Proposed ‘school zone’ for Presentation de la Salle, Bagenalstown
A school zone will be created around Presentation de la Salle, Bagenalstown
CARLOW County Council has released details of its plans to create a ‘school zone’ around Presentation de la Salle, Bagenalstown and opened it up for public consultation.
School zones create safe, protected areas outside the school gates where vehicular drop-off is discouraged and awareness of vulnerable road users is stressed. The proposal summary for the works explains how new road elements will highlight the presence of the school and encourage traffic to slow down, prevent parking on pavements and encourage drivers to make legal and safe drop-offs.
In a survey of families in the school, 98.3% supported the prospect of works at both the front of the school and on routes leading to the campus to improve student safety.
Nearly half of all survey comments (46.7%) specifically cited traffic congestion and volume as major issues. An audit of the road highlighted that a single entrance to the school on the R724 is shared by 762 students, 80 staff and 16 school buses, leading to intense congestion on school grounds and on approach roads.
This risk is compounded by the existence of narrow footpaths, faded pedestrian crossings, a large internal roundabout that facilitates chaotic parking and a lack of gateway elements/road markings to alert drivers approaching from the east.
When asked what would improve their journey, families highly prioritised risk reduction measures including fewer cars at the school gate (56.7%), safer crossing points (46.7%) and reduced traffic speeds (33.3%).
The school zone plan identified the Lidl car park 350m away as a park and stride location to absorb up to 100 vehicles. It also plans to formalise existing grass ‘desire lines’ into proper footpaths and aligning with the school's board of management's broader conditional planning permission to redevelop and modernise the school's layout.
The council said the scheme may also comprise of upgraded or new road markings and road signage, junction tightening, uncontrolled pedestrian crossings at priority junctions, upgrades to the existing zebra crossing and construction of a new zebra crossing, new footpaths, school warning signs and school gateway road markings, drainage and public lighting works.
The works are being funded under the National Transport Authority’s . Construction works are likely to a have minor impact on traffic, but no long-term negative impacts are expected.
Details of the proposed works are available for inspection until 28 September through the council's online consultation portal or at McGrath hall, Muinebheag from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Members of the public are invited to make submissions and observations on the proposed document until 28 September through the council's online consultation portal, by email or in writing. Those who wish to apply for an environmental screening determination must do so to An Comisiún Pleanála by the same date.
