so the works haven't been completed yet."

"As for the [nearby] bus stops, one pull-in and one inline stop have been retained," they added. "There is more space there then will have been before."

Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender also weighed in with his views.

He told the KCC rep that he also had concerns regarding emergency access in the region.

Cllr Pender added that he welcomed the news of the safety audit, although he stressed: "I'm not necessarily a fan of inline bus stops."

Moreover, he said: "The bigger issue I have is this; as a local authority, we rarely have the funds to deliver night works, but developers do. A developer can afford to fork over the funds needed to do the works."

This prompted Mayor Heavey re-enter the discussion: "I have to say, in my experience, the developers [in this location] have been very professional and co-operative whenever I dealt with them."

Following this, Fine Gael Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer asked the KCC rep if a combine harvester could successfully traverse through the area.

The rep replied: "The audit will assess this."

The motion, which was submitted by the Mayor of the MD, Fianna Fáil Cllr Noel Heavey (Photograph credit: Martin Connelly), was taken alongside a query submitted by Fine Gael Cllr Peggy O'Dwyer (File photograph)

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