Waterford City streets in dire need of repairs

The state of Waterford City's roads and thoroughfares were raised at the recent Metro meeting. 

Councillors were given a presentation by NTA officers about the future of public transport in the city, which included higher frequencies in bus times and services. 

However, many councillors were cautious to stress how the current status of the city streets needs to be in improved.

At the meeting Councillor Donal Barry said: "For people that have impaired mobility or using wheelchairs, you cannot get up onto the footpath there to access the bush shelter.

"The drains on Barrack Street, when there's heavy rain, on down to Manor Hill, the water is just flowing over the shores, not into them. Its creating a wave of water and its joined by the endless water coming out of the College Street."

Cllr Barry later highlighted: "We cannot wait for the Active Travel Team to decide when a much-needed and long overdue pedestrian crossing at a busy junction is constructed correctly. It is unacceptable that the Active Travel is now dictating when jobs are done.

"I contacted the Council when a utility company was carrying out work and a new footpath had to be re-laid at that crossing point. 

He added: "It would have been much easier and cheaper to have it done with the utilities company instead of breaking up a new footpath to do it at a later stage. It could be at the end of 2026 before the Active Travel Team commences the work."

At the meeting, Cllr Seamus Ryan remarked: "We put cycle lanes on Manor road heading into town without, in my opinion, dealing with the consequences; traffic is now going in at Ursula's Terrace into town and there is a big increase in traffic in the amount of traffic and the residents have approached me on a number of occasions to try and get a weight restriction on that road."