Limerick Chamber has issued another call to metropolitan area Public Representatives to vote in approval of the O’Connell Street Development plans that will be back before them at a special meeting on the 30th of September, and to deliver the badly needed investment in the City’s main street.
“Our member Businesses, 450 companies across all sectors, are eager to proceed with the plans as outlined and are anxious for the speedy delivery of an enhanced O’Connell Street’ said Chamber CEO, Dee Ryan.
‘The Chamber has a helicopter view of what’s happening in business across the region – and the view over Limerick is really exciting. There are tons and tons of vibrant, ambitious companies, innovating and growing in Limerick. But that energy and vibrancy is not currently reflected in what you see in our city centre. Unfortunately, years of postponing investment has left O’Connell Street in the dilapidated state you find today, it can’t be allowed to continue.’
Calls for full Pedestrianisation premature
Addressing the concerns about lack of provision for cycle lanes or the need to go for full pedestrianisation, Ms.Ryan said “In our view Limerick is not ready for full pedestrianisation yet, we don’t currently have enough footfall or people living in the City Centre to make it an attractive proposition – however, there is nothing to prevent us from altering the operations of the four blocks of that are being redeveloped at any time.’
‘The beauty of the design of the O’Connell Street plans, is that the level surface from edge to edge, and the retractable bollards at the O’Connell Street and William Street junction, allow us the flexibility to do whatever we want with the operation of the surface after it has been built. So if for example, we decide to designate the city centre pedestrian access only or cycle access only in the future, we can do it. However, if we get caught again in the trap of debating the operations of the surface once it is finished, we put off actually building the project and we risk losing our funding to get the job done.’
Bicycle Lanes
‘Limerick deserves a top class bicycle network, with dedicated lanes and reduced speed limits to ensure the safety of people and children on bicycles – we just don’t necessarily need it to be on O’Connell Street’ she said.
‘We have a Georgian city centre, laid out in a grid, we can decide to put the bicycle lanes on alternative streets and it’s not going to impact on cyclist travel time.’ The Chamber Boss went on to say that the Chamber is pushing for a connected bicycle network, spanning Castleconnell in the East to Patrickswell in the West, covering all the areas where people, work, study and play.
“Our Chamber Chief Economist, Dr Catriona Cahill whose speciality is in transport economics, is voicing these views through our representations on the Limerick Transport Strategy, which as key stakeholders we are feeding into early’. It is in the Transport Strategy, not the O’Connell Street Development project which only covers four blocks, that we make the case for a comprehensive Limerick Bicycle Network.
‘In our members view, it would be insane to jeopardise the delivery of a revitalised O’Connell Street by trying to fully determine now how we will operate the surface after it has been built – let’s focus on the construction project first, we can make whatever operational decisions we want afterwards, the design on the table allows us that kind of flexibility within the space.’
Chair of the Chambers Committee for Retail and Hospitality and owner of O’Connell Street Centra James Ryan said, “Limerick Businesses have fought hard to come through the recession and had to re-examine our value offering to ensure that we were delivering the best possible experience for customers. We call on the Councillors to support us now by making this vital investment that will improve the environment we operate in – we want this O’Connell Street plan, let’s get it across the line.”
ENDS
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