Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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191. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 231 of 31 March 2022, if the OPW will commit to the installation of traffic signs (details supplied) on both sides of the road at the terminal ends of the limit; and if an undertaking will be given to introduce upright repeaters soon after entry to the park and on roads currently without repeaters for example, on Wellington Road. [28167/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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192. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 232 of 31 March 2022, if he will share the analyses of the surface mounted counters; if he will provide the data from counters not in proximity to junctions, speed bumps or other traffic calming measures and similar which would influence the speed results (details supplied); and if he will provide a comprehensive analysis of the available data to show the impact of the 30 km per hour limit from 28 February to date, by location and direction of travel including but not limited to, the mean, mode and fastest speeds for motor vehicles and the change in traffic volumes by mode. [28168/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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193. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 234 of 31 March 2022, when the incomplete and additional remediation works that he outlined will be finished; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the filtered permeability on Military Road does not have signage to prohibit motorcyclists and would benefit from their addition. [28171/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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194. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 234 of 31 March 2022, if repeaters will be deployed on roads currently without repeaters given that speeding is experienced by cyclists and pedestrians on such roads (details supplied). [28172/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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195. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 234 of 31 March 2022, the discussion his Department had between the OPW, Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council relating to the change of speed limit in Phoenix Park and the implication for them to erect appropriate speed limit signs (details supplied) at the terminal ends of the 30 km per hour limit; and the agreement that was made between the relevant councils and the OPW given that drivers exiting Phoenix Park have no indication of the cessation of the 30 km per hour limit and the commencement of a new speed limit. [28173/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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196. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the by-laws (details supplied) on the Phoenix Park website will be revised to include the correct speed limit of 30 km per hour rather than the former 50 km per hour limit. [28174/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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197. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the corrective action that is planned to ensure adherence to the 30 km per hour limit in Phoenix Park given that it was introduced more than two months ago and the incidence of motorists travelling at or below the limit is low. [28175/22]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 197, inclusive, together.

The Office of Public works is currently implementing the Phoenix Park Transport and Mobility Options Study Post-Consultation Report in phases. This report is based on an extensive public consultation process. In February of this year, the speed limit within the Park was reduced from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour; a two way cycle path was instituted on North Road; and two pilot schemes for a cul-de-sac on Upper Glen Road and making North Road one way were implemented.

The OPW and An Garda Siochána are committed to the implementation of the thirty kilometre speed limit within the Phoenix Park. A change in driver behaviour within the Park has been observed with most motorist respecting the lower speed to improve the safety for all of the visitors to the Park. OPW staff within the Park are required to adhere to the same speed limits as all other motorists. The OPW does not hold information on any enforcement actions by An Garda Siochána. It should be noted that neither the bye-laws of the Phoenix Park, nor the Phoenix Park Act, reference a speed limit within the Park.

On the specific issue of compliant signage, when the speed limit reduction was implemented all existing regulatory signage within the Park was updated.  However, my officials have undertaken to review the regulatory signage to see if improvements could be made. The OPW continues to work closely with Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council on ensuring consistency of signage. 

My officials continue to monitor the implementation of these changes throughout the Park. I understand that they are not aware of motorists travelling in the wrong direction on one way roads. Signage has been installed to prohibit motorcyclists on Military Road. This will continue to be monitored and signage will be adapted as required.

Surface mounted counters were installed in the Phoenix Park in late December 2021 to monitor traffic in the Park until June 2022.  The monitors count vehicular and cycle traffic while also recording vehicle speeds for the duration of the survey. As part of the project, interpretive data analysis is under review by engineers within the OPW. These counters are providing critical information to help manage visitors within the park. It will provide further data for the parking strategy for cars and cycles within the Park.

The OPW is working with the National Transport Authority to provide much improved facilities for sustainable transport modes, such as cycling and connections to the wider public transport network. The design and plans for the 8km permanent one directional cycle lanes along both sides of Chesterfield Avenue, linking Castleknock to the city, are currently being advanced with the National Transport Authority & Dublin City Council.

The changes made to date are significant and more improvements are planned over the coming months and years for all visitors. A parking strategy for cars and cycles is currently under development with a public survey due to open shortly. I would encourage all visitors to the park to engage with this survey.