Council to erase double yellow lines at illegal parking blackspot in Athlone

The council is planning to remove some of the double yellow lines at an illegal parking blackspot in Athlone - in a move which is being opposed by residents in the area.

The issue of people parking illegally in the general vicinity of Newtown Terrace has worsened significantly in recent times, according to a representative of local residents, Joe La Cumbre.

"It has become intolerable," Mr La Cumbre told the Westmeath Independent this week.

He stated that, on a daily basis, vehicles are being parked on the double yellow lines opposite Newtown Medical Centre and along Newtown Terrace, as well as at the junction to the Ballymahon Road and across entrances to premises and driveways.

"These vehicles are obstructing traffic entering and exiting Newtown Terrace, obstructing access of residents to their driveways, and impeding larger vehicles such as oil delivery trucks and, unfortunately, ambulances," he stated.

However, at this week's monthly meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District it was confirmed that the council was seeking to respond to the issue by initiating a pilot project involving the removal of a 16-metre section of the double yellow lines on which people are often seen parking.

A mention of changes to "Newtown line markings" was on the agenda at Monday's meeting of the district, which was told that there is "lots of space for cars to turn and park" in Newtown Terrace.

District Engineer Willie Ryan referred to the proposal for "burning off" 16 metres of existing double yellow lines as part of the pilot project to "improve access and safety for residents of the terrace and visitors to the Newtown Medical Centre".

Mr Ryan said the residents of Newtown Terrace had requested that the council "up their vigilance" with regard to the enforcement of car parking regulations. "Very little has changed in the area, other than the fact that there is a very busy business operating there," he added.

As part of a pilot project, the District Engineer said the council is proposing to burn off 16 metres of existing double yellow lines; facilitate legal parking for three cars, and impose a two-hour parking limit.

"This is not irreversible, we could put back the double yellow lines," he told the meeting.

However, Mr La Cumbre said the residents of Newtown Terrace were strongly opposed to the "burning off" of double yellow lines there.

He said the move would result in additional parking for the medical centre and nearby businesses, but that the area was already under "severe" parking pressure as it is.

In a recent letter to local councillors and Westmeath County Council chief executive Barry Kehoe, he wrote: "Do the residents of Newtown Terrace have any rights with regards to accessing their properties? Will the Council be 'burning off' other existing double lines around the town to 'alleviate' or turn a blind eye to parking issues?"

At this week's municipal district meeting Mr Ryan said there had been some discussions with residents of Newtown Terrace in relation to the plan to remove the 16 metres of double yellow lines, and he admitted they had expressed "some concern and alarm".

In response to a question from Cllr Paul Hogan, as to how long the pilot phase would last, Willie Ryan was non-committal. "We will just have to monitor it," he said.

Mr La Cumbre, in his recent letter to councillors and local authority management, acknowledged "the great work of our traffic warden".

However, he stated that traffic enforcement in the area appeared to have stopped recently, after a successful period of enforcement, and this was adding to the residents' frustration.

"Even with the great work of the traffic warden, it is naive to think that one traffic warden in Athlone can monitor and enforce parking laws across the entire town. Neighbouring Mullingar has three traffic wardens," his letter pointed out.

Mr La Cumbre said the "obvious solutions" to the current parking issues would be to "promote legal parking and fine those that illegally park or obstruct other road uses and impede access to and from each resident's driveway".