Protect Our Children: Urgent Road Safety Measures for Portlaoise Estates

Every day, families in Portlaoise face serious road safety risks right outside their homes. Estates like Kilminchy, Fairgreen, Esker Hills, Maryborough, and Bellingham were designed for a much lower volume of traffic than they now experience. With narrow roads, obstructed footpaths due to a lack of adequate parking, reckless speeding, and inadequate crossings, pedestrians—especially children—are in constant danger.

In the past 18 months alone, two children have tragically lost their lives in Portlaoise housing estates. Without urgent action, it is only a matter of time before another preventable tragedy occurs.

The Issues:
Obstructed Footpaths & Illegal Parking – Cars parked fully on footpaths force children, parents with buggies, and wheelchair users onto the road.

Dangerous Road Narrowing – Parallel parking in already tight spaces leads to hazardous conditions and unsafe driving manoeuvres.

Excessive Speeding – Without speed ramps or deterrents, vehicles travel dangerously fast in residential areas.

Lack of Crossings & Signage – No safe pedestrian crossings and a complete absence of “Children at Play” or speed limit signs.

Overpopulation & Congestion – Estates have grown beyond their road capacity, making the absence of safety measures even more dangerous.

Our Demands:

We, the residents of Portlaoise, call on Laois County Council and local government representatives to take IMMEDIATE action to implement the following safety measures across all major housing estates:

Double Yellow Lines throughout our estates, to prevent dangerous parking on footpaths and blind bends.

Bollards at key locations, to stop illegal parking and improve pedestrian access.

Additional Speed Ramps in high-risk areas, especially near green spaces and estate entrances.

Proper Traffic Signage including “Children at Play” warnings and clearly marked speed limits.

Regular Enforcement of Parking & Speeding Laws through Garda patrols, fines, and stricter regulations.

Designated Pedestrian Crossings with raised zebra crossings to ensure safe road crossings.

A Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan developed with Laois County Council to address long-term safety improvements.

Act Now – Before Another Life Is Lost

Our estates should be safe places for children to play and families to walk freely. We cannot wait until another tragedy occurs.

Sign this petition to demand urgent road safety measures from Laois County Council NOW!

Together, we can make Portlaoise’s estates safer for everyone.