Loadzacars

ON MONDAY, I went to our residents' association meeting. There were probably barely two dozen of us for the AGM but what developed gave, for a few minutes at least, a rare glimpse of what should and could be a proper balance between cars, bicycles, pedestrians and public transport.

Luckily, I live on Dublin's Strawberry Beds, a conservation area which runs along the Liffey from the Phoenix Park to Lucan.

It should be idyllic. A very necessary lung for the congested capital and a place where people can relax, walk, fish and be at one with nature.

Unfortunately, for most of the time, it isn't and the residents' association spends much of its time talking about traffic. For the Strawberry Beds is choked with commuter cars with up to three-mile tailbacks coming from Kildare and much further afield in the morning. In the evening it is a fast rat-run as those same cars try to stay ahead of the posse and speed home. The rest of the day and night can be worse. It's a nightmare for cyclists and pedestrians, especially the latter as there are very few footpaths. Some families are almost trapped in their homes and never see their neighbours as they know that walking along the road almost invites - at the very least - being struck by a wing mirror of a speeding vehicle.

There's no bus service anywhere along the Strawberry Beds and although I live less than 10km from the city centre, it takes a half an hour to walk - half of it without a footpath - to Chapelizod and a bus. The residents have been making their views known for many years. A couple of times in the last few years our motley band has taken to the road and demonstrated our unease. Things will change, a number of speed bumps are being introduced, the very few existing pavements are being upgraded and the road is being delisted as a national route which hopefully should mean more stringent speed limits and less traffic. But residents are pretty cynical about it.

These moves come as the OPW, which runs the Phoenix Park, is considering the introduction of massive restrictions on traffic there; Chapelizod is being buried under parked cars; and plans by the Department of the Environment, the Office of Public Works, Dublin City, Fingal and South Dublin Councils seem to go five different ways.

However, in among our despair and tales of being terrorised by speeding cars and trucks, there was some hope at last Monday's meeting. The most impassioned speakers were those who wanted to cycle along the Strawberry Beds with their children; parents who did not want to spend hours stuck in traffic taking their children to school; and concerned people who could understand the ridiculousness of living close to the city but remote enough to be largely ignored by public transport and other planners.

Of course, on Monday, the argument went that it would be good to make the Phoenix Park less traffic-focused. But this must not be at the risk of further grid-locking other places and ignoring the realities of the massive commutes workers are making.

The residents talked about more traffic protests, maybe bicycle-only days, the need for a small bus service and new ways of calming traffic. Yet they always recognised the realities of business and cost. The association wanted signs put up at the beginning and end of the Strawberry Beds welcoming people to this unique part of Dublin. This is the opposite of being a Nimby. Take out the traffic and the speed, but bring back the people. It was a heartening meeting. People want to be environmentally friendly but they knew that they will have to make that extra effort to do so.

This is what is wanted all over the country. A proper mix of responsibility and realism. But are the planners really listening? As I walked to the bus last Thursday and left my test car in the drive, I was passed by a neighbour cycling. However, we are both doughty men and can take on the speeding cars. Unfortunately our children might not be so lucky - yet.

Campbell Spray