To: Kilkenny county council
Get Kilkenny moving again
We call on Kilkenny County Council to commission an independent, comprehensive review of traffic management throughout Kilkenny City, examining the impact of recent road infrastructure changes and their cumulative effect on congestion and journey times.
This review should specifically examine the Bennettsbridge Road roundabout and associated lane reductions, the Waterford Road roundabouts and widened cycle lanes, traffic flow along Freshford Road, and the severe morning congestion around St Canice's roundabout, including the impact of the relocation of CBS secondary school.
We also want a wider assessment of city-centre traffic management, one-way systems, junction layouts, traffic-light sequencing and the capacity of existing roads to accommodate increasing commuter, school and residential traffic. We fully support safer roads, improved cycling infrastructure and pedestrian facilities, but these improvements must be properly planned and balanced with the needs of all road users.
We are asking the council to publish the traffic modelling and evidence used to approve these schemes, conduct real-world traffic assessments during peak commuting hours, consult with local residents and businesses, and commit to reviewing and modifying infrastructure where it is demonstrably contributing to unnecessary congestion.
Kilkenny deserves a traffic management strategy that works for everyone, not one that makes everyday journeys increasingly difficult.
This review should specifically examine the Bennettsbridge Road roundabout and associated lane reductions, the Waterford Road roundabouts and widened cycle lanes, traffic flow along Freshford Road, and the severe morning congestion around St Canice's roundabout, including the impact of the relocation of CBS secondary school.
We also want a wider assessment of city-centre traffic management, one-way systems, junction layouts, traffic-light sequencing and the capacity of existing roads to accommodate increasing commuter, school and residential traffic. We fully support safer roads, improved cycling infrastructure and pedestrian facilities, but these improvements must be properly planned and balanced with the needs of all road users.
We are asking the council to publish the traffic modelling and evidence used to approve these schemes, conduct real-world traffic assessments during peak commuting hours, consult with local residents and businesses, and commit to reviewing and modifying infrastructure where it is demonstrably contributing to unnecessary congestion.
Kilkenny deserves a traffic management strategy that works for everyone, not one that makes everyday journeys increasingly difficult.
Why is this important?
This issue affects thousands of people who live, work, study and travel through Kilkenny City every day. Increasing congestion is resulting in longer and more unpredictable journeys, frustration for commuters, difficulties for parents bringing children to school, and potential delays for emergency services.
Local businesses are also affected when customers, employees and deliveries struggle to access the city efficiently. Traffic congestion has consequences beyond inconvenience; it affects the everyday lives, livelihoods and quality of life of people throughout Kilkenny.
While investment in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is important, road planning must take account of the needs of the entire community and the realities of how people travel. Decisions made about individual roads and junctions have consequences for traffic throughout the city, and residents should not have to accept worsening congestion without clear explanations or evidence that these schemes are delivering their intended benefits.
We believe Kilkenny residents deserve to be consulted, listened to and shown the evidence behind decisions that directly affect their daily lives.
This petition is important because we want a safer, better-connected and more accessible Kilkenny, where sustainable transport and practical traffic management can work together rather than against each other.
