News

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive can a yellow box be placed outside the South Bank
Estate in Swords?”

Reply:
Yellow Box Markings, RRM 020, are provided to aid traffic flow. They may be
used at road junctions (including roundabouts), at junctions with tram tracks, at
railway level crossings, the exits to bus lanes, or other locations as deemed
appropriate by the road authority, where blocking back affecting a cross flow is a
significant problem.
The entrance to Southbank is approximately 350m from the signalised junction
at Balheary Road and approximately 325 from the roundabout at the entrance to
Glen Ellan and Applewood. The distances from the signalised junction and
roundabout, at this location, should provide sufficient storage for any queuing
traffic. It is not proposed to install a yellow box at this locations at this time.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive can double yellow lines or no parking lining be
placed at the top of Castleview Crescent as bin lorries and other heavy
services have been unable to access the top of the Crescent due to
parking by the green open space”

Reply:
The Operations Department would not consider the introduction of further
double yellow lines at this location, as their provision in residential areas often
prove difficult to enforce.

Under Section 36 (2) of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, An
Garda Síochána have powers of enforcement which do not require the
installation of statutory signage or road markings. The following regulations
apply in a general context and do not require the installation of statutory signage
or road markings.

Section 36 (2) of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations:-

A vehicle shall not be parked –
(c) within 5 metres of a road junction;
(g) in any place, position or manner that will result in the vehicle obstructing
an entrance or an exit for vehicles to or from a premises, save with the
consent of the occupier of such premises,
(k) in a manner in which it will interfere with the normal flow of traffic or
which obstructs or endangers other traffic;
(i) on a footway, a grass margin or a median strip

Motion: Councillor D. Smith
“That this committee agrees to examine the provision of scheme to provide extra car parking spaces in estates in the Balbriggan/Swords area which have chronic parking problems?”

Report:
The provision of car parking spaces in estates is considered as part of the planning application process and has regard to development plan guidelines. Any changes to existing estates would impact on dedicated public open space and would require a public consultation and planning process to be entered into. This issue is not unique to the Balbriggan/Swords area, but impacts countywide, and as such, would need to be considered on a full county basis, with all relevant stakeholders.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive what criteria do residents in the Balbriggan/Swords
area need to adhere to in order to allow them to erect mirrors at their entrance
gates where visibility on exiting their properties is obscured?”

Reply:
It is the Operation Department’s position that a roadside mirror is not an
acceptable control measure to deal with any residual deficiency in visibility as
their use presents more disadvantages (and risk to road-users) than their
benefits. The rationale for this position is detailed below.
• Mirrors are largely ineffective during bad weather (rain, fog, snow, frost;
early-morning dew/condensation) when the visibility requirement is at its
highest;
• Mirrors may not adequately highlight the presence of approaching
pedestrians or cyclists particularly during night-time hours and where
such road-users are themselves poorly illuminated (e.g. pedestrians
wearing dark clothing, absence of bicycle lights which unfortunately is
quite common);
• Mirrors are prone to vandalism and if not installed correctly may be
damaged by (and present a hazard to) passing vehicles or road-users;
• Mirrors require regular maintenance (cleaning realignment/correction to
ensure that the correct aspect/view is available) and safety/liability issues
are associated with the undertaking of such works on the public road by
private individuals.
• Convex mirrors distort the reflected image and many road-users
(particularly the elderly) are unable to judge the speed of approaching
traffic from the mirror’s image.
• Mirrors can create glare/distraction to other users of the public road,
arising from sunlight (particularly during low winter sun) and vehicle
headlights.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive if any solutions for the parking problems at the Elms
in Ridgewood have been reached and if so when will they be implemented?”

Reply:
Consideration is being given to the provision of additional parking adjacent to
the playing field at this location.

Question: Councillor D. Smith
“To ask the Chief Executive can signs such as “Dead Slow” be erected in
Castleview in conjunction with the ramps in areas of the estate not covered by
the ramps in order to provide further reminders of speeding cars to slow down?”

Reply:
There is no provision for a “Dead Slow” sign in the Traffic Signs Manual and the
provision of such signs is not considered appropriate.