Proposed Front-of-School Works at Broombridge ETNS, Barrow Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7

Overview

Dublin City Council with the support of the National Transport Authority propose to implement School Zone front-of-school works to improve the safety of students and vulnerable road users accessing and exiting school at Broombridge Educate Together National School, Bannow Road, Cabra West, Dublin 7.

What are School Zones?

School Zones are built infrastructural upgrades that are designed to give priority to students at the school gate by freeing up footpaths and reducing vehicle drop-offs, pick-ups and idling. The aim is to increase safety at the front of school and prioritise active travel (walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting) to and from school.

Image 1: Example of School Zone at Star of the Sea School, Sandymount, D4  

School Zones are implemented around the world in order to:  

• Increase student safety.
• Reduce vehicle drop-offs, pick-ups and idling outside the school gate.
• Reduce congestion and prioritise active travel (walking, cycling and scooting) to and from school.
• Encourage slow, safe driving in the area of the school.
• Promote considerate parking.
• Reduce emissions and pollution, and improve air quality and noise quality by reducing the volume of traffic at schools and vehicles with engines idling.

Where will the works take place?

These works will take place in front of the Broombridge Educate Together National School on Bannow Road

Image 2: Extent of the works at Broombridge Educate Together National School

What works will take place at Broombridge Educate Together National School?

The works will consist of:

• The existing set down area in front of the school building will be built out to reduce the speed of cars coming into the area and to decrease the crossing length. The Path Buildout will increase the space for students going in and out of the school.

Image 3: Existing Set Down Area in front of Broombridge Educate Together National School

Image 4: Example Path Buildout, South William Street, D2

• Yellow Pencil bollards on the path buildout in front of the school.  Pencil bollards are depicted as pink dots on the design drawing below.

  All school vehicular entrances to remain unobstructed.

Image 5: Example Pencil Bollard on Footpath, Cromcastle, Kilmore, D5

• A new Warden Crossing Point will extend from the buildout. This is depicted as a yellow crossed box on the design drawing below.

• The kerbs on either side of Bannow Road at this crossing point will be dropped and fitted with buff coloured blister tactile pavement inserts.The buff coloured blister tactile paving prevents trips and slips. The paving is more user-friendly for people with mobility and visual impairment needs. They are depicted as brown hatching on the path in the design drawing below.

Image 6: Example Tactile Blister Pavements

• Two new School Ahead Warning Signs to be mounted on new signposts on Bannow Road in both directions before the school. These will give drivers advance notice of a school crossing. 

Image 7: School Ahead Warning Sign

• Colourful road markings  consisting of yellow and red circles painted directly on Bannow Road in front of the school.

Image 8: Example Circle Road Surface Markings, Thornville Rd, Kilbarrack, D5

• School Zone road surface signs will be painted on the stretch of Bannow Road in front of the school.

Image 9: Example Road Surface Sign For School Zone, Leinster Road, Rathmines, D6   

Image 10: Snippet of Design Drawing for Broombridge Educate Together National School

For complete design drawings and supporting information go to the end of this page.

Drawings are available to view in hard copy poster form at the schools from April 24th 2023.

Why are we implementing this School Zone?

Traffic related safety concerns have been reported and observed by the schools, parents, neighbours, Dublin City Council’s School Warden Service, Parking Enforcement and School Mobility Officer, including:

• Not enough space outside the school entrances for the volume of people accessing the school by foot or by bike due to path being too narrow.
• No safe crossing point at school entrance.  
• Speeding and high volume of traffic on Bannow Road at school times.
• Triple and double parking across the road at the set down area in front of school restricting the space for walking and cycling to school, and causing congestion. 
• Risk to children and all road users as vehicles reverse in and out of area in front of school.
• Vehicular parking either fully or partially on the footpath on both sides of Bannow Road.

The results of the Green Schools Parent Travel Survey (2022) for Broombridge Educate Together National School indicate that issues relating to cycle and walking routes, and crossings are key concerns. 

Image 11: Results from Green Schools Parent Travel survey indicating key concerns.

Image 12: Results from Green Schools Parent Travel survey indicating where students travel to school from. 

Share your thoughts from April 24th 2023 to May 12th 2023

If you would like to share comments or thoughts on these works please contact us via:

• Email: sustainablemobility@dublincity.ie (with Broombridge Educate Together National School in the subject bar).
• Phone: Customer Services Desk 222 2222 they will refer you to an available member of the School Mobility team.  
• Postal Address: School Mobility Programme, City Transports Projects, Block 2, Floor 7, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, Ireland, D08 RF3F.

This period of non-statutory consultation closes at midnight on May 12th 2023.

What happens next? 

We will then review all the comments and observations and, where appropriate, make required changes to the design. Works will then be scheduled for installation.

For the School Zone Front-of-School treatment to work effectively, parents who need to drive must be willing to change their drop off and pick up habits. Parents and guardians will be encouraged not to collect and drop off within the School Zone. They must park respectfully and legally outside of the School Zone by not blocking other entrances, mounting footpaths or double parking.

Further Information 

• Dublin City Council School Zones
• National Transport Authority Safe Routes To School (SRTS)
• National Transport Authority Design Guide for Safe Routes To School  September 2022
• An Taisce Green School Safe Routes To School October 2022