Meath County Council has rejected all the points raised in Maynooth Cycling Campaign’s submission on the Moygaddy Road, part of the proposed ring road around Maynooth.

The main point  concerned the separation of an off road cycle track from the road. The council proposed a separation of 1.5m whereas Table 4.3 of TD300 Provision of Cycle Facilities in Rural Areas requires a minimum separation distance of 2m for speeds of 80km/h or less. The council’s response was “The separation distance at 1.5m is deemed to be appropriate”.

The second point of the submission was differentiation of cycle track from the footpath in level and material. Meath County Council responded that there would be suffice demarcation with different  materials.

The third point was for the provision of filtered permeability on the existing road. Meath County Council undertook to implement some traffic calming but did not state whether or not filtered permeability would be included .

A common aspects of all three responses  is that they fail to address the points raised in the submission and recommend no changes regardless of standards, best international practice or any other arguments or precedents. This continues the practice in most local authorities of looking for public submissions but rejecting submissions from cycling groups if it does accord with their proposals .

Maynooth Cycling Campaign welcomes the public consultation on National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme 2017-2022 and the proposed expansion in the monitoring nationally.

We note from the Consultation Paper that

            The criteria for the selection of Tier 2 AQIH monitoring stations ……….. is as follows:

1. a) Inclusion of all urban areas with populations greater than 15,000. The rationale for inclusion of these areas is to provide information to the public on air quality in those            areas of highest population density.

We propose that Maynooth be added to the towns monitored on the basis that its population is above the 15,000 threshold ie 15,909 according to the results of the 2016 Census. Although the people of Maynooth are currently highly car dependent, the National Transport Authority is providing funding for improved walking and cycling facilities so the town would potentially be a good location to monitor changing air quality resulting from transport modal change.

Yours sincerely,

Maynooth Cycling Campaign