Convent Road Filtered Permeability Scheme

July 3, 2021July 17, 2021
by Ed Moynihan

Planned 12-month traffic management trial for Convent Road, Navan

New plans by Meath County Council’s new Active Travel Office for Convent Road have been unveiled. The 12-month traffic management trial of a filtered permeability scheme for cyclists and pedestrians will form a key part of the Athlumney to Trim Road Cycle and Pedestrian Scheme, and of the overall Navan Cycle Network.

Plans for the Athlumney to Trim Road Cycle and Pedestrian Scheme were first unveiled in October 2018, and the original plans for the section at Convent Road were met with objections to widening of the road, and so did not proceed as planned. The replacement notice agreed to proceed with the plans but simply omit the Convent Road section, leaving a part of the scheme with no provision for safe cycling, which goes against compliance with National Policy. A total of 10 other options were also explored, with Convent Road emerging as the preferred and safest route. On the Kentstown Road, there is insignificant room to implement dedicated cycling infrastructure due to the Railway Bridge, which is a protected structure and does not allow for road widening.

Since then, the Council and its technical advisors have considered multiple options for Convent Road and the ‘emerging preferred option’ identified following a review process involves closing a short section of the road directly after the Riverside estate up as far as Athlumney Castle. This option is now being brought forward on a trial basis as part of a further assessment process. The trial will include the provision of a series of bollards and temporary planters which will be installed on this 270m section of Convent Road, with appropriate signage and road markings. Similar filtered permeability schemes have been implemented in places like Drumcondra and Grangegorman to much success. The implementation of these measures will result in the removal of motorised through traffic along this section of the road. However, the provision of the filtered permeability through the bollards will enable pedestrians and cyclists to continue to take this route.

The original Athlumney to Trim Road Cycle and Pedestrian Scheme plans – see more **here**

Meath County Council will carry out a public consultation for a 3-week period from Monday, 5 July, on consult.meath.ie, which you can access here. We urge all our followers and those who wish to see more active travel measures implemented to make a submission in support of this proposal.

Navan Cycling Initiative welcome this trial & look forward to see it developing. This will encourage more people to cycle & create a safe route to the town centre, to local schools, & to access the Boyne Greenway

It’s also important to highlight that these plans form a key part of a bigger route of the Navan Cycle Network, as part of the Athlumney to Trim Road Cycle and Pedestrian Scheme, and will connect the areas of Athlumney, Johnstown, Farganstown and beyond into the town centre. At present, there is no safe route to connect these areas, so this will make it safer to cycle and no doubt encourage more people to do so. It is vital for the future development of Navan as a whole that it is properly connected and accessible for all, however you choose to travel. It will also reduce the number of cars on the road which will help to ease traffic congestion, as well as reducing carbon emission and other considerable environmental benefits.

The Active Travel Office states the key aims of the new scheme are:

Removal of a pinch point along the Trim Road to Athlumney Cycle scheme to provide an interconnected cycle and pedestrian street network for Navan;
Create a safer environment for pedestrians (in particular children) and cyclists; and
Removal of cut-through traffic from the local residential streets.

The trial, intended to commence in September/October this year for a period of 12 months, includes for the following:

The closure of Convent Road to vehicular traffic from the Riverside development to Athlumney Castle (with local access provided);
Traffic calming on Convent Road in proximity to the entrance to the Loreto Secondary School;
Enhanced public lighting;
Provision of CCTV for the purposes of traffic management, public order and safety in public places;
Landscaping measures;
Road surfacing, erection of signage; and
Ancillary works

Meath County Council will carry out a public consultation for a 3-week period from Monday, 5 July, on consult.meath.ie, which you can access here. We urge all our followers and those who wish to see more active travel measures implemented to make a submission in support of this proposal.

The Meath County Council Active Travel Office intend to carry out these traffic calming measures under Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act. In advance of implementing the trial, they are putting the plans out for non-statutory public consultation for a 3-week window from Monday, the 5th July until Friday, the 23rd of July.