Sir, – Trish Murtagh (Letters, May 20th) believes that reconfiguring public space as "European-style boulevards" will have a detrimental effect on the towns and cities of Ireland, preventing access to businesses and services.
What she seems to be missing is that, as any conversation about “traffic” will confirm, prioritising the least efficient method of transport already affects those same services, and that that these measures, as long as there is careful consideration given to access for people with limited mobility, will do nothing but enhance the locations with the vision to implement this kind of change.
I’m sure most people who travel to one of these boulevard-stricken destinations in other countries don’t say to themselves, “What this place really needs is fewer pedestrian crossings, several lanes of traffic and cars parked all over the footpaths just like back home”, but I guess it takes all sorts. – Yours, etc,
DAVE MATHIESON,
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Salthill,
Galway.
Sir, – The Government’s endless and reckless pedestrianisation of urban areas needs to stop. Covid-19 decimated towns and city centres throughout the country and forced us to shop online.
Now with the country reopening, and businesses finally getting back on their feet, we are seeing streets closed in favour of hipsters with frappuccinos.
The pedestrianisation of Capel Street in Dublin is just the start. Where will they pedestrianise next? The M1? – Yours, etc,
AARON CUNNINGHAM,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.