Well, if you left it at home (or lost it while dancing at the disco), forget it because there'll be no turning back with the traffic chaos that Shankill is about to experience.
Given additional and unknown impacts that will arise from new high density residential and other developments in close proximity to the park (Shanganagh Castle, Crinken/Woodbrook, Bray Golf Club, Rathmichael, Cherrywood, a crematorioum to name but a few) the DLRCOCO Masterplan for Shanganagh Park has wholly inadequate (or even any) traffic surveying, traffic analysis, traffic management, traffic mitigation or traffic projection data that will even partly resolve burning questions like:
- how many more cars will there be?
- when can we expect them?
- where is everyone coming from?
- where are they going to park?
- when will peak times be?
- what are expected journey times?
- how will flows be managed with BusConnects?
- will more parking be needed/provided, resident/visitor disc parking, pay and display, clamping etc.?
Local and nearby businesses will suffer with customers put off, supply chain delays for collections/deliveries, and crucially access for emergency vehicles will be compromised.
Getting stuck in gridlock or trying to navigate past (if lucky!) cars blocking access on side roads will become the norm without proper planning and infrastructure put in place BEFORE work begins.
There'll be added pressure on the primary and secondary routes into and out of Shankill and previously quiet and safe residential streets with no capacity to absorb further vehicles will be worst hit (if in doubt, come see the Park Run every Saturday AM, then add to that a baseball game and up to 3 matches, 6 teams, subs, coaches, spectators, an athletics meet, walkers, dog walkers etc. all trying to get in via a St Anne's Park bottleneck and you can quickly see the problem for which there is no solution given current designs and additional pitch and facility provision.
Something has to give unless the powers that be plan on ignoring the very real risks to mental health arising from stress and anxiety, delays and lost productivity, noise and emissions pollution, and of course the greatly increased likelihood of a serious injury and death, to cyclists, young children and the elderly given the undoubtable spike in traffic and vehicle movements.
That is a price none of us can afford to pay and until DLRCOCO present tangible and validated traffic data and plans with contingencies, there must be no development unless it is to existing pitches and facilities as there is simply no further capacity to absorb more traffic, especially of the kind that would arise in great volumes from a concentration of large-scale sports facilities in the central meadow, in constant use from 0700-2200 daily.
T-4 days to go (not counting Tuesday to give everyone a buffer to make any late submissions) so keep up the pressure, submit to DLRCOCO, sign the petition, and share what you've done with www.facebook.com/SaveShanganaghPark - we made it to 500+ signatures in little over a week so if everyone who signs gets another person to sign each time then, just like the cricket and baseball teams we like to watch on a summer's walk, we'll knock this thing right out of the park - our park - Shanganagh Park.
#SaveShanganaghPark