Waterford City and County Council has announced they are progressing to Phase 2 of the Newtown-Passage Road one-way system.
Phase 1 was controversial from the outset and was immediately and continuously contested by the residents of the area affected, through the Lower Newtown and Surrounding Areas Residents Group.
According to the Residents Group, the measures introduced in Phase 1 make the traffic congestion far worse, make their homes inaccessible during school pick up times, and have strained the long-standing relationship between schools and residents.
There are 8 schools in the Lower Newtown area. During Phase 1, Independent Councillor David Daniels made the point that this scheme only engages with 1 of these 8 schools, as they signed up for the Safe Routes to School scheme.
“When a school comes in it should have to look at the other schools in the area, and either all the schools go into the scheme, or none of them. It doesn’t make sense for just one school to go into the scheme,” he said.
Phase 2 will make the one-way system from Stage 1 permanent. There will be two new pedestrian crossings introduced, more junctions will be tightened along with other ‘traffic calming’ measures. In effect, traffic calming means traffic slowing.
Phase 2 will begin Wednesday February 4 and will end on Tuesday April 28. There will be a public consultation meeting in St John’s Pastoral Centre, John’s Hill, Waterford City, X91HW9D from 09.00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday 12th February 2026.
Statement from the Residents’ Group
After being contacted by The Munster Express the Residents’ Group responded with the following statement:
“Once again, residents of Passage Road, Wilkins Street and Court, Alphonsus Road and Lower Newton find themselves overlooked, despite repeated protests, complaints and serious safety concerns arising from Phase 1 of the Active Travel trial in Waterford City. With the launch of Phase 2 now underway, and continued disregard for resident feedback, many fear that conditions will deteriorate further rather than improve,” said the Residents’ Group spokesperson.
“Rather than enhancing safety, the situation on the ground has worsened. Illegal parking and vehicles stopping in the middle of the road have become commonplace, creating hazards that did not previously exist. While Waterford City and County Council (WCCC) continues to issue fines and enforcement notices to residents, it appears unwilling to address persistent illegal parking that directly compromises safety. This contradiction has left residents questioning why alternative solutions — such as park-and-ride trials, improved public transport links or investment in existing roads and pavements — have not been properly explored before introducing disruptive one-way systems.
“The decision to make Passage Road one-way has only exacerbated these problems. It has facilitated increased illegal parking, blocked footpaths, reduced visibility and created a general lack of consideration for vulnerable users of the area. This includes residents of St Patrick’s, Cheshire and Pine Grove, for whom these routes are essential for daily mobility, exercise and independence.
“Residents are also deeply concerned by reports that the footpath along Passage Road, opposite St John of God’s, may be removed. This proposal appears to directly contradict the stated objectives of Active Travel and Safe Routes to School. To date, WCCC has provided no clear communication explaining the rationale for this removal or its potential impacts, further undermining confidence in the scheme and its consultation process.
“There is growing frustration across the neighbourhood at the failure of most local councillors to meaningfully advocate on behalf of residents. Despite efforts by residents to engage constructively — including discussions with local schools in an attempt to reach collective solutions — there has been little follow-through. Illegal and unsafe behaviour continues to go unchallenged, and resident concerns remain unaddressed.
“To be clear, residents are not opposed to positive change. We support improvements that benefit everyone, including children, schools and those who rely on these roads daily. However, meaningful change requires genuine consultation. An engagement process that listens only to feedback aligning with a predetermined outcome is not authentic, and it erodes public trust.
“Residents have raised these concerns with the Road Safety Authority and remain in regular contact with An Garda Síochána to report ongoing issues, yet meaningful intervention has not materialised. As a result, the matter is now being escalated to the Department of Transport. The persistent failure of WCCC to acknowledge or address the negative impacts of this scheme has left residents with no alternative.
“If Active Travel is to succeed, it must be safe, inclusive and grounded in genuine engagement — not imposed at the expense of the very communities it claims to serve.
“Members of the public who share these concerns are urged to make submissions in writing by emailing activetravel@waterfordcouncil.ie before 5pm on Wednesday, 4 March 2026,” the Residents’ Group spokesperson added.
Metropolitan Mayor raises issues with Transport Minister
Mayor for the Metropolitan Area, Adam Wyse met with Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien during his visit to Waterford last week and had a discussion with him about the Active Travel.
“I met with the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD, to raise serious concerns about the continued use of Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act and the impact it is having on local democracy across the country,” Mayor Wyse said.
“Section 38 allows major traffic and infrastructure schemes to be implemented by local authority engineers and Active Travel teams without a vote of elected councillors. While I fully accept that engineers must operate within legal, safety and regulatory frameworks, technical compliance cannot replace democratic representation.
“As councillors, we are elected by the people to represent their views and lived experience. Under the current system, we can be shown plans, we can give feedback, but ultimately we have no real power to approve or reject schemes that fundamentally change how our communities function. That is not acceptable in a democratic city or county.
“I raised this directly with the Minister today and asked that the use of Section 38 for major infrastructure projects be abolished and that decision-making power be returned to local councillors. This is not about councillors seeking power for ourselves. It is about putting power back in the hands of the people we represent.
“There is a clear contradiction in the current system. Someone living in Dublin can object to a planning application in Dunmore East, yet a councillor elected by the people of Waterford has no vote on major infrastructural changes that affect their daily lives. I believe that is absurd.
“Councillors have lost significant powers over many years. If I vote for or against a project, I must stand over that decision and face the electorate every five years. That is accountability. At present, councillors can say we had no power in the process, and that serves nobody. Democracy only works when elected representatives are responsible for the decisions being made.
“This position is not anti-Active Travel. I supported safer cycling and pedestrian infrastructure long before Active Travel became a national programme. We need fewer cars on the road, better public transport, safe cycle lanes and proper walkways. However, those decisions must be made with elected councillors, not without them,” said Mayor Wyse.
“I am also concerned about the impact current layouts are having on emergency services. Active Travel quite rightly prioritises pedestrians and cyclists, but the most vulnerable road user is often the person in the back of an ambulance. You do not go to hospital on a bike, and we cannot ignore the delays being experienced at key junctions across Waterford.
“The only way to ensure a proper, fair and transparent working relationship between councillors, engineers and Active Travel teams is for all of us to be involved in the final decision-making process. We should be able to agree or disagree with schemes and be accountable for those decisions.
“I am not looking for power. I am looking for responsibility. Responsibility to represent the people of Waterford, responsibility to make decisions, and responsibility to stand over those decisions at the ballot box.
“I hope the Minister will give serious consideration to what we discussed today and take steps to return democratic decision-making to local councils,” Mayor Wyse added.
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
