Traffic and Road Safety: Holy Family National School, Dunedin Park, Monkstown Farm, Dún Laoghaire, 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

Holy Family National School, Dunedin Park, Monkstown Farm, Dún Laoghaire.

What is proposed at Holy Family National School, Dunedin Park

A Parent Survey carried out in 2021 indicated that 94.2% of the parents of children in Holy Family National School, Dunedin Park support works at the front of school that improve student safety and put pedestrians and cyclists first.

Holy Family National School, Dunedin Park has two entrances, one on Dunedin Park and one on Monkstown Grove. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has developed proposals for public realm upgrades at both these locations. Details of the proposals are outlined in the document accompanying this notice.

The proposals include:

• Interventions to discourage vehicle congestion and dangerous traffic manoeuvres at the school entrances.
• 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 entrances.
• Provision of enhanced footpaths on approach to the school.
• Upgrading of the Monkstown Grove public realm outside the school.

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 are 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 'Holy Family National School, Dunedin Park, Monkstown Farm, Dún Laoghaire, SRTS, School Zone.'

The closing date for receipt of submissions is 1^st September 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.