I wish to thank Mayo Roads Design Office in Consultation with Transport Infrastructure Ireland for publishing this Section 38 consultation. I wish to make the following submission on this Section 38 consultation on the proposed upgrades to N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 Lower Main Street Road Junction and the Pedestrian Crossing, in Foxford. I have tried to make this submission as concise as possible under the following headings:

1. Current Proposals including positive and negative observations and a conclusion

2. Existing issues at the Pedestrian Crossing and the N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 Lower Main Street Junction

3. Alternative proposal for consideration including propsals for Main Street, the N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 Lower Main Street junction and a new Pedestrian Crossing.

Current Proposals:

Buildouts on Main Street, Lower Main Street and on the Chapel Road and Bridge Street along the N26

Enhanced lighting to Pedestrian crossing including Belisha Beacons

Compressed double lane of the N26 at the Pedestrian Crossing

Road markings brought forward from pedestrian crossing onto Bridge Street, to increase visibility.

Junction tightening at Main Street,

Removal of Loading Bay on Main Street.

Positive Observations on proposals:

Proposed raising of Pedestrian Crossing to increase visibility

Proposal to install double height belisha beacons with integrated flashing lights on the poles at the Pedestrian Crossing.

Compressing the double lane on the N26 near the junction on Bridge Street and near the Pedestrian Crossing should help to reduce speed in this area.

Negative observations on proposals:

Loss of parking spaces on Bridge Street

Loss of parking spaces on both sides of Main Street

Loss of Loading Bay on Main Street.

Removal of the right hand turn from N58 Main Street to N26 Chapel Road will result in traffic wishing to turn right at the Main Street junction, having to cross both lanes of the N26, proceed onto the L-5361 (Lower Main Street), past the Green Road Junction, proceed onto Providence Road and turn left at the Providence Road / N26 Junction. This means that traffic will have to negotiate two extra junctions on this route. I have never heard of a proposal, where the removal of the right turn off a National Secondary Road, would result in traffic having to cross both lanes of a National Primary Route, being "diverted" onto two local roads and joining the National Primary Route at a further junction. This defies logic completely!

Removal of the right hand turn from N58 Main Street to N26 Chapel Road will result in traffic wishing to turn right at the Main Street junction, being forced off a National Secondary Road onto two local roads, namely the L-5361 (Lower Main Street) and Providence Road. This will result in much increased traffic volumes on these local roads, that are already struggling to accommodate traffic coming and going to:

1. St. Joseph's Secondary School Main Campus on Providence Road,

2. St. Joseph's Secondary school Upper Campus on Lower Main Street,

3. Gannons Shop and Post Office on Providence Road,

4. Many elderly and vulnerable citizens living on both Lower main Street and Providence Road,

5. locals and visitors to Foxford Woollen Mills,

6. Hope House,

7. Mayo North East,

8. Foxford Sports and Leisure Centre,

9. Straide and Foxford United grounds on Green Road,

10. Blackrocks Nursing Home on Green Road,

11. Moy Davitts GAA grounds on Green Road,

12. Fisheries along the river Moy on Green Road.

It must be noted that there are currently very substantial traffic delays on Providence Road and Lower Main Street at school pick up and drop off times and that 470 students of St. Joseph's move between the upper and lower campuses and the other 2 campuses at the Foxford Sports and Leisure Centre and the Brown Memorial Hall on Chapel Road, nine times daily. In addition, there is no pedestrian crossing on either Lower Main street or Providence Road, especially for use by elderly or vulnerable pedestrians.

Conclusion:

I have studied the current issues at the existing pedestrian crossing and the junction and the proposals for the same. The current proposals will create more issues / problems at the pedestrian crossing and the junction of N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 and quenching the right hand turn off Main Street will create huge issues / problems in the Lower main Street / Providence Road areas of Foxford. On balance and having lived in Foxford for over 30 years, I feel very strongly that the current proposals fall far short of what is needed to make significant safety improvements for both pedestrians and motorists, who use the junction and the pedestrian crossing daily.

Existing issues at the Pedestrian Crossing and the N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 Lower Main Street Junction:

Acute safety concerns for pedestrians

Acute safety concerns for motorists

Visibility issues with the existing pedestrian crossing

Poor lighting of the exsiting pedestrian crossing

Difference in road levels between Main Street (higher) and N26

"Stacking" of three cars side by side at the junction, resulting in each car impeeding the next cars sight lines and visibility

Cars turning offf the N26 and proceeding against traffic on the one-way traffic system on Main Street. This is happening regularly each day, especially during the summer when there are more visitors in the area.

Further consideration:

Proposed N26 to N58 bypass (Foxford Transport Scheme)

ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL:

Disclaimer: I am not a Roads or Traffic Engineer. However, I have studied the Pedestrian Crossing and the N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 Lower Main Street Road Junction in Foxford at various times of the day and I am relying on local knowledge and logic.

