Sinn Fin rep teams up with Independent Ireland Cllr to oppose safe route to school project; as local coal supplier warns there could be [a cycle path] outside your own door next Local coal supplier warns: If they are allowed to get away with it, there could be [a cycle path] outside your own door next. Sinn Fin rep continues to imply the project is just a cycle route when it includes new crossings, and footpath renewal and improvements. Rep says hes not anti-cycling while organising opposition to safety project and referencing the cost of bicycle sheds.While schools across the country are crying out for safe routes to school projects, the chairperson of Sinn Fin in Laois has questioned the need for an active travel and safe route to school project in Carlow.The planned Graiguecullen to Carlow town centre project, mainly running along Church Street, is around 750m long and runs along the north side of the road from Barrowvale Housing Estate in Laois and along Church Street, serving areas such as Oakley Park and the rear entrance of St Fiaccs National School, where it includes Safe Routes To School (SRTS) measures.The route links housing estates to the school and to the Aldi shop on the road before being routedbehind the Croppy Graves and into Carlow town park. A small section of the route is in the urban area of Graiguecullen in Laois. Graiguecullen is attached to but seen as separate from Carlow TownAs previously reported, the spread of misinformation about the project has caused local anger. Accounts from a public meeting which was organised by Sinn Fin rep Aaron Kelly and Independent Ireland Cllr John Cassin.Independent Ireland widely seen as a populist party is among the least supportive of active travel projects, with the partys leader spreading false claims that houses would be CPOed for greenways. While Independent Ireland leader and Cork TD Michael Collins complained last year of a summer of huge discontent and serious upset for farmers and landowners, it was after he was recorded giving a speech in which he spread baseless rhetoric implying that homes were at risk.More recently, in Carlow, at the first meeting organised by Cllr Cassin and Kelly, there were fears expressed about theuse of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for private gardens along the route not only is there no such plan, but the legal provision under which the project is being progressed does not allow for CPOs. There is also no indication of encroachments on driveways or gardens in the drawings or description for the Church Street project.After the previous meeting, the Mayor of the town, Cll Paul Doogue (Fine Gael), who attended the meeting, told local radio station kclr96fm.com that there was nobody at the meeting to answer peoples questions.Another continuous issue is a small section of car parking outside houses along the route. On that issue Cllr Doogue claimed on air that residents were losing all their parking, but only on-street parking on one side of the street is to be reduced, with parking retained on the other side of the street. Most residents also already have driveways, and there is also parking on the adjoining streets. After a second meeting yesterday, Kelly published a statement last night saying hes not opposed to active projects, just this one. Kelly said: Thanks to everyone who attended our 2nd public meeting tonight on the proposed cycle lane in Graiguecullen hosted by John Cassin and myself. There were plenty of excellent points made by locals and I want to assure you that your voices are being listened to and heard. We hope that we have answered all of your questions as best we can.Together, with the help of everyone having their say, we now have a template to use for making submissions, taking a collective approach to all issues raised at our public meetings. I want to restate the fact that this is not in opposition to cyclists or Active Travel initiatives but it is in opposition to this particular proposed route in Graiguecullen, he said.He also encouraged people to have their say and attend Carlow County Councils information event this Friday, June 26th, which is to be held from 3pm to 7pm at St Fiaccs Hall in Graiguecullen.In another statement from Kelly, which was issued at the start of the month, he said: I fully understand and appreciate the principle behind investing in safer infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. Encouraging active travel where practical is a positive objective, and there is certainly a place for well-planned cycling infrastructure in growing communities.However, I have serious concerns regarding the proposed cycle track between Graiguecullen and Carlow town and believe legitimate questions remain unanswered about the necessity, impact and prioritisation of this particular scheme, he said.He claimed theres little evidence presented to demonstrate significant local demand for a segregated cycle lane on this route, but a cycle route on the road forms part of established local policies in joint Carlow and Graiguecullen local plans, and as part of wider local planning. International evidence shows that cycle networks are