Have you used the Sallins Greenway yet? It’s a fantastic resource, affording us the opportunity to get out into nature, which is so important for our mental health, and away from traffic, and of course to get those steps in. But in addition to all of the above, it’s about connecting the local community, offering alternative ways to travel from point a to point b.
The newly completed stretch is 11km in length and runs from Aylmer Bridge (close to Hazelhatch) to Sallins. Phase 2 of development will see the greenway continue to the west, eventually reaching the River Shannon. The total distance will be 130km. You can just imagine how attractive that will be to tourists from home and abroad. It will be a greenway of international significance, which brings massive opportunities for Sallins: business opportunities, wellbeing and fitness opportunities, and quality of life opportunities.
How greenway users will safely navigate the village of Sallins will be a critical part of the route’s success. A proposal has been made by Kildare County Council. You can view it here.
Favouring greenway users
The proposal deals specifically with how pedestrians and cyclists using the greenway will cross the R407 (Sallins main street), and the repercussions for Canal View and the junction of Church Avenue and the R407.
There are some valid concerns that residents have – a total of 24 parking spaces will be removed in order to facilitate the new layout – and I believe these can be allayed. I’ll come to those in due course, but first, what is proposed?
In summary, under the proposal, the ramp running at a right angle to the R407 (‘Sherlockstown ramp’) which leads to Canal View, will be closed to vehicular traffic and reconfigured for pedestrians and cyclists. This will necessitate the removal of some parking spaces on Canal View.
The ramp on the south side of the bridge (‘Kerdiffstown ramp’) will be closed to vehicular traffic, which means that Church Avenue is the only route for reaching the south bank of the canal, St Laurence’s National School, the Catholic church and for going in the direction of Kerdiffstown, Johnstown and the N7.
Safe crossing
Let me give you some more details on the proposals. The Sherlockstown ramp will be narrower and longer and of a lower gradient to facilitate walkers, buggies etc and cyclists. At the intersection with the R407 there will be a Toucan crossing, triggered by kerbside activity (in other words, favouring the greenway user). If you’re a cyclist, you’ll understand how frustrating it is, not to mention dangerous, to cycle up a hill only to have to come to a sudden stop at the top as traffic continuously speeds by. The bulk of greenway users will be families with young children.
I think it’s worth saying that the ramp was never intended for cars and trucks. It was created in the late eighteenth century for draught horses pulling barges along the canal because the bridge opening at Sallins was too narrow to allow for a towpath. To me, it seems right that it will be returned to a more active mode of transport. Moreover, the intersection with the R407 is dangerous; it’s a sharp turn with poor visibility of traffic coming from the Naas direction due to the humpback nature of the bridge. It is what is termed a conflict collision zone. The council’s proposal lessens the probability of collisions taking place here.
Safer junctions
As for the potential interruption of the motorist’s journey through Sallins because of the Toucan crossing, I believe that it is a positive thing to create some barriers to traffic in the middle of an urban area. If it actively discourages unnecessary journeys through the middle of the village, that is welcome – there is a by-pass after all. The less congested and noisy the village becomes for residents and visitors the better.
I can’t help noting that, in their submissions on this plan my fellow councillors take the level of traffic using the R407 as a through-road as a given rather than thinking of ways to reduce it. They are effectively allowing drivers’ habits to dictate how the village evolves.
The Toucan crossing will also facilitate traffic exiting Church Avenue to join the R407. Motorists today will attest to the stress of trying to find a safe opportunity to join the main road here – the humpback bridge makes it impossible to see traffic coming from the north and ascertain its speed (which is usually too fast for such a busy stretch of road). Having the traffic regularly stop on the other side of the bridge should create gaps and also decrease the speed of traffic as it passes the Church Avenue/R407 junction.
Parking concerns
The plan is not perfect and residents have some legitimate concerns, which must be addressed, I believe there is a solution to these concerns, which I’ll outline. The plan involves the removal of 24 parking spaces altogether. Residents are given permits free of charge to park close to their homes. The removal of these spaces leaves them with the prospect of having to pay to park in privately owned car parks like the carpark of Our Lady and the Guardian Angels church or the community centre carpark.
Now, if Kildare County Council were able to take over one or both of these carparks, residents could use their permits to park there for free. By taking this approach I am hopeful that there is a way to overcome the parking concerns residents have. These would not be new spaces – my suggestion is to use the spaces already in existence to serve the residents. I brought this issue before the Nas Municipal District meeting in March, more on that here.
Imagine an attractive public amenity for us all to enjoy
With a thriving greenway running through the village, the banks of the canal have the potential to be a hub for greenway users. We already have a bike hire and barge cruise business here and several restaurants, pubs and coffee shops. This could be a very attractive place in which greenway users might stop, enjoy a coffee, food or a refreshing drink.
Ultimately, it’s important to visualise how Sallins could be, rather than clinging on to how it is now. The new pedestrian bridge over the canal is already providing greater access to St Laurence’s NS, the GAA Club, the train station, the church and parish centre. The introduction of a beautiful public-realm space will be good for mental health, provide a safe space for everyone to enjoy including young children and build a sense of community. Let’s not simply accept the dominance of through-traffic in Sallins.
Let’s be creative and imaginative about the solutions, while keeping the end goal in mind.
Just four submissions were received from public representatives, and for your convenience I have captured them below.
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