COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To ask the Manager to present a detailed update on efforts to alleviate the serious traffic tailbacks on Newcastle Road in Lucan, including a report on traffic light co-ordination along Newcastle Road?

REPLY:

As previously reported, the Newcastle Road is subject to congestion generally at school times and at other peak period times. The signals on the Newcastle interchange are linked to the signals at Hillcrest by means of linked MOVA (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation). The introduction of the linked MOVA has resulted in a decrease in delays but it is not possible to further reduce the delays along Newcastle Road unless at the expense of increasing delays in the surrounding area.

It should be noted that during peak periods the signals at Hillcrest are heavily used by pedestrians which results in periods of all red lights to traffic. This results in obvious delays to traffic but these delays are further increased by servicing the traffic exiting Hillcrest.  

The pedestrian crossing at the Esker Drive roundabout is not linked to any other signals. This is to ensure that pedestrians obtain a green man as soon as possible within the cycle.  

Any further measures to relive congestion within the current road layout would result in increased delays in Hillcrest Estate and on Esker Drive together with longer delays for pedestrians. Any efforts to relieve congestion on the sideroads would result in increased delays on the Newcastle Road south of the Esker Drive Roundabout.

It should also be noted that the delays on the Newcastle Road could be substantially relieved by reverting to the former (unsignalised) arrangement at Hillcrest. This would however result in a return to the previous delays in exiting this estate.