The Area Committee yesterday approved a revised School Street proposal for St. Oliver Plunkett’s Malahide. The pedestrianisation of the section of road outside the school at arriving and leaving times is happening as proposed but there’s no longer a full time one way system, just a ban on turns from the Mall onto the rise during school arriving and leaving times. The full report on the public consultation including the revised proposal is here.

The pedestrianisation of the section of road outside the school at arriving and leaving times is an important step to deal with the danger to children resulting from the current chaos outside the school with vehicles moving dangerously in the vicinity of children. The decision follows a public consultation and the pedestrianisation is happening as proposed. The original proposal for a full time one way system on two adjacent streets has been changed to a simpler ban on turns from The Mall onto The Rise during school arriving and leaving times. 

The most striking figure in the consultation report shows the extent to which they want to cycle; creating safe roads for cyclists of all ages and abilities will take more than just fixing the school access, but the Council is committed to further changes and the North Dublin Cycle Bus is working on a route to St. Oliver Plunkett’s and other primary schools in Malahide and Portmarnock.

In addition to the direct safety benefit, the Council will gather data from this implementation including air quality data, and changes in how children travel to school. This project is a pilot for Fingal, indeed for Ireland. School Streets are well established in Italy and Britain and Fingal is aware of many other schools in the county which will be considered for similar treatment based on experience from this pilot as it goes ahead.