Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 11:34 PM
Subject: Rebutting NTP Ave. pro-road group
It has come to my attention that residents in favour of the Ring Road have received front page attention in the latest edition of the LifeTimes publication.
I would like to rebut a few of their arguments.
First of all, they complain that we in Rowanbyrn bought our houses knowing that the MRR was due to be built.
Not true.
When we bought our house in1991 we were told by a planning office official that the plan was "old" and "out of date" and "due to be taken off".
Indeed, the Lifetimes article points out that it WAS "taken off" in the1990's.
Many if not all residents of Newtownpark Ave bought their houses on a road in full use, they knew what they were doing.
What they propose is essentially to shift all the problems they complain about over to us!
However, the opening of the Ring Road as proposed will NOT solve their problems.
A tremendous amount of the traffic on NTP Ave is generated by the schools, church and shops.
Traffic will not go away, it is likely that NTP Ave will be used as a "rat run" when the inevitable congestion occurs on our portion of the Ring Road......should it go ahead.
One of the residents interviewed claims that she can be delayed for "hours"getting into her driveway.
What utter nonsense.
As a regular user of NTP Ave I have never been delayed on that road for more than a few minutes unless the traffic lights are faulty or there is some other abnormal problem.
A frustrating delay at times, yes, but, one of minutes, not hours.
Her claimis completely bogus.
Again, what she and her group are asking is that WE shoulder the problem, which they bought into.
Newtownpark Avenue will always be a busy road and has been for years.
The residents there are accustomed to it and bought there homes in the full knowledge that it was so.
Until relatively recently there was no promise of the proposed Ring Road in sight, which would supposedly relieve traffic on NTP Ave.
We, on the other hand, accustomed to only local traffic, have built up a sociable community comprising Rowanbyrn, Brookville and Spring Hill estates
Many of us have children who visit friends in other parts of the three estates, and parents can rest assured that if the kids follow specific routes that they will not have to cross any busy roads.
Our own cul-de-sac attracts kids from all over the three estates.
If this road plan goes ahead, our community will be chopped into pieces, no longer safe for our children to travel to see their friends without being driven or accompanied by parents.
Our own cul-de-sac, numbers 1 - 16 Rowanbyrn, will be cut off from the rest of Rowanbyrn Estate.
As far as the residents of Yankee Terrace are concerned, it is my understanding that those who support the new road are happy to see YankeeTerrace demolished so they can take the CPO money......and have no hassle ever selling their property.
We are the ones who will be stuck here with the traffic and all its attendant problems.
I look forward to your voting to reject the Ring Road plan on Monday.
Yours sincerely,
Carol Stephenson-Carty
Enda Carty
Aoife Carty
Evan Carty