Maeve O'Connell
Ceist:88. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Transport the research his Department has conducted to inform policies and practices on junction narrowing works across Dublin. [53258/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 7 October 2025
Ceisteanna (88)
Freagraí scríofa
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources supplemented by State grants. In addition, arising from the arrangements in place in relation to Local Property Tax receipts, the four Dublin Councils are largely self-funding for works on regional and local roads since 2015 and my Department no longer provides grants to these Councils under the main regional and local road grant categories.
It is the responsibility of the local authority as sponsoring agency to ensure that junction improvements and narrowing works are applied appropriately in the design of urban road schemes, and reviewed in accordance with the project objectives.
The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) was first launched in 2013 by the then Ministers for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Housing, Planning and Local Government. The goal of DMURS is to address street designs within urban areas and ensure that the street design considers the type of place in which the street is located while balancing the needs of all users. DMURS aims to put well designed streets at the heart of sustainable communities in order to create connected physical, social and transport networks that promote alternatives to car journeys. As such, DMURS should also be considered in line with other guidelines such as the NTA's Cycle Design Manual. It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that DMURS is applied in the design of urban road schemes, as applicable.
The information contained within DMURS relating to junction tightening was developed using information gleaned from several different resources. Analysis undertaken by the Road Safety Authority Free Speed Surveys confirmed that tighter junctions are just one of a number of physical measures that can be put in place to lower speed limits and increase the safety of all road users. The Manual for Streets (2007) and Manual for Streets 2 (2010), both of which were published by the Charted institute of Highways and Transportation in the UK, were also used as reference material during the development of DMURS. Both documents recommend the tightening of junctions in order to improve safety, reduce vehicle speed and prioritize pedestrian and cyclists.