Residents demand action on speeding traffic
A public meeting calling for urgent traffic calming to be carried out at New Road, Summerhill, to address speeding in the area, will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.
The meeting has been organised by New Road resident Ben van Heerden and local GP Dr Joe Clarke and will take place place in the local community centre at 8pm.
A year ago, a petition signed by more than 100 Summerhill residents was handed to Meath County Council seeking action to tackle speeding coming into the village on the New Road. It is a busy stretch with the local primary care centre and GAA grounds located there.
Ben says the road is very dangerous for both children and elderly residents that use the road daily and if something is not done, there fear there will be a fatality. There is also no safe place to cross.
"The trucks and cars using this road drive at very high speeds plus they overtake each other with very little regard and respect for pedestrians. There is a Primary Care Centre on this stretch of road and ill and elderly patients are accessing and leaving this facility. There have been a number of 'near misses' with patients exiting the Doctor’s Surgery," he said.
Meath County Council has recently carried out some traffic calming in the village with the installation of speed ramps at the Meals on Wheels premises and at Dangan NS and traffic calming for New Road was also to be carried out.
However, residents have little or no information on what is proposed or when it will be done and Ben says they are losing patience.
"We want to know what they are doing, when they are doing it and if they have the money to do it," said Ben.
A spokesperson for Meath County Council said a design for traffic calming measures is currently being worked on.
"Following recent discussions with the Trim MD members, Meath County Council Transportation Department is currently advancing a design for suitable traffic calming measures at this location.
"Once this design has been finalised it will be presented to the elected members of Trim MD for their information, thereafter once funding has been secured works will commence.
"Potential footpath extensions and pedestrian crossings are all part of the design consideration, the delivery/priority of the different elements of the project will be dictated by available funding."