Proposals to reduce 50km/h speed limit in urban and built-up areas in Kerry

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON REDUCED SPEED LIMITS IN URBAN AREAS

Kerry County Council is inviting the public to share their views on proposed new reduced speed limits in urban areas in the county. The council has today commenced public consultation on new draft speed limit bye-laws which would see the speed limit reduced from 50km/h to 30km/h in many urban or built-up locations.

This is the second phase of a nationwide review of speed limits under the government’s Road Safety Strategy, 2021-2030, with a focus in this phase on speed limits in urban and busy or built-up areas. The review involves recommendations for a new 30km/h speed limit in these locations which would replace the existing 50km/h provision.

Proposals for the reduction in the speed limit applies to towns and urban areas including Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Ballybunion, Castleisland, Dingle, Milltown, Killorglin, Cahersiveen and Kenmare.

Maps which provide information about the proposed new speed limits have now gone on public display and are available on the Council website. Submissions can be made until 7 August, following which a report on the submissions will be presented to the council’s elected members.

Guidelines for the review were issued by the Department of Transport with recommendations for introducing a 30 km/h speed limit in locations where it is considered to be ‘appropriate’ and ‘credible’. In locations where a permanent 30 km/h speed limit was not considered appropriate, a periodic 30 km/h speed limit outside schools in urban areas, during school drop-off and collection times, is proposed to be introduced to improve road safety in such locations.

The proposed Special Speed Limit Bye-laws are being presented in a map format only for the first time in line with a recommendation from the working group and are now available online and in hard copy in Kerry County Council offices across the county.

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Additional information

• All road users including vehicle, scooter, bicycle and pedestrian users were considered in the review, with emphasis given to improving road safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
• Lower speeds in built-up and urban settings improve road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, promotes sustainable and active travel mobility, reduces noise, and presents opportunities to make improvements to the public realm
• The risk of a vulnerable road user being killed or seriously injured is much greater        for collisions between a car and a vulnerable road user at 50 km/h when               

             compared to the same type of collision at 30 km/h. 

• Where a location, such as a smaller town or village did not have an urban core but still had a school located with the defined Urban Speed Limit Zone (USLZ), it was considered appropriate to introduce a periodic 30 km/s speed limit at school drop-off and collection times, to improve the safety of one of the most vulnerable group of road users – child pedestrians / cyclists. 

Public Consultation maps will be available for viewing at:

• Room 115, Roads Maintenance and Operational Services, Kerry County Council, County Buildings, Tralee
• Each Kerry County Council Municipal District and Area Office
• One https://consult.kerrycoco.ie/en/browse and www.kerrycoco.ie

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