Councillors want action over worsening speeding problem in Rochfortbridge village

A whole-village traffic calming design for Rochfortbridge is to be undertaken in 2027, while two pedestrian crossings are due to be upgraded before this Christmas.

The update was given to the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District following a motion from Cllr Emily Wallace, who said residents were becoming frustrated at the lack of action on speeding and pedestrian safety in the village.

The Transportation Section confirmed that a whole-village traffic calming design will be undertaken next year, following previous agreement by Westmeath County Council to take a “whole-of-village” approach.

It also confirmed that, following an advance allocation of funding from the National Transport Authority, the District Office will upgrade two pedestrian crossings in Rochfortbridge in the fourth quarter of this year.

One is on the R400, and the other is in the centre of the village.

Cllr Wallace said she and other councillors had raised concerns about speeding and traffic calming in Rochfortbridge over a number of years.

“I’m disappointed to date because there have been independently separate motions and questions put in for ramps at different locations, different roads, raising pedestrian crossings and to date, I just feel – and my own constituents and neighbours within Rochfortbridge feel – they’re being forgotten about,” she said.

“And,” she continued, “speed has not slowed. In fact, it is getting worse.”

She said the school and wider community were growing, with further development taking place in the village.

Cllr Wallace also referred to a community meeting held last year, where residents had raised their concerns about speeding and pedestrian safety.

“They took time from their evening to share with us their concerns and raise them again, but this time in a public forum,” she said.

She said residents had subsequently made individual submissions to the council, while councillors had raised other areas requiring consideration both within Rochfortbridge and on the approaches to the village.

“Nothing yet has been done,” she said, adding that she wanted to be able to demonstrate to residents that their concerns “do mean something” and that the council were being proactive.

The mayor, Cllr Niall Gaffney, said he was “fully supportive” of the motion and recalled the previous year’s public meeting in Rochfortbridge where residents had spoken about near misses and accidents.

“There was nothing more palpable than the fear in the hall that night,” he said.

Cllr Gaffney said it was frustrating for residents after the council had previously set out a roadmap for addressing the problems.

He welcomed the planned pedestrian crossings but said more measures were needed.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly said additional Active Travel funding had been secured for the fourth quarter of this year and two pedestrian crossings had been identified for Rochfortbridge.

“Definitely before Christmas, you’re going to see two new pedestrian crossings out there,” she said.

She also said the council had granted planning permission for the school’s designs and was waiting for the school to progress its side of the work.

Cllr Wallace welcomed the planned crossings but said safety measures were needed before any new school building was completed.

“Those children still need to attend that school. Parents still need to navigate those roads,” she said.

She said she would contact Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke and seek support for funding to improve safety in the village.

“The Department of Education and all the rest should be freeing up money to help us as a council as well, make that area safe for all road traffic users within the village,” she said.

Ms Reilly agreed but said that additional funding from the Department of Education for that purpose should also be freed up.

Supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme