Row over ramps

Councillors criticise new traffic management policy

Attempts by Tipperary Co Council to phase out the use of speed ramps on roads in built-up areas has met with opposition.

A new traffic management policy was presented at last week's meeting of the council. It looked at the use of ‘vertical deflections’ as speed restrictions in urban areas with a speed limit of up to 50kmph.

The policy identified concerns with traditional speed ‘humps’ and ‘cushions’, which are not favoured by emergency services; create noise and vibration in adjacent properties and can be confused with pedestrian crossings by pedestrians. They do not give pedestrians a legal right over traffic and they are difficult to maintain.

The meeting also heard that humps and cushions can cause damage to vehicles, and present a particular difficulty to cyclists and motorbike users.

The council proposed no longer using speed ‘bumps’, ‘ramps’ or ‘cushions’. Instead, the new policy favoured the use of smoother ‘raised pedestrian crossings’ or ‘raised tables’ in existing low speed areas with high pedestrian usage between focal points in town centres, such as in the vicinity of schools and shopping areas.

‘A BIT MAD’

But this approach was greeted as “a bit mad” by Cllr Máirín McGrath, who did not think speed ramps should be excluded from the council's traffic calming policy. Ramps are effective in combating speed and a lot of people are demanding them, she reasoned.

In support, Cllr Jim Ryan regarded the new policy as “farcical” and said he could not support it. He could not go back to residents and tell them there is now no prospect of installing ramps in their estates. Would the council seek to install four or five raised pedestrian crossings in an estate instead of ramps? “My mind boggles,” Cllr Ryan exclaimed.

Cllr Séamie Morris was of a similar view. Speed is one of the biggest issues councillors are faced with and he was years looking for ramps to be installed in various locations, Cloughjordan in particular.

Cllr Morris spoke of seeing ramps widely used throughout the country and he could not see why the same is not applying in Tipperary. Ramps would probably be cheaper than the raised crossing option, he added.

Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said it “beggars belief” to think that raised crossings or tables are the solution. They might work on a town or village street, but not in a housing estate, she said, condemning the new policy as “illogical”.

For Cllr John Crosse, the raised tables would not stop young people driving “souped-up cars, full of drink and drugs” at speed. He believed that such drivers would get “a thrill” going over the raised tables, rather than slowing down.

Cllr Roger Kennedy wondered if the new policy would render existing ramps illegal.

INSURANCE CLAIMS

Speaking in support of the policy was Cllr Michael O'Meara, who said the council has incurred insurance claims as a result of damage caused by steep ramps. The council had to have a policy in place with regard to vertical deflections. Cllr O'Meara said the policy would give clarity on the kinds of speed-reducing measures that can be used, whereas before there was a “grey area”.

As Chairman of the Roads Strategic Policy Committee, he said a lot of work had been put into the policy and he called for its adoption as a “huge step forward in safety”.

Cllr John Carroll also spoke in favour of the policy, which he viewed as “vehicle and pedestrian-friendly”. He also made the point that a speed limit review would be taking place this year. “Give it a chance,” Cllr Carroll suggested.

Cllr Ger Darcy agreed that there must be regularisation of traffic management. Some speed ramps could be very dangerous to motorists and cyclists, while others might as well not even be there, he observed.

Senior Roads Engineer Liam Brett clarified that there is no suggestion of taking out any existing ramps.

He said the vertical deflections are part of a range of measures being looked at by the council, including narrower carriageways to try to slow traffic down.

Director of Services Marcus O'Connor said the council would be looking more closely at the design of future housing estates. Developers would be asked to promote slower traffic speeds and would not be permitted to build long, straight roads.

As a compromise with the councillors, Mr O'Connor said the reference to no longer using speed bumps, ramps and cushions would be omitted from the policy.

Chief Executive Joe MacGrath was happy to remove the reference.

He agreed that a lot of work had gone into the policy and said it is important for people to know that the council has a policy in place on vertical deflections.

'GRANDSTANDING'

The debate ended with Cllr O'Meara criticising Cllr Jim Ryan for voicing opposition to the policy. The SPC chair believed the Thurles councillor could have raised the issue at committee level or with him in private, rather than “grandstanding” at the public council meeting, an accusation refuted by Cllr Ryan.