Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 369: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine if his Department has issued guidelines to local authorities on the qualifying criteria applied by them for the provision of pedestrian crossings and other traffic calming measures; and the role of his Department in setting policy in relation to criteria from such measures. [17683/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 provides that a road authority may, in the interest of the safety and convenience of road users, provide such traffic calming measures as they consider desirable in respect of public roads in their charge. The decision of whether or not to provide a traffic calming measure at any location and the nature of the measure that is deemed to be appropriate is a matter to be determined at local level by each road authority as part of its traffic management role.

The regulatory signs to be provided at pedestrian crossings are prescribed in Part V of the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations 1997. In addition, the Traffic Signs Manual is a statutory directive given to road authorities by the Minister for Transport setting out guidance on the provision and use of traffic signs, including the provision of pedestrian crossings and various traffic calming measures.

I have not issued statutory guidelines pursuant to section 38 of the 2004 Act but a non-statutory manual, titled Traffic Management Guidelines, was published jointly in 2003 by my Department, the Dublin Transportation Office and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. This publication sets out comprehensive guidelines, best practice and recommended criteria in relation to the deployment of a wide range of traffic calming measures.

Copies of each of the publications that I have referred to are available in the Oireachtas library.

The RPA has received many, and sometimes irreconcilable requests, from residents along the route of Metro North. On 15 June, RPA wrote to over 2,000 residents setting out the current status of work and committing to follow up with an analysis of other tunnel alignment options that would make greater use of green space. When these options have been further developed, RPA will write to all affected residents again enclosing details of the options and seeking comments on them. It is important to note that whichever route is chosen will pass beneath houses, businesses and other buildings.