Fingal County Council is seeking residents on streets affected by rat-running to nominate their streets for a new quiet streets programme that will trial measures such as filtered permeability.
The council uses the example of Haverty Road in Marino, where residents requested action from Dublin City Council because of rat-running. Filtered permeability bollards were installed, and reports from the residents have been positive.
The criteria include that the street is in a town or village in Fingal, it’s a fully residential street (no schools or businesses), there’s currently an issue with rat-running or other road safety issues, it is not a main thoroughfare.
The council is also looking for streets where the majority of residents are interested in participating in the programme and understand that the trial will last for 6 months.
On its website, the council said: “Not long ago, it was common for people to walk, linger or play in residential streets. Most homes had fewer cars and there was less traffic near to where people lived. With higher car ownership and more people living at home into adulthood, as well as more multi-generational family homes, this has changed. Our cars also tend to be larger and more powerful than they used to be.”
It continued: “As a result, fewer people feel safe walking or cycling near their home, and fewer children feel safe playing in the streets where they live. We’d like to reverse some of those negative changes, so that everyone can enjoy a feeling of comfort and safety at home. The quiet streets programme doesn’t prevent people living in an area from driving to or from their home. Instead, it reduces ‘through traffic’.”
You can find out more and nominate your street at consult.fingal.ie.
Excellent – a resident on Church Rd asked about this so finally an opportunity to nominate the road.