Traffic and Road Safety: The Harold School, Eden Road Lower, Glasthule, Co Dublin, Safe Routes to School, "School Zone"

Overview

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is working with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to deliver their "Safe Routes to School"(SRTS) Programme, the aim of which is to improve safety at school entrances, improve access routes to schools and encourage as many pupils as possible in primary and post-primary schools to walk and cycle.

The SRTS Programme includes the delivery of “School Zones” consisting of public realm upgrades outside schools which will:

• Reduce vehicular congestion at school gates.
• Encourage drivers to slow down in the vicinity of a school.
• Reduce vehicle drop-offs, pick-ups and vehicles idling at school gates.
• Highlight the presence of schools and their vulnerable road users.
• Provide public with cleaner air, safer streets, and more vibrant and inclusive public spaces.

As part of this Programme it is proposed to deliver a “School Zone”, public realm upgrades outside

The Harold School, Eden Road Lower, Glasthule, Co Dublin.

What is proposed at The Harold School, Glasthule?

A Parent Survey carried out in 2021 indicated that 94.5% of the parents of children in The Harold School, Glasthule support works at the front of school that improve student safety and put pedestrians and cyclists first.

The Harold School, Glasthule has two entrances, one on Eden Road Lower and off the pedestrian laneway running alongside the school connecting Eden Road Lower with Eden Park. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has developed proposals for public realm upgrades at both these locations. As pupils congregate in the park across from the school and this park is also regularly used by the school for outdoor activities the proposals include interventions to improve pedestrian safety on route between the park and the school entrance.   Details of the proposals are outlined in the document accompanying this notice.

The proposals include:

• Traffic calming in front of the school.
• Highlighting the presence of the school through carriageway colour and coloured road markings, feature bollards and traffic signage.
• Provision of additional raised pedestrian crossings.
• Provision of enhanced pedestrian space at the school entrance including new biodiverse soft landscaping and tree planting.
• Provision of a wider footpath alongside the park across from the school.
• Upgrading of the finishes to the pedestrian laneway connecting Eden Road lower with Eden Park.

The design features will be consistent with those proposed nationally under the NTA Safe Routes to School Programme.

Why your views matter

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is seeking views from the public to help inform the proposed design. A Non-Statutory Public Consultation is being held on the proposals from 4^th August to 1^st September 2022 (4 weeks).

Submissions and observations can be made via e-mail to info@dlrcoco.ie or by logging on to www.dlrcoco.ie and visiting the Public Consultation Hub.  Observations should be clearly marked ‘The Harold School, Glasthule, SRTS, School Zone.’

The closing date for receipt of submissions is 1^st September 2022 at 12 noon.

What happens next

Further to this Non-Statutory Public Consultation, a report will be brought back to the Dún Laoghaire Area Committee meeting in the Autumn 2022.