Frustration as pedestrian crossing for The Downs still not delivered

Frustration was voiced at the latest meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad over continued delays in delivering a long-discussed pedestrian crossing at The Downs.

Raising the issue, Cllr Andrew Duncan said he believed agreement, and funding, had already been secured for the crossing adjacent to the local school.

“I thought we’d actually already got an agreement to do this… I thought we had funding sorted,” he said, noting the matter had come up repeatedly over the years.

Cllr Aoife Davitt supported the motion, recalling previous site visits with district engineer Pat Kavanagh and long-standing engagement with residents.

“We spent quite a bit of money at the school. It just lends itself to the children going to the primary school safely crossing the road, or students being able to go across to the playground or football pitch,” she said. “It makes sense to be there.”

She added that she too believed the project had been agreed previously, but had yet to materialise.

Responding, Mr Kavanagh said the council had previously hoped to secure funding for a pedestrian crossing, but it had not come through. He explained that a key issue now is the speed limit in the area.

“At the moment the speed limit is 60, where it should really be 50,” he said, noting that reducing the limit would allow for greater traffic calming measures, including crossings and ramps.

He said the council are liaising with the Active Travel Section and exploring options such as a footpath and crossing under available funding streams, but stressed that a revised speed limit is critical to progressing the project.

Cllr Duncan questioned whether the crossing could proceed without waiting for a speed limit change, but Mr Kavanagh said approvals are more likely once the limit is reduced.

While acknowledging the challenges, Mr Kavanagh confirmed that funding has been set aside for traffic calming measures, including ramps, at The Downs.

Cllr Duncan said ramps could provide an effective interim solution, pointing to instances of excessive speeding in the area.

“There’s a number of cars that do drive excessively there… they shouldn’t be able to do it,” he said.

Mr Kavanagh agreed that once speeds are reduced, the issue would be easier to address, but noted that the long-awaited speed limit review has been delayed.

He confirmed the council have requested that the review be prioritised, and The Downs is among the key locations identified.