As councillors debate the ongoing traffic problems in Letterkenny, attributed by many to the ongoing active travel works in the town, a Letterkenny based retailer has issued a blunt statement on social media calling for all the ongoing works to be stopped and reversed, and a halt to any new projects until there is a plan that works for everyone.
Evolve Menswear say they are not against cycling, footpaths or safer crossings ; they are for a town that works.
In their post, Evolve Clothing say parents are setting their alarms earlier and getting children out of bed earlier, because a fifteen minute school run now takes an hour.
They add children are missing training, dancing, swimming, after-school clubs and other activities because there is no way to get from work to school to the venue in the time that is left.
The statement adds that sitting in traffic, watching the clock, and then arriving stressed and frustrated is commonplace, and many people have simply stopped driving into Letterkenny, because they do not want to face it.
They conclude business is down across the town, and warn no company is going to invest in a town where staff cannot get to work and deliveries cannot get through.
They’re urging council to stop the works and reverse what has been done, particularly at roundabouts.
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Statement in full –
STATEMENT — Letterkenny traffic
Our councillors meet today. This morning we wrote to all ten of them, whatever their party.
Before anyone reduces this to a business complaint, here is what it is actually doing to Letterkenny:
Children sitting on a school bus for 1 hour plus to cross town, late for school before the day has even started.
Parents setting the alarm earlier and earlier, getting children out of bed earlier, because a fifteen minute run now takes an hour.
Parents arriving late to the creche, through no fault of their own.
Children missing training, dancing, swimming, after-school clubs — because there is no way to get from work to school to the pitch in the time that is left.
Families trying to get to the hospital. A sick child, an elderly parent, an appointment you waited months for — sitting in traffic, watching the clock.
Workers who cannot get to their own jobs on time and then land stressed and frustrated.
People who have simply stopped driving into Letterkenny, because they do not want to face it.
And the mood of it. Sitting in a car with children in the back, watching grown adults lose their tempers around you. That is what this town feels like now.
And yes — it is negatively impacting business too. Ours included. Trade is down all day and all evening, and customers are driving to Derry, across the border and out to the smaller towns instead, because getting into Letterkenny and back out again is no longer worth it. Businesses will close if this continues. Not might. Will.
Then think about what comes next. Letterkenny is supposed to be the growth centre for the whole north west. No company is going to invest in a town where staff cannot get to work and deliveries cannot get through. We are not only losing the trade we have — we are losing jobs that will now go somewhere else, and nobody will ever put a figure on that.
So we asked our councillors for three things:
1. Stop the road works. All of them, across the town, now.
2. Put it back. Reverse what has been done to its original state — at the roundabouts at the very least.
3. No new works — until there is a plan that works for everyone.
We are not against cycling, footpaths or safer crossings. We are for a town that works — for families and for business. At the moment we have neither.
If this sounds familiar, email your councillors before tonight’s meeting or tag your local representative.
Evolve Clothing, Letterkenny
