The reality is that people are not ready to surrender car ownership.
I live 4 minutes walk from Howth village and the Primary School.Many parents living within walking distance from the school drive their children to school. Parents are not yet role models for the aspirational ,but as yet unpracticed,culture of walking and cycling .The school has asked parents to not "loiter" whilst picking up their children.Essential services and local residents at peak school traffic times have experienced lack of accessibilty to roads near the school. Also most of the cars driven locally are not small.
Also the accessibility of essential services,especially ambulances,The Fire Brigade & Coastguard on & off The Peninsula at peak times could have fatal consequences.
We welcome the infrastructure of cycle paths .The cycle path & striped bollards from Howth to Sutton are used mainly by adult male cyclists as part of a circular route around The Peninsula to improve their fitness levels. They often come too fast through the village and I have sadly been present at 2 accidents within 5 mins proximity to the village.I have not once seen a school-aged child cycle to school along this cycle path because their parents do not consider it as safe.
Howth Peninsula,comprising Sutton and Howth, is an isthmus accessed by one road.Fingal is responsible for the serious traffic problems at Sutton Cross and parking in Howth Village,the seafront and the roads that will be facing the considerable overspill from from future residents of residential units that do not have parking.
I attended the online Consultation for The Dart Coastal North.It was clear all people of all genders and ages will not use a shuttle service that involves waiting at 'unsafe' Howth Junction.People will use cars in preference to unsafe cycle paths or unsafe Dart Stations.
The Howth Castle Development (WSHI Ltd) cited it expects visitors up to a 1000 a day.
The 6 current development proposals look to increase the Peninsula's population by 2000...do the honest maths on current car ownership/walking/cycling lifestyle behaviour & habits (a local doctor will you oblige here if you can't do the maths...)
We need a responsible honest response to the reality of traffic,parking and public transport not an idealized development plan pushed through under the umbrella of disconnected NPF/RSES Policies ...each community in Ireland is individual and should be considered as such especially by its local council.
Howth and Sutton are both situated on a small peninsula,.This peninsula which receives more visitors annually than Kerry,is accessible by one road.