Kilbride National School is chaotic to say the least in terms of the traffic that surrounds it during school pick-up and drop-off times. At the moment, there are no adequate cycling or walking routes to give school children and their parents any incentive to travel in any way other than by car. This has caused concern in the local community because the school is located on a very dangerous bend on a small country road, the road safety signage is poor and there are currently no traffic calming measures such as pedestrian crossings or rumble strips.
I was approached by the residents association to see if there was anything I could do for the area. Having looked at the situation for myself, I realised that on approach from Mulhuddart, the speed limit shifts from 80-60km and there is a blind bend directly before the school. Drivers may be unaware that they are approaching a school and therefore may not take extra precautions. Due to the inadequate infrastructure, cars are forced to park on the paths (meaning that people cannot walk on them!)
I am delighted to say that Meath County Council, local sign manufacturer Rennicks, the Board of Management and the Parent Teacher Association in Kilbride NS will be collaborating funds to install two radar speed signs; one on either side of the school. In addition, the Council will paint rumble strips onto the road and current signage will be repainted by Rennicks. This is great news for Kilbride N.S as ultimately, school safety will be improved greatly.
A radar speed sign is an interactive sign, generally constructed of a series of LED lights that display vehicle speed as motorists approach. The purpose of radar speed signs is to slow cars down by making drivers aware when they are driving at unsafe speeds. They will cost €8,000 to install and Rennicks have agreed to pay half the amount, Meath County Council are paying for a quarter, and the parents committee together with the Board of Management will also pay a quarter.
The radar speed sign is an intelligent sign as it can relay information back to council such as the amount of cars speeding in the and at what times these offences occur. This will help establish patterns and particularly risky times of the day. They are solar powered, meaning they are environmentally friendly and make sense economically. The flashing lights of the sign will immediately encourage drivers to slow down and this is a proven, effective measure.
It is essential that we support this initiative because our County Councils do not have the funding that we would like them to have. If we all support local business, they will in turn help us by contributing what they can to the local area and our communities will be much better off as a result. Without the help of local business, this project would not have been possible.
