‘A big plus for Newtown’

New footpaths, pedestrian crossings and bus shelters are among a series of safety measures planned for the village of Newtown.

Proposed by Tipperary Co Council, the Newtown Active Travel connectivity scheme has several aims, one of which is a solution to the longstanding problem of speeding in the village. The scheme envisages new raised crossings for pedestrians between Reidy’s and the car park on the opposite side of the road, as well as outside the soccer field, the school and church.

New or improved footpaths are to be provided on both sides of the road through the village, while dedicated car parking is to be installed at specified locations along one side of the road. Other aspects of the scheme, which extends for almost a kilometre, include carriageway alignment and narrowing, junction tightening at entrances and local road junctions, as well as signage and planting.

Two new bus stops are to be constructed, one near the school entrance, the other at the soccer club entrance. Both will include a bus shelter.

Safety at the school will also be improved with works including virtual ramps at both approaches to the school, a dedicated raised crossing and new road markings. The scheme seeks to address safety concerns around pick-up and drop-off at the school of 109 children – and adjacent crèche of 50 – coinciding with commuters passing through the village, often travelling at high speed.

THREE THOUSAND CARS A DAY

With a population of 423 (according to the 2022 census), Newtown village has an annual average daily traffic volume of 2,750 to 3,000.

Previous traffic data collected in the area indicated that 86% of vehicles travelling through the village were in violation of the speed limit - with the maximum speed detected being 195kmph.

“These speed violations likely have an impact on active travel figures due to pedestrians and cyclists feeling unsafe due to the high speeds,” the council’s planning report on the scheme states.

Included in the report is collision data for the last 30 years, which shows 10 traffic collision incidents occurring within the scheme extents. These included one fatal collision, two serious injury collisions, six minor injury collisions and one material damage collision.

The report states that 71% of work/school journeys in Tipperary are by car or van. “The county target is 45%, thus illustrating the challenge ahead to reduce dependency on the private car.”

A key objective of the Active Travel scheme for Newtown is to improve pedestrian access to and from the centre of the village, “thereby encouraging people to choose alternative sustainable modes of transportation instead of relying solely on private cars”.

‘RECKLESS DRIVERS’

Land acquisition will be required in order to tackle a “pinch point” at the Portroe side of the scheme, where road widths are insufficient to include both carriageway and footpaths to required standards. Local councillor John Carroll said there has been good engagement from landowners, and people in general are supportive of the scheme, as all want to make their village safer.

“There’s a number of reckless drivers that just won’t slow down,” Cllr Carroll said, adding that the Active Travel measures are necessary to deal with speeding motorists, most of whom he said are not local to the area.

“This is about traffic remediation – slowing traffic down, making it safer for the driver, the cyclist, the walker and the child going to school. It will be a big plus for Newtown.”

Cllr Carroll has been calling for years for measures to deal with drivers speeding down the hill. There is also concern with motorists passing right-turning vehicles on the hard shoulder at the Youghal road junction, something Cllr Carroll said is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. He hoped the footpath would remedy this problem.

Always fearing to hear of another accident in the village, Cllr Carroll said he looked for all of the pedestrian crossings to be raised. A lot of work has gone into the scheme and he encouraged people to get involved in the public consultation process advertised by the council and to make known any concerns they may have.

Subject to a successful Part 8/public consultation process, he envisaged that construction work could be underway later this year or early in 2027.

“I’ll be pressing for that; once we pass the Part 8, I’ll be looking for an indicative date that we can work to,” Cllr Carroll said.

“Time is of the essence, and I would see this as a priority.”