Proposal for Main Street:

Leave the existing footpath at Guiry's corner intact,

Move the recently installed bicycle racks in front of the Old Salt coffee shop, to the right hand side beside Mcgloins Gala, at the end of the Archway entering the town car park,

Remove the build out in front of Foxford Medical Centre,

Remove both trees between the town clock and O'hara's Centra. This includes the tree in the build out in front of Foxford Medical Centre. The reason I am requesting the removal of these trees is that they are impeeding the proper use of the loading bay,

Put in 2 or 3 car parking spaces extending from the town clock towards O'Hara's Centra. One of these spaces should be a properly marked (blue base) Disability Parking Space, in front of Foxford Medical Centre. The existing Disability Parking Space beside the town clock needs to be properly marked too (blue base),

Put in a new loading bay further back from O'Hara's corner towards the town clock. This loading bay should be designated for use up to noon each day and should be used for partking thereafter.

Both the new Disability Parking Space and the "new" loading bay can utilise the existing double length dropped kerb outside Jordans bar,

Construct a right angled triangular build out on O'Hara's Centra side of Main Street, extending from the corner of the footpath at Main Street and the N26 at O'Hara's and extending to the centre of the road at Main Street. The longest side of this triangular build out, should extend from the centre of the road at Main Street back to the existing dropped kerb on the footpath outside O'Hara's Centra. It should be noted that this existing dropped kerb outside O'Hara's Centra corresponds to the dropped kerb outside Guiry's bar.

Advantages:

1. Maintain the one lane / one choice system proposed by Mayo Roads Design

2. Prevent cars turning off the N26 against traffic on the one-way traffic system on Main Street. This is happening regularly each day, especially during the summer when there are more visitors in the area.

3. This is the first part of my proposal which includes retaining the right hand turn off Main Street onto the N26 / Chapel Road

4. Trucks leaving the "new" loading bay can exit the junction of N58 Main Street and the N26, turning left on to the N26 only.

Proposal for the Pedestrian Crossing:

Re-site the Pedestrian Crossing 10 to 15 metres towards the Church on Chapel Road,

This is the second part of my proposal which includes retaining the right hand turn off Main Street onto the N26 / Chapel Road,

Build out the Library corner and O'Hara's Centra corner up to 18 inches each onto the N26 Chapel Road. This will compress both lanes of the N26 thus slowing traffic down

Place new wrap around railings on the build outs at the library from approximately the bin on Lower Main Street and wrapping around the corner to the "new Pedestrian Crossing and approximately from O'Hara's Centra front door and wrapping around the corner to the "new Pedestrian Crossing

As stated, construct a new pedestrian crossing 10 to 15 metres on the Church side of the existing Pedestrian Crossing and upgrade to a raised Zebra Crossing in this new location.

Put a push button Pedestrian Crossing with lights at the "new" location, similar to the Pedestrian Crossing near the Admiral Brown Monument on Chapel Road.

OR

Put a double height IPL Modustar High Intensity Belisha Beacons with flashing lights built into the poles at the "new" Pedestrian Crossing location.

Advantages:

1. Greater pedestrian safety and security due to increased visibility

2. Greater pedestrian safety and security due to " wrap around" railings on both the library and O'Hara's Centra corners

3. Greater motorist security and awareness due to enhanced visibility

4. Slowing of traffic at the pedestrian crossing and the junction due to build outs onto the N26

5. No more vehicles turning off the N26 against traffic on the one-way traffic system on Main Street.

6. Maintain the town loading bay on Main Street.

7. NO extra traffic on the L-5361 Lower Main Street or Providence Road

8. No loss of parking spaces on Main Street

9. Maintain the right hand turn of N58 Main Street onto N26 Chapel Road

10. Two cars following each other OR a vehicle towing a trailer can complete turning right from N58 Main Street onto N26 Chapel Road and still have enough room to stop short of the Pedestrian Crossing in the "new" location, having completed the turning manoeuvre.

11. As an extension to 10 above, if two cars following each other OR a vehicle towing a trailer turn right from N58 Main Street onto N26 Chapel Roadand have to stop before the pedestrian crossing to accommodate a pedestrian using the "new" crossing, it will not prevent the next vehicle on Main Street, from either turning left onto Bridge Street OR proceeding straight onto the L-5361 Lower Main Street.

As the Local Representative for the Foxford area, I respectfully ask that Mayo Roads Design and TII consider this and all other submissions to this consultation extremely carefully. all of the issues raised deserve very careful consideration as they have been raised by those who live in this area and are acutely aware of the current safety issues fro both pedestrians and motorists. In addition and given that the current proposals if implemented, could have a very negative effect on areas of the town, can I request that Mayo Roads Design and TII look at all traffic flows in Foxford town and look at the acute speed issue on the National Primary and Secondary approach roads to Foxford and come up with an overall reasonable plan, that will enhance safety for pedestrians and motorists alike? I trust that these requests are reasonable and are in order.

Kind regards

Cllr Neil Cruise

Member of Mayo County Council, Claremorris / Swinford Municipal District.

Section 38 - Upgrades to N58 Main Street / N26 Chapel Road / L-5361 Lower Main Street Road Junction, Foxford, Co. Mayo - Submissions

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