“The public are voting with their feet and the end result is decline” says Chair of Drogheda Cycling Group

There is no doubting the fact that Drogheda town centre has a severe traffic problem but there seems to be little discussion on how that problem can be solved.

Four years ago, In September 2022, there was an experimental pedestrianisation of the “Golden Quarter Mile” from Duke Street to the Tholsel but the results were mixed. Many people loved the idea but others were dead set against it.

Is it time for a retrial lasting longer than just a few hours? Noel Hogan, the Chairperson of Drogheda Cycling Group certainly thinks so. He says the issue needs more scrutiny and is asking for a “citizens assembly” to be established to discuss the topic and to seek solutions rather than abandon the idea of pedestrianisation altogether.

“The Public are voting with their feet on the pedestrianisation of Drogheda Town Centre – we need a local “citizens assembly” to revitalise the town centre” Hogan says.

“The difficulties facing the town centre are well known and I don’t want to go over them here – what I want to say is that pedestrianisation in some form, at some level, will have to be an essential part of any revitalisation project for the town centre.

“I visited one of the cafes on West Street recently with my wife and three-year-old – it was a wonderful breakfast and great value for money. But walking around the town was an unpleasant experience – traffic congestion meant frustrated drivers and we had to keep a tight hand on our three-year-old lest she be hit by a car. 

“Like all small children she wanted to walk and explore – but the town centre was too dangerous to allow her to do that. These fears aren’t unfounded – the tragic death of a pedestrian last year at the junction of West Street and Dominic Street proved that. The steep uphill from Dominic Street to West Street doesn’t help either as it encourages drivers to accelerate to West Street (or risk stalling the car engine).

“A visit to the town centre in the evening time to socialise brings similar problems – the congestion may be reduced but it’s replaced by the “boy racers” who speed across the town. Again, an unpleasant experience.

“Compare this to shopping at places like Scotch Hall (which at the end of the day, is nothing more than a pedestrianised street with a roof). No danger of being run over. People will linger and spend time (and money) where they feel safe – and will get out quickly from places where they feel unsafe.

“Much has been made of challenges facing pedestrianisation (such as access to St Peter’s Church) but there are many possible solutions and many models of pedestrianisation that could be followed.

“Perhaps pedestrianisation could be tried after 6 PM to boost the nighttime economy? After all, most of the shops would be closed by then. Or perhaps we are too hung up on West Street – maybe there are other streets that can be closed to traffic?

"There are many options and many models – and what is needed is some kind of local “citizens assembly” where everyone gets to have their say. It should be possible to find a way of revitalising the town centre that everyone can live with – and that makes people visiting the town centre feel safe.

“We have heard that businesses in the area have their concerns. Fair enough. But customers of those same businesses also have their concerns. They are unfortunately voting with their feet and the end result is the decline we have seen over the past few years.”