most effective when they link places where people live, work, go to school, shop and socialise. Linking schools and residential areas is a very basic principle of that. Kelly said: Some residents and business owners have been contacting me to ask what research has been carried out locally to justify the project as none of them were contacted.He also posted questions such as How many cyclists currently use this route daily? when the current route is a regional road that links up to the Portlaoise Road the type of road which would widely be seen as unlikely to attract many people to cycling and would be especially not attractive to children or others who are unwilling to cycle in traffic. This is also born out by Irish and international research, which shows that people need segregated cycle routes before they are willing to take up cycling. Kelly said: Cyclists are already legally entitled to use the road network, and many locals are questioning whether the current arrangements are genuinely inadequate or whether this project is being driven primarily by broader national and EU active travel targets rather than local realities on the ground.There are no binding national targets for councils to implement safer cycle routes. While there is an EU-wide target to double cycling levels and halve cyclist fatalities by 2030, there seem to be only per-KM targets related to EU funding. EU funding of this type is usually for larger projects, such as higher-quality long-distance cycle routes or projects which help link member states.Kelly also questioned active travel funding at a time when communities are struggling with housing pressures, healthcare waiting lists, infrastructure deficits and the rising cost of living. But national active travel funding for 2026 represents just 7.6% of the transport budget and includes footpaths, crossings, cycle routes, greenways and Safer Routes to School projects the types of projects that are repeatedly shown to have high returns in terms of health benefits, road safety benefits and economic returns.Kelly claims that Taxpayers have repeatedly seen examples of excessive expenditure on projects with questionable value for money, including widely publicised controversies surrounding extremely expensive bicycle shelter projects funded by the State. Have lessons not been learned from those spending decisions and whether proper cost-benefit analysis is being applied before further public money is committed?READ MORE: Toxic populists are going to sour all public spending: No, secure bike parking for hospital staff is not the same as Dil bike shelter.Kelly also refers to possible parking loss could place additional pressure on traders already facing rising costs and challenging trading conditions, but its unclear which businesses he is referring to. The one business with on-street parking outside will still have parking very close.He also claims that resources would be better directed towards projects that would deliver wider and more immediate benefit to the area, particularly the proposed Carlow Southern Relief Road This road project, which has already received planning funding, which would cost many times more to deliver, would not be deliverable more immediately, active travel funding cannot be reallocated to roads, and roads funding already is many times larger.While in Kellys statements, he claims hes not anti-cycling or anti-progress, he repeatedly gives reasons for reallocating the funding and claims that congestion would be addressed through meaningful road infrastructure.As well as wanting active travel funding reallocated to roads, he somehow also wants it reallocated to footpaths implying that the planned Church Road does not include pedestrian improvements. He said: Another example as to how the Active Travel funding could be spent locally is on Eoin Hartes local campaign here in Graiguecullen, calling on improvements to footpaths for wheelchair users.On this point, he claims that The government are spending money because they have to, but are simply out of touch with the local people and businesses, but he does not explain what unmentioned people or groups are making the Government spend their own funding.This is not about me being anti-cycling or anti-progress. It is about ensuring that infrastructure decisions are proportionate, evidence-based, transparent and reflective of local priorities rather than centrally driven targets and spending agendas, he said. A local coal merchant has also objected to the project. In a post on Facebook, Marty ORourke of ORourke in Graiguecullen said: ORourke in Graiguecullen will be opposing the two lane bicycle lane going to obstruct my business in every way. If they are allowed to get away with it, there could be one outside your own door next.ORourke said: So I ask all locals in Graiguecullen, Carlow and surrounding areas to join us tonight at 8pm in Graiguecullen Clubhouse and 3-9pm this coming Friday in St Fiaccs Hall. Engineers etc will be there on Friday to answer any questions/ concerns etc.Parking will be maintained near the entrance to ORourkes business.
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