Cllr Mannix Flynn wants pedestrian priority at traffic lights reduced to pre-Covid state

A Dublin City councilor, who has previously objected to cycle routes and pedestrianisation of streets, now wants pedestrian priority at traffic lights reduced back to pre-Covid situation, when motorists had more priority by design.

Cllr Mannix Flynn (independent) put forward an emergency motion to reduce the pedestrian priority at traffic lights at the latest Dublin City Council South East Area Committee meeting on July 12.

Cllr Flynn said: “I’d ask that they revert back to the original signaling and then we could have a proper situation in terms of how we’re going to plan this out in terms of the timing as we open up the society. We cannot have the situation like at this moment where we have huge traffic jams.”

Cllr Pat Dunne (Independents4Change) said that pedestrian priority at traffic lights should be increased and extended. He said: “Pedestrians, in my opinion, take precedence over the car users at those junctions. I fundamentally disagree with the motion.”

He added: “The fact that you might have 4 or 5 SUVs at a traffic light and if you have 4-5 pedestrians waiting to cross, the pedestrians take up less space than the SUVs which are causing the traffic congestion.”

He said he opposes Cllr Flynn motion, he  supports the city council’s traffic department on having altered some traffic lights to favor pedestrian more, and would ask them to expand pedestrian priority.

Cllr Deirdre Conroy (FF), who said she agrees with Cllr Flynn, said: “I fully support pedestrians, but pedestrians are also drivers and they are bringing children to play sports.”

She claimed that the traffic lights directed towards motorists are just “on for two seconds” in her area.

Local area committee chairperson Cllr Dermot Lacey (Labour) said that he did not want to open the issue up to a full debate as it was not planned to be on the agenda. He the committee would seek a report on the issue while noting that there was not full agreement.


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5 comments

  1. This is outrageous. If this is his attitude and perspective on these important matters that have huge implications for our personal safety and affect all of us on a daily basis, he ought to step aside and let someone else occupy the post.

    Reply
  2. At least Flynn and Conroy are open about their pro-car and anti-pedestrian and anti-cycling stance. Dermot Lacey once again trying to be conciliatory to all positions, even the outrageous ones such as this. Cllr Flynn consistently gives the pro-car proponents cover by trying to include them in the conversation, as if these anti-people ideas are worthy of discussion. And he’s also wasting money by pandering to these extreme pro-car ideas – “The the committee would seek a report on the issue while noting that there was not full agreement”. Not full agreement = some people are nut-jobs and have nut-job ideas that no sane people agree with.

    Reply
  3. Correction to the above text.
    “Cllr Flynn consistently gives the pro-car proponents…”
    That should read “Cllr Lacey consistently gives the pro-car proponents…”

    Reply
  4. In the recent Dublin Bay South by-election, Mannix polled 3.3%, and all from the cycleway objectors in Sandymount. Conroy polled 4.6%, the lowest FF result in the history of the state. These two will spew anything for exposure at this stage, and it should get 7.9% of our time. “There are worse things than being talked about, not being talked about”

    Reply
  5. “Cllr Deirdre Conroy (FF), who said she agrees with Cllr Flynn, said: “I fully support pedestrians, but pedestrians are also drivers and they are bringing children to play sports.”

    That’s the type of double-spanking out of both sides of politicians mouths that earns them a 30% turn-out at the polls (Or was it even lower?).

    My view is that we cant trust any politician.

    Reply

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