Immediate changes are needed to address the traffic delays on Pope’s Quay following the installation of bike lanes there last year.
City councillors said the reduction of the two traffic lanes to one is resulting in long tailbacks sometimes as far back as St Mary’s Church.
Peviously one of the lanes was used for traffic turning right up onto Shandon Street while the other was used for cars heading left onto the North Gate Bridge or straight on to Sunday’s Well.
However in City Hall last night councillors said the new system with just one lane is not working and it was time to rectify it.
Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Martin said that when something clearly isn’t working you have to accept it and fix it as quickly as possible.
“You can be delayed right back to the church some days. You have people going up to Shandon, out to Sunday’s Well or across the bridge towards the Mercy or back up to the Coal Quay and all served by a single lane from Pope’s Quay, it doesn’t work,” he said.
“It was obvious before the bike lane was finished that this was going to cause problems and it should have been fixed while the contractor was still on site.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Tony Fitzgerald said the local knowledge of councillors should have been heeded and it was clear that removing a busy land for a cycle lane was going to cause trouble.
Sinn Fein councillor Thomas Gould said Pope’s Quay was an example of how local government sometimes does not work. “It’s the one thing that all councillors know, you need two lanes. We are not against the bikes but this traffic delays cannot continue,” he said.
“It’s now going to cost tens of thousands to put back in second lane that we knew shouldn’t have been removed in the first place.”
“I would be stuck in traffic there and would be half hiding in my car because people looking in the window are saying ‘aren’t you a councillor?'”
However Fianna Fáil councillor John Sheehan said that while there were problems on Pope’s Quay the new bike scheme and cycling in general were positive things for the city.
“Like any new layout it takes time for people to get used to and for any changes to be made.”
Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan said improvements for cyclists and pedestrians were positive changes to the city.
Fine Gael councillor Joe Kavanagh said there has been a very positive response to the new bike scheme especially from businesses and that they have been a welcome addition to the city.
Responding to the councillors the head of the Roads Department Gerry O’Beirne said any new road scheme will present their own issues which the council will address. “We Will try and take on board comments made by members,” he said.