LIMERICK City and County Council’s decision to open a free 122 space car park close to the city centre has been welcomed locally, with suggestions it should be used as a school drop-off zone.
The Cleeve’s site, adjacent to Shannon Bridge, is open from 7.30am until 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Accessed from the Condell Road, parking will be available to the public free of charge.
Welcoming the decision, Aontú representative for the Ennis Road area, Philip Norden says the local authority should now promote the free car parking site to help alleviate the “huge traffic jams caused by the closure of one lane of the Shannon Bridge” and work with local schools to use the car park as a drop-off zone in morning peak hour.
“The Cleeves car park site is an ideal site as a school drop off zone and for people to park and walk or ride into town and should be promoted by the Council,” he told the Limerick Post.
“The recently published Limerick-Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy includes radical plans to have the Ennis Road and Sarsfield Bridge also closed to car traffic. This is going to make traffic flow even worse,” he claimed.
Mr Norden is now calling for the immediate building of a pedestrian/ cycle bridge attached to the Shannon Bridge, so as to facilitate the reopening of the lane now closed.
“A proper traffic plan is required for emergency vehicles and all road users, including the safe passage of cyclists.
“A cycle/foot bridge could be built to the existing Shannon Bridge. This type of bridge would save a huge amount of time and money and be sufficient to meet the needs of all road users including for emergency vehicles and buses.
“A new standalone bridge will take decades to build, if ever, will cost millions and face environmental challenges, whereas using the existing structures will avoid huge delays and costs,” he explained.
