A one-way traffic system is to be put in place in the south Dublin village of Blackrock by the end of the month in order to ensure safe public distancing during the Covid-19 emergency.
On Wednesday, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council said it had taken the decision to facilitate safe physical distancing, mobility and the re-opening of local businesses.
The installation of a temporary one-way traffic system will see space reallocated for pedestrians and cyclists.
“The Council are working on this initiative with the support of the Blackrock Business Network. The details of the plan are currently being worked on and will be finalised next week,” it said in a statement. “It is envisaged that the temporary changes will be implemented in the village from Wednesday, 27th May.”
It said whatever emerges will not adversely affect public transport serving the village and any temporary materials would be “both functional and sympathetic to the public realm”.
The council is in the process of preparing a county-wide plan of temporary measures to address the challenges presented by Covid-19 including public safety, mobility and the recovery of the local economy, it said. It should completed in the next two weeks.
Skirted by the N31, a major road artery, Blackrock is a sizeable village with a main street and numerous commercial premises bordered to the east by the sea and the north by a large park. It is also surrounded by extensive suburban environs with a considerable population.
In response to the announcement, the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Cycling Group said it believed the plan would likely include a contra-flow lane for cycling, improving safe access to the village “to the many families who shop an exercise here”. That remains unverified.
Reaction on social media to changing the layout of the commercial village was generally positive.
“There are five car parks in Blackrock, plus on street parking just off Main Street,” one post noted.
“I think it’s great that the council are looking at ways to make the village safer for pedestrians & cyclists as the footpaths are so narrow and there are no bike lanes.”
Green Party councillor Séafra Ó Faoláin tweeted that full credit for the move went to the local business community and residents “for putting the proposal together”.
