*Whitegate.
A DRAFT PROPOSAL is to be given to Clare County Council’s road design section for a controlled pedestrian crossing at the entrance to the GAA grounds in Whitegate.
Installation of a pedestrian crossing at the entrance to the GAA grounds in North-East Clare was requested by Cllr Pat Burke (FG) “in the interest of safety”.
He first looked for such measures back in 2011, two years after he was first elected to the County Council while longer-serving colleagues Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) and Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) have both raised the matter in the past.
Acting senior executive engineer in the Killaloe Municipal District, Derek Troy confirmed that a draft proposal would be issued to the Council’s road design section. “The proposal will seek to provide a safer facility for pedestrians to cross the R352. It is possible that traffic calming measures may also be incorporated into the works, if deemed necessary,” he explained.
Such projects are generally funded after submission by Road Design to the Department of Transport under Safety Improvement Works on regional and local roads, he said. “Funding under this grant has already been allocated for 2023, therefore this project could be considered under the 2024 submission. When a draft design is completed, this project may require consultation with An Garda Síochána, the Regional Road Safety Officer and may need to be approved under Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act, 1994”.
Speaking at the May meeting of the Killaloe MD, Cllr Burke commented, “it is not my first time having a motion on this, the place has got busier since the footpaths have improved to the approach to the GAA grounds, there is a lot of children in the evening times in particular, they are finished at seven before the next crew come on, God forbid anything might happen there”.
“There used to be a crossing without any lights which motorists wouldn’t have been aware of. I’m not sure a controlled pedestrian crossing is necessary,” said Burke who serves as Whitegate’s delegate to Clare County Board meetings.
Flashing amber lights would be on at all times for this pedestrian crossing, the engineer responded. “Controlled is where traffic comes to a stop and the pedestrian has priority”.
Former Leas Cathaoirleach of the Council, Burke replied, “Whichever but it has to be done, it is something I could be raising again and that it is not to put it on the long finger, I get asked about this every week so that something could be done. There is a volume of young kids crossing a regional road and the reason they are crossing is to get to a shop”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) stated, “With funerals and matches on there it really justifies a pedestrian crossing, I’m not sure which is suitable and will leave it to the designers”.
