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Fossa plans get go-ahead despite reservations on traffic management

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By Sean Moriarty

Local councillors and politicians often accuse Dublin-based government agencies of being out of touch with daily happenings in rural Ireland.

This was laid bare at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting where plans for the €2 million traffic calming plan in Fossa were put to the elected members.

Senior Kerry County Council engineers unveiled detailed plans for the much awaited project.

Plans included a shared-use cycle and pedestrian path on each side of the road, provision of a controlled pedestrian crossing at Fossa National School and the extension of existing public lighting in the village.

The plan also includes the realignment of the junction at the Gap Road but does not include the provision of dedicated bus stops along the redevelopment.

These last two items caused a huge degree of bewilderment with the elected councillors.

While they were allowed to make recommendations to change some aspects of the plans – the school crossing was changed from a Zebra crossing to a push-button crossing – the latter two items could not be changed as they fall under Transport Infrastructure Ireland guidelines for rural traffic management schemes.

Councillors were left with a dilemma, accept the proposals as they stood or risk losing the anticipated funding which will come on stream by the end of the year.

Councillors raised concerns that traffic attempting to turn into the Gap Road will have to stop and leave exiting traffic out and then cross a continuous white line to complete the manoeuvre.

Such was the concern of recently elected Mayor, Niall Kelleher, he sought legal advice on the matter. However that was overturned when Cllr Brendan Cronin moved a motion to accept the plans with two changes allowed.

Colleagues were concerned that if the plans were not accepted on Wednesday, that the whole project would be put on hold.

“We cannot redesign national standards. Amendments must fit with national guidelines,” said Municipal District Manager John Breen warned the elected councillors ahead of the vote.

“We don’t have the authority or the forum to change national design standards.”

As a result, all seven elected members voted, some reluctantly, to accept the plan.

They felt that the people of Fossa would not thank them for delaying it further but warned that when the plan comes to fruition that they will have answer questions on why traffic at the Gap Cross is coming to a standstill to allow traffic motorists make the turn.

They raised similar concerns that the lack of a dedicated bus stop will cause traffic disruption in the village – some cited the delays experienced in Farranfore as an example of why this should be changed. However, that discussion was met with the same response as the Gap Road junction – the national design standards cannot be changed by elected councillors.

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Con O’Leary: Killarney loses a vibrant and popular personality

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday.

Con was a vibrant and popular personality in Killarney where he operated The Laurels on Main Street, a thriving bar and restaurant, which he inherited following the passing of his father, Thado.
The business organisation said from a social perspective, The Laurels became the beating heart of the town and it was a landmark at the Market Cross in the same way as Clery’s clock was in the capital city.
Chamber said Con’s passing really marks the end of an era as he was one of a golden age of inspirational local business people who developed and built Killarney, through hard work, bravery and great commercial flair, and helped create the wonderful tourist attraction and holiday destination it is today.
“Con was very proud of Killarney and he played a very active part in progressing the town at many levels.
“He was a man that was never short of great ideas and his contribution to the business life of the town and as a director of Killarney Race Company was immense,” Chamber said.
“He was ahead of his time in many respects with the introduction by what became known as “the singing lounge” many years ago and The Laurels always led by example through its successes in the annual Killarney Looking Good competition”.
The business representative organisation noted that the O’Leary family has always been very supporting of the town and Con’s daughter, Kate, was a very dynamic Chamber President and is still a very valued member of the executive.
Chamber expressed deep sympathy to Con’s wife, Anne, children Kate, Niall, Tara and Lorna, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, relatives and friends as well as the dedicated staff in The Laurels, past and present, who Con always had great time for and a great rapport with.

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All Roads Lead To Kerry For National Road Safety Conference

Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29. The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event […]

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Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29.

The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event focused on improving road safety, reducing traffic-related incidents, and sharing knowledge and best practices for safer road use. It encompasses various strategies and efforts across multiple domains, including road design, engineering, enforcement, forensic collision investigation, technology, education, collision trends, occupational driving, cycling and scooting, e-mobility, active & sustainable travel and on-road events.

In addition to this, AI, Virtual Reality and Driver Simulation will play a significant role at the conference, in improving safety by predicting and preventing accidents, optimizing traffic, and aiding the development of autonomous vehicles.

This ‘Safer Roads’ conference is a non-public event where road safety professionals, speakers and service providers from across Ireland, other EU countries and the UK will attend, including transportation experts, government and local authority officials, roads policing and vehicle inspection agencies, road safety advocates, educators and promoters, collision responders, cycling bodies and community safety networks.

Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said:
“Road safety has evolved over the years to a much broader scope, in terms of e-mobility, sustainability, technology and engineering for instance. It’s not just about the road or the vehicle anymore, but also about how technology, human behaviour, enforcement, and education intersect to reduce risks and prevent collisions. The ‘Safer Roads’ conference will involve and include every branch of the road safety tree, right across the board, and in doing so, we aim to increase road safety awareness, improve road user behaviour and decrease the collisions and carnage we see on our roads every day,”

The two-day conference also provides an opportunity for exhibitors to attend, and interested state bodies, businesses and service providers are invited to exhibit at the event to showcase their products and services and engage with delegates and officials at the conference.

Further information about the conference and how to register or exhibit can be found here. https://www.kerrycoco.ie/safer-roads-road-safety-conference/

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