Parking space relocation on busy Limerick street ‘could be recipe for disaster’

DOZENS of parking spaces could be moved from South Circular Road in Limerick city to side streets like Summerville Avenue under council plans for a bike lane.

It has led one councillor to say this will prove a “recipe for disaster” due to there being congestion at rush hour, and urged local authority engineers to rethink the multi-million euro project.

As it stands, Limerick City and County Council is planning to build a bike lane along South Circular Road and Henry Street to provide a green route to the city centre.

But this has led to a groundswell of complaints from locals, who are fearful at losing their parking spots, with the proposal for these to be relocated into side streets which feed into South Circular Road.

However some local residents have stressed that these measures are important for Limerick to be transformed, and pointed out that it could lead to more people on bikes and ultimately less cars on the road. There’s also a need to cut pollution, they argue.

Limerick street could become one-way under bike lane plans

Labour councillor Joe Leddin, who lives at Summerville Avenue, said his street already experiences “carnage” during the morning and evening rush hours with cars unable to pass up or down.

“If we are going to take 70 or 80 cars, and put them on adjacent streets, that in itself could be a recipe for disaster. I think we need to be realistic here in terms of the nature of the area we are dealing with. Sometimes you just cannot put a square peg in a round hole,” he said.

The City West councillor was speaking after a private workshop was held on the plans, which will come before council members for a decision next month.

It was agreed that a further meeting must be held before February 20, when councillors are set to decide on whether it goes ahead.

Councillor Leddin said members are trying to ensure some form of the plan can go through, but compromise is needed.

“As a resident near South Circular Road, I’ve been looking to get investment here for many years. There’s been little work done on the public realm. Rather than take the easy option and reject the whole scheme, what I’m trying to do is strike a balance and get consensus,” he said.

A cut in the speed limit, traffic lights and raised platforms are ideas floated.