Strong opposition and real trepidation, safety concerns and concerns around anti-social behaviour, says residents group. A Limerick City councillor, Cllr Elisa ODonovan (SocialDemocrats), has said, No public consultation took place before the proposal was published, after she and other councillors asked for progress on an active travel project to be delayed until September. Nationally, such plans are usually published when consultation starts.The project in question is the Oakview Drive/Ballinacurra Gardens active travel scheme. The project aims to address a 60-metre, two-lane, one-way street that is out of place in a residential estate, but while Limerick City and County Council plans to make it safer and more attractive for people to cycle, some residents have reacted strongly to the proposals.The one-way street is in place to stop rat running, and the plan is to allow people including locals to cycle both directions on a cycle lane or path; the details have yet to be published because of the request from councillors. A two-way link would connect existing and planned cycle routes in the area.Local newspaper Limerick Leader reported on July 20th that residents at a residents association meeting were left furious at the proposals. The Leader quoted Helen Barry, secretary of that Ballinacurra Gardens and Oakview Drive residents group, who said: There is strong opposition and real trepidation about the impact it will have on the local people, and the local environment. People are nervous about what will happen. She was quoted as saying it was a massive deal for the people in the area because of undefined safety concerns and concerns around anti-social behaviour. She said there was a health and safety issue of residents of planned over-55s accommodation having to cross a cycle route where there is now a two-lane one-way street with left and right turning lanes at the end of the street.It was also reported that Cllr ODonovan has serious concerns over the proposal, and another local councillor, Cllr Joe Leddin (Labour), said there were genuine concerns. Cllr Leddin said there could be a significant increase in the number of people cycling through the estate, and there were also concerns regarding e-scooters and scramblers.IMAGES: Archive images of the one-way section of road on Ballinacurra Gardens.In that article and in another published before the end of July, the Leader covered how Cllr ODonovan and other councillors had delayed consultation on the project. A spokesperson for the council also told the newspaper, confirming that the Section 38 consultation has been paused.Section 38 is the standard process for most active travel projects, and it is when public consultation takes place. However, at the start of this week, Cllr ODonovan posted an update on her Facebook page, complaining that a Freedom of Information request she submitted to the council showed no public consultation before the planned Section 38 public consultation.She said: I recently asked Limerick Council for a timeline on the proposed Oakview Drive/Ballinacurra Gardens Section 38 active travel scheme. The initial response suggested a straightforward process. However, my subsequent Freedom of Information request shows: No public consultation took place before the proposal was published. [and] There are no records of feedback [from] residents or elected members before publication because that consultation simply did not happen.Cllr ODonovan added: As councillors, we should not have to submit Freedom of Information requests to find out how decisions affecting the communities we represent are being made. I think residents and elected representatives deserve a clear and transparent account of how these decisions are made.She also published a written response from council officials which outlined that the project was paused until September at the request of councillors.Officials said: The Oakview Drive/Ballinacurra Gardens proposal was developed by the Councils Active Travel and Roads Teams to bridge local network gaps identified during a June 2024 cycling audit. The project aims to provide a safer, quieter alternative to the busy Ballinacurra Road, aligning with broader city-wide connectivity goals.Following local feedback on an initial signage-based trial in summer 2025, the Council upgraded the proposal into a formal quiet way project, they said.Officials said: This redesigned route will seamlessly link existing Childers Road cycle lanes with future infrastructure, ultimately improving the wider connection between the University of Limerick and Raheen. After finalising works and environmental screenings, the statutory Section 38 public consultation was prepared for launch.They added: The process was paused until September at the request of local elected representatives, and the immediate next step is to brief these members before officially publishing the plans for public feedback.IMAGES: Archive images of the one-way section of road on Ballinacurra Gardens.

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