The following is a letter written by Mallow TD Eoghan Kenny to Niall Healy, Regional Divisional Manager for Cork County Council, outlining a number of proposals he believes would alleviate the major traffic congestion issue on Mallow Main Street:

Dear Niall,

I am writing to you today in relation to the traffic flow and congestion issue we have on the Main Street in Mallow. I understand that this has been an ongoing issue for many years, however over recent months it has become increasingly bad.
A number of Mallow people, including business owners, commuters and residents, have raised this issue with me. As a Mallow man myself, I can see the detrimental impact this is having on our Main Street. I welcome the allocation of €700,000 towards the Mallow Relief Road and I understand this road will be a significant game-changer when it comes to the flow of traffic on the Main Street. However, it will not be the answer to the problems.
I understand that under the Mallow Urban Realm URDF Project, a review of the road layout will take place. However, this is not the immediate change that is necessary, and this review will take too long. We need to see action now. A number of proposals have been given to me, and I believe they are proposals that will work and would not take an enormous effort to implement. These proposals include:

• The removal of the taxi rank to a more suitable location and the implementation of a filter lane in place, allowing traffic up O’Brien Street.

• The removal of the hoarding outside the Central Hotel (once it is knocked, this month), allowing for a filter lane at St. James’s Avenue.

• Taking a part of the plaza away from the bottom of Main Street, allowing for a filter lane to turn left down the Spa Road.

• The implementation of a roundabout at the bottom of the Main Street, instead of traffic lights. This system always worked in the past and I am unsure why it was taken away.

• Reviewing the configuration of the traffic lights on the bridge. If you are coming from Bridge Street, there are two lanes of traffic, one going ahead and another turning left onto the Park Road. Neither of these lights stay green long enough for traffic to flow.

These are only some of the proposals I have welcomed, and I believe these are simple to implement. For too long, we have not got solid answers on traffic congestion on the Main Street. I have met Mallow people who travel outside the town to shop and visit instead of coming to our Main Street. Traders, in particular, are absolutely furious about this issue. I invite you to come to Main Street and review these issues and I am happy to meet you here. The proposals are not populist, they are genuine implementations that could be done in the short term.

I look forward to your reply as soon as possible.

Kind Regards,

Eoghan Kenny TD