West Mayo Active Travel Scheme delivery is too slow says councillor

AN Active Travel scheme in West Mayo was described as an example of how 'utterly illogical' the whole scheme can be with calls for it to be reviewed.

Westport councillor Peter Flynn made the comments at the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District following an update on the Deerpark Active Travel Scheme in Westport.

While welcoming the €1.5 million scheme, which will see the construction of pedestrian crossings along the Newport Road in Westport, Cllr Flynn questioned the overall cost of it along with the process of its delivery.

He told the meeting that five years ago the project was to cost €180,000 and an increase in the cost is a result of using consultants in the design process.

“To go from €180,000 to €1.5 million is a huge cost so there are obviously a lot of additional costs brought into the system. I honestly believe the local council would be able to deliver for a fraction of the cost. When you bring in consultants into any process it turns into not just a project but something way beyond that,” he said before adding that the delivery of Active Travel Schemes was taking too long.

“I have seen so many announcements over the last three or four years in relation to active travel funding but we have zero delivery. This is the first project we have seen a project delivered in the next 12 to 15 months but it has taken too long.

“I really do welcome this work but the whole active travel process needs to be relooked at at national level. The speed of delivery needs to be ramped up because this length of time to deliver relatively simple projects is not acceptable.

“We are talking about getting people safely in and out of schools and towns and encourage people to go on bikes and walk but yet in terms of delivery we are way too slow. I welcome it but I caveat it with a huge concern about the whole active travel process we have created here,” he said.

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The meeting heard that the project is currently going into the planning stage with the hope that construction will begin at the end of the year.

Riccardo Caimano, principle engineer on the scheme explained that it will consist of 350 metres between the Cedar Park and Pinewoods junctions along the N59 Newport Road. In order to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists, raised pedestrian crossings will be built at the Kings Inn and Cedar Hill junction as well as at the Pinewoods and Deerpark East junction.

The road will be narrowed to incorporate footpaths on both sides of the road and the junctions will be narrowed to slow down traffic. Bus stops will also be incorporated into the plan

The meeting heard that the scheme will not continue towards Horkan's Hill and Scoil Phadraig and Holy Trinity National Schools but these areas will be incorporated in the Safe Routes to School Scheme.

The planning process for this scheme does not have the same timeframe as the Active Travel Scheme and this was also criticised by councillors.

“It should be all inclusive and we should do the section from the two primary schools down as far as the golf course road junction instead of having this whole process repeated for the Holy Trinity section and spending a load of money on consultants. It is ludicrous to be honest with you,” said Cllr Flynn.