Town Mayor calls for review of Athlone's traffic management system

Athlone Moate Municipal District Mayor, Cllr Frankie Keena has called for a complete review of the traffic management system on all approach roads into Athlone.

It being seven years since the implementation of the Orange Loop system, Mayor Keena proposed that such a review should consider all options including a west–east traffic flow and the building of approved link roads.

Addressing the members at the monthly sitting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, the Mayor stated that a traffic management review was now "urgent".

However, Director of Services Jackie Finney said conducting a new traffic management review would be "premature", noting that traffic modelling and analysis was undertaken in 2022 and published in 2023, a number of recommendations from which had yet to be implemented.

Tabling his motion, Cllr Frankie Keena said: "Athlone is changing for the positive but such developments can bring infrastructural challenges.

“There are a number of housing developments in progress and with planning applications also in process there is certain to be a swell in the number of vehicles using all routes into the centre of our town.

"As we are all aware, at peak times, there are traffic congestion issues on a number of key approach roads into the core of our town,” he said.

He cited the Ballymahon Road, the old Dublin Road and Bushfield Road to name but three problematic routes.

"As a council, we should be united in this regard and suggest numerous options to alleviate such problematic congestion. The active travel programme report is certain to reveal long-term solutions to alleviate traffic congestion within Athlone but we also need a short term solution.

"We are a regional growth centre and if we have to spend money to ensure our town becomes more accessible then that I can assure my fellow members that it will be money very well spent," Cllr Keena said.

A frustrated Mayor also suggested that it "would be no harm to engage the services of an external party" to ensure that a new traffic management report is completed.

Supporting the Mayor's motion, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke said that "a fresh pair of eyes" maybe what is necessary to ensure that all aspects of a new traffic management report is prepared and published.

"We need to address all weaknesses within our current traffic management system. These must be addressed with a fresh and open mind. Since Covid-19 there has been a drastic increase in the numbers using our roads. There is now more than one car per family with students driving to school. It is clear to see that the volume of cars on our roads has increased beyond expectations.

"So to address our traffic congestion issue, I do feel there is merit in appointing a third party to address the situation," Cllr O'Rourke said.

Concurring, Cllr John Gibbons stated that a review was "timely" after seven years but should include a complete traffic count on all approach routes into the town.

Cllr Paul Hogan noted that an independent traffic management review would "certainly identify pinchpoints and detail congestion locations for improvement" as the town continues to develop.

In his response, District Manager Willie Ryan stated that a full suite of traffic flow modelling for the core of Athlone was undertaken in 2016, in advance of the Orange Loop one-way implementation.

"Additional traffic analysis and modelling was undertaken in 2022 to inform the Athlone Area Based Transport Assessment (ABTA). Published in 2023, this document presents approximately 40 recommendations that informs present and future proposals in relation to junctions, parking, traffic flow, public transport and active travel.

"To conduct a complete traffic management system review at this time would, I believe, cost a healthy six figure sum. However, I am happy to provide the members with an accurate costing for such a remodelling in due course," Mr Ryan said.

District Manager Jackie Finney said the executive's preference was to allocate funding towards the recommendations set out in the most recent traffic analysis modelling published in 2023.

"It is premature to be spending money on a new traffic management system review. It is inevitable that as Athlone continues to grow there will be traffic congestion on approach roads, the town core having a particular focus on use by pedestrians and cyclists, but as an executive we will gauge the thoughts of the members, obtain costings and review possible funding streams for any potential future traffic analysis," Ms Finney concluded.