Families in the Poolboy & Beechlawn areas of Ballinasloe cannot walk safely on dangerous roads with no footpaths. Living in Poolboy, I know this has a huge impact not just on residents but people all over Ballinasloe who enjoy looped walks around town. This is a 10 minute survey and I would very much appreciate if you and your family or business could fill in responses here.
BACKGROUND
In 2020, I worked with Galway County Council to win close to €500,000 in NTA Active Travel funding to connect 4 housing estates and close to 200 families in these areas.
Currently, two estates Beechlawn Heights & Old Mill Road are connected to some extent by footpaths and we have a section to complete in Beechlawn and the top road in Poolboy. Unfinished footpath sections in Beechlawn force people to walk on an extremely busy road with heavy vehicles and road traffic in excess of speed limits. Dangerous blind bends in Poolboy close to Rackzone (former Square D) mean people, especially in Oak Glen & Cúil na Cánalach, have no choice of a safe walking route with families to town. Few estates in County Galway are left without footpath access.
CAMPAIGN
This is a campaign to gather submissions and to submit these to the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Galway County Council.
It is to highlight the urgent need for connectivity and footpaths in the Poolboy & Beechlawn areas. We need to provide basic safe routes to walk to school, to work, to play at sports clubs, to do the shopping. Families could walk to catch a bus, to get to the train station to get to work or college if commuting & reduce car journeys to stations. We also have people with different abilities, wheelchair users, families with prams and no way to safely walk a few hundred metres due to dangerous bends and traffic.
ACTIVE TRAVEL OBJECTIVES by 2030
The Department of Transport defines Active Travel as ‘travelling with a purpose, using your own energy’.
One of the key aims cited is to increase the number of walking and cycling networks so that walking, cycling and public transport will account for 50% of all journeys made by 2030. Target of 500,000 additional daily active travel and public transport journeys by 2030 & a 10% reduction in kilometres driven by fossil fuelled cars.
ACTION
Please complete the form below - group or individual submissions are welcome
1) Family & Household
2) As a community group or residential healthcare
3) As an employer or employee in the area
Highlight how full footpath access in Poolboy and Beechlawn would change your transport options on a daily basis in Ballinasloe. All feedback is crucial for safe footpaths and a healthy & active community.
Your efforts to make a submission are very much appreciated - it will make our roads safer for family and friends.
Thank You,
Senator Aisling Dolan
e: aisling.dolan@oireachtas.ie | m: Office +353 (0) 87 9400 383
PRIVACY STATEMENT
The information collected through submission/ forms for this campaign will be submitted to the National Transport Authority under the Department of Transport and to Galway County Council as the Local Authority.
Please see the privacy statement on https://aislingdolan.org/pages/privacy-policy
