The Phoenix Park in Dublin will be given a reduced speed limit from the 28th of February in an effort to improve safety, and presumably also to discourage commuting by car through the park.
Commuter hub
The speed limit in the Park - one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe and home to many popular and historic sites including Dublin Zoo and Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President - will be cut from 50km/h to 30km/h at the end of February. The roads that run through the Park turn it into a link between the N3 and N4 roads into and out of west Dublin, which makes it something of a commuter hub.
Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Patrick O'Donovan, announced the change, saying: "Following an extensive public consultation process, the Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Options Study Post-Consultation Report was published last year with a number of key recommendations, which I am delighted to see being implemented. The reduction of the speed limit from 50km/h to 30km/h should see a marked difference in driver behaviour, making the Park a safer place for all of us using it for recreational purposes."
Cul-de-sac and one-way
The speed limit change isn't the only alteration to traffic flows through the Park. The Upper Glen Road, which runs just inside the Park boundary, parallel to the Chapelizod Bypass and the River Liffey, will be closed off and turned into a cul-de-sac. Meanwhile, the North Road - which runs in a loop from the western end of the Park, around parallel to the N3, and behind the Áras, Zoo, and down to Garda HQ - will be turned into a one-way route.
"The effect of the two pilot projects on the North Road and Upper Glen Road will be closely monitored by the OPW and we welcome any observations the public have in their regard," said Mr Donovan. "Cyclists will be pleased to hear that traffic lane separators for the entire length of Chesterfield Avenue will be installed this month and over 8km of cones currently in use removed. These new durable and strong dividers will ensure a safer experience for both cyclists and vehicles using Chesterfield Avenue, while my team works with the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council on the design of the new permanent cycle lanes linking Castleknock to the city. The OPW has also installed over 40 new bike stands throughout the Park, with an additional 70 planned in the coming months." As part of these changes, parking will also be banned on Chesterfield Avenue (the main road that runs straight through the Park, from Park Gate Street through to Castleknock Road) - that will be the most obvious visual change, as parking on Chesterfield Avenue is rife, and popular amongst those visiting the Zoo, and using the Park for exercise.
Further changes likely
Officially, all of the changes are part of a pilot scheme and can be reversed or further changed, even if that is unlikely. It's part of a vast set of changes to traffic and access in the Park, for which the OPW has received more than 2,000 submissions from the public. Other changes that may well be in the offing are more pedestrian crossings, a bus service, and restrictions on gate access.