Speed limit reduction on the way for all local roads in Offaly

The July meeting of Offaly County Council was told this week that speed limits on all local roads across the county are set to be reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h in November.

The move is being made as part of the implementation of the revised default speed limits set out in the Road Traffic Act 2024 which will also see the speeds on national secondary roads – including the N51 between Tullamore and Kilbeggan – being reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h early next year.

The new default speed limits will see the speed limits in housing estates and built up areas being reduced from 50km/h to 30km per hour with that change due to come into effect in Offaly next year.

No changes have been recommended for motorways (120km/h); national primary roads (100km/h) or regional roads (80km/h).

Director of Services, Tom Shanahan, told the council meeting that the immediate effect of the new default speed limits is that all local roads “will now default to 60km/h,” and said “it is hoped to bring this into effect in late November across Offaly.”

He added that it is not anticipated that “any exception to this will be required on any local road in the county".

The council is due to commence publicity on the planned changes within the next two to three weeks and the Department of Transport will fund the cost of the new signs required to implement the new default speed limits.

In welcoming the proposed changes, Cllr John Clendennen said “any initiative that saves lives” has to be welcomed.

He also highlighted the urgent need for the introduction of traffic calming measures across the county and said this message had been conveyed to him “loud and clear” on his recent local election canvass.

“We can talk all we like here about enforcement, but we can't have 24-hour enforcement and people do have to take personal responsibility for the way they behave on the roads,” he said.

Cllr John Leahy agreed with the call for traffic calming measures, and said the council have to be “forceful” on this issue.

“There will be kickback,” he said, “but it is another measure that will help to save lives, as well as people being responsible for their own driver behaviour.”

A “full suite of measures to tackle speeding” was called for by Cllr Peter Ormond, who also said it was an issue which had come up “time and time again” on his canvass.

“We need to take some action on speeding over the next five years,” he said, “the speed limit signs are not working and we also have bad driver behaviour so a full suite of measures is needed.”

Cllr Neil Feighery said speed ramps “are not pretty, but they are effective,” and he also agreed with other speakers that the number one issue on the canvass was speeding.

“Well, I don't know what doors Cllr Feighery was knocking on,” interjected Sinn Féin Cllr Aoife Masterson, “because the biggest issue at every door I called to was definitely housing.”

She also expressed her shock at the state of the roads in Offaly, particularly in north Offaly and said there is “a huge need” to address the quality of the road surfaces and to ensure that they are maintained on a regular basis.

The presence of speed ramps on the relief road in Edenderry has proved to be “very effective” said Cllr Fergus McDonnell, and he proposed that, in line with the introduction of reduced speed limits, the council should identify areas that are suitable for traffic calming measures.

He also called on the council to revisit their Traffic Calming Policy to see if there are further actions that could be taken.

Tom Shanahan said the introduction of speed ramps, which he told the meeting “are now referred to as raised tables,” is entirely dependent on funding from central government, and he agreed to consult the council's own Traffic Calming Policy to see what further measures could be implemented.