A majority of Dublin City Councillors has already agreed with Councillor Wendy Hederman (PD) that the speed limit on residential laneways in the Pembroke area must be reduced.

Wendy Hederman says: “I welcome the new 30km/hour speed limit and will be taking steps to have it applied to the narrow residential laneways in Ballsbridge and other parts of the City. What we are talking about are the narrow laneways that are now intensely residential but are barely wide enough for two cars to pass, or in places not wide enough for even one car and a pedestrian to pass safely. There are no footpaths on most of these lanes, such as Waterloo Lane, Raglan Lane, Heytesbury Lane, and so pedestrians, particularly parents with their children and buggies, have to pin themselves to the wall to avoid the cars speeding up the lanes.”

She says that it is absurd for the same speed limit to apply to Waterloo Lane as on Waterloo Road, a big wide street with footpaths either side and space for all road users. The residents of these lanes have asked her on numerous occasions what can be done to control the speed of cars in these areas.

Owen Keegan, director of traffic for Dublin, has said there may be merit in having the 30 km/h speed limit on O’Connell Street, which has “high pedestrian volumes”. If so, it is Wendy’s opinion that there is definitely merit in having a speed limit of 30km/h on the narrow residential laneways which do not have footpaths, plazas, pedestrian crossings and space for all road users.