30kmh limit to protect cyclists and pedestrians - Council plan to reduce motoring fatalities in city

MOTORISTS are set to face a radical new 30kmh (18.6mph) speed limit throughout Dublin city centre and along the quays.
The new limit is 20kmh less than the current city-wide limit of 50kmh (31mph).
The far slower speed limit is being introduced to help prevent the deaths of cyclists and pedestrians, the Irish Independent has learned.
Key arteries including O'Connell Street, Dame Street, D'Olier Street, Westmoreland Street, and the north and southside quays all currently have a speed limit of 50kmh since the changeover to metric values.
Under the new Dublin City Council management initiative these will all be slashed to 30kmh along with every other street and road in the city centre core.
A small number of streets, including part of Talbot Street and Temple Bar, already have a 30kmh limit but the vast majority are set at 50kmh, including the high traffic volume routes. In order to effect the changes, the council has held top-level discussions with the National Roads Authority. Because streets such as O'Connell St and Westmoreland St are designated as national primary roads, they will have to be delisted so that the new limit can be introduced.
The NRA has agreed to delist all of the roads inside the M50 as national primary routes to facilitate the new limit, it was also learned. It is expected that other councils in cities such as Cork, Galway and Limerick may follow the lead set by Dublin in bringing in a radically lower city centre speed limit.
Tim O'Sullivan, senior Dublin City Council traffic executive, said yesterday: "We are going to introduce a new lower speed limit of 30kmh in the very core of the city centre. It is a safety issue and is a no-brainer.
"The change is imminent. All of the studies show that when you have a speed limit of 20mph in the old values, then safety for cyclists and pedestrians is radically improved." Success
The new limit will be backed with upgrading of the traffic light system and a new raft of speed limit signs. The 30kmh limit will be presented to a special traffic committee of the council before going out to public consultation.
After that, a new bylaw will be introduced setting the new legal limit for motorists.
Mr O'Sullivan said they were now in a position to make the change following on from the success of the Dublin Port Tunnel in removing thousands of trucks from the quays and the city centre and the introduction of new quality bus corridors.
"This is about promoting the safety of cyclists and pedestrians," said the city council traffic chief.

Treacy Hogan
© Irish Independent