An extremely narrow path beside Blackrock Dart station where its hard for people to pass each other is to be replaced by a new wide passageway with separate pedestrian and cycle paths and greenery inside the current wall of Deepwell House, a former house of the Guinness family.At a local area council meeting this evening, Dn Laoghaire Rathdown County Council councillors strongly welcomed the plan. There was even laughter in the council chamber as one of the councillors, who nearly always objects to active travel projects, supported it.The project length of 130 metres and a width of 9 metres is planned to include a 3 metre wide two-way cycle track and a footpath of 2 metres. Green areas will be included between both paths and the walls lining the paths.IMAGES: The existing path.A section of the route with walls on both sides will be around 80-90 metres long. Councillors asked if the side of the Dart station could be left open with a railing rather than a wall, but a council official said that it would not be possible as the project will use an existing protected wall.Margaret Hartnett, a senior council engineer, said that the wall on the Dart line side would be the existing Deepwell House wall, which has architectural or historical value. A new wall would be provided to separate the rest of the houses garden from the new public paths.She said that landowner negotiations were ongoing, and there had been a slight delay in bringing the presentation to councillors because of a change in the environmental screening processes outlined by the National Transport Authority. The current path forms part of the Coastal Mobility Route, but signs tell cyclists to dismount along the section containing the high wall. The current path is hardly wide enough for many bicycles, prams, and wheelchairs to pass at once.The current timeline for the project includes public consultation on a Part 8 planning process is expected to start in May and run for six weeks, with a report presented in August and the decision made at the full council meeting in September.IMAGE: A Dn Laoghaire Rathdown County Council drawing of the plan.On the park side, a new bridge will be required to replace the existing narrower bridge over the stream, and, on the station side, a shared area for people walking and cycling is proposed before the cycle path exits onto the carriageway on Bath Place outside the train station.Cllr Marie Baker (Fine Gael) said that the council previously almost had the project ready to go previously and it was long over due given the wonderful two-way cycle path through Blackrock Park.She said: Anybody who knows it knows what a mess it is you end up flattening yourself against the wall if you come up to a cyclist quite frankly, the cyclist dismount signage should have been taken down years ago because its actually easier to pass the cyclist on the bicycle than if they get off the bicycle, there really isnt room for everybody to dance their way through.Cllr Martha Fanning (Labour) said: Im absolutely delighted to see this going forward. As a teenager it wrecked my head and as a mom with a toddler it was very difficult. I didnt use the park as much as I should have when on maternity leave as its just too difficult to navigate with was buggy. You now see people in cargo bikes and they cannot use it either.She said that at the weekend, she cycled out to Sandycove on the Coastal Mobility Route, and one of her children was ahead of her for the journey, but she was sure he was okay because its a safe path. Cllr Fanning added it was now up to Dublin City Council to finish their section of the route toward the city centre. The city councils section of the route via Strand Road was to be trailed 2021, but High Court ruled against the project. The council took the case to the Court of Appeal, but 14 months on from the last hearing of the case, the court has yet to publish its written decision.Cllr Kate Ruddock (Green Party) said she really welcomed the project, which was important to link Blackrock to the park, and she said she hopes the negotiations with the landowners go well.Cllr Mary Hanafin (Fianna Fil) said that officials should keep going with the project as fast as they can and that all the councillors were behind them on this. She said: Once this is done, the rest will come quite quickly for the seafront area in Blackrock and it could be really positive.Cllr Maurice Dockrell (FG) said that he would like to join in with the chorus of approval, and it was a sad sight seeing people with disabilities being unable to easily use the current narrow path.Cllr Kate Feeney (Fianna Fil) said that women can feel afraid in the narrowness of the lane. Cllr Melisa Halpin (People Before Profit) asked if the new area would be lit up, and it was confirmed it would be. She also asked if there was to be a delineation between the cycle path and the pedestrian path Cllr Michael Clark (Fianna Fil) said: Even I like this one which was quickly followed by laughter in the council chamber. He said: I could go through my usual suite of objections, but this one is unapologetically excellent and would revolutionise the lives of those using active travel in the area.Cllr Lorraine Hall (FG) said that the plan was fantastic and would benefit people along the coast who use the cycle route.Cllr Tom Kivlehan (Green Party) said: It is a horrific narrow lane to get through, whether you are a cyclist or pedestrian or mothers or fathers with buggies going in the opposite direction, there was always a problem caused here. This has been long awaited.At the train station side, he said that the design should invite people into the path. He said: This is going to become a beautiful new entrance to Blackrock Park. We should invite people in.