Letterkenny’s traffic woes must be solved as a matter of urgency before the Christmas shopping period, the local Municipal District has been warned.
Local Councillor Michael McBride says the town’s reputation for gridlocks will make people choose to cross the border to shop in the weeks to come.
“Recently the traffic has been nothing short of just diabolical,” the Independent councillor told this month’s sitting of the Letterkenny-Milford MD.
“Word gets out there and people will avoid Letterkenny at all costs.”
Cllr McBride raised a motion today calling on the council to urgently review the town’s traffic flow.
“It’s in our power to do everything we possibly can to ensure traffic is moving in this town and that a positive message goes out that the town is open for business and the traffic is moving,” he said.
He said a recent meeting with the Letterkenny Chamber revealed that some traders make 35-40% of their annual turnover over the Christmas period
He warned that the backlogs in the town will be multiplied come the holiday season.
“We can’t leave until we have to react to it, we have to be proactive,” he said.
“It’s very important that whatever happens in the first week of January, people are not going to be on the radio saying it could have been a good Christmas in the town.
“We need to get the message out because the business people need it this year more than ever.”
In response, the council said that a number of projects are being developed and progressed to improve traffic management in Letterkenny. A spokesperson said that “traffic management of all ongoing roads projects in the town will take into account the increased traffic levels prior to Christmas and will coordinate to minimise disruption.”
Members were also told that the council is assessing methods to improve the signals of the lights at Rosemount and Oliver Plunket Road.
