Within a few years Johnstown housing count will have reached 40% growth in a decade. Our concern here is not actually the homes but the extra cars brought onto local roads.

With the insufficient public transport Johnstown relies on private vehicles, perhaps far to much and many homes have more than one vehicle. In some instances there can be 5 cars belonging to one 3 bed home and we have know 2 homes next to each other where this happened.

There is no physical boundary line to the Johnstown Community, neighbouring estates contribute and also commute through the area. These areas have been busy developing too with Caislean Mainear adding 19 large 4/5 bed homes and Athlumney Close, final phase of Athlumney Wood, adding potentially 32 houses.

The overwhelming interest is now focussed on the Fargonstown development. North of Johnstown and the Kentstown Road it has the potential space for 1,600 new homes AND the Development Plan also illustrates a large adjoining 'employment zone'.

Traffic Forecast

Homes are very much needed but the road infrastructure does not appear to be changing to support these plans.

Johnstown's peak hour traffic congestion, albeit contained to brief periods, is now firmly established as a daily local hurdle. Residents queue to get out of their estates only to join longer queues. Parents and school children who are fed up with the slow commute are ironically actually making matters worse by increasing the stop start flow at the Johnstown roundabout crossings.

In 2017 we measured the traffic tailback as being 1.7km, stretching from within the Johnstown School Campus, north along Metges Road and further up the Kentstown Road. In the evenings we see considerable traffic returning north only to be jammed at the roundabout opposite the Johnstown Shopping Centre.

Two years later and nothing has really happened to reduce this.

Our local schools makes a significant contribution to our local road congestion.

Data from the 2018/19 schools roll call showed St Stephen's National School, the largest primary school in Navan, with 872 students, Colaiste Na Mi Secondary School with 714 students and St Mary's Special Needs to school, still awaiting a facility in the campus, would add 88 students.

+1,674 Students are forecast to use the Johnstown School Campus.

The schools are very much needed and are here to stay. However, before Fargonstown is developed and brings a further 1600 homes worth of traffic, south via a new road to the Kentstown & Metges Roads junction, we really do need to see a local solution to school traffic.

Alternative Access and Exit Routes

St Stephen's NS had previously asked the County Council to allow the back school gates to be opened and have traffic use the L5050 backroad. Local residents were then concerned that the traffic would be moved to further clog the Old Johnstown Road and the Kentstown Road.

The Dunville Estate currently has a 'construction access only' road which leads to the Campus roundabout from the L5050 and may be opened once the estate is completed. How it could assist alleviate congestion for either the school or residents is far from clear since it doesn't appear to have been designed for this purpose.

Perhaps multiple options are needed?

Johnstown Roundabout

The pedestrian crossing currently gives preference to pedestrians and cyclists and the more who use the crossing the slower the traffic flow becomes.

Traffic Lights were removed some years ago in favour of the crossings but perhaps a Control Monitor (lollipop person) would be more appropriate?

More drastic is the complete removal of the roundabout and the creation of a traffic controlled crossroads.

Opening Hours

During the morning everyone is trying to use the road at the same time but the evening traffic congestion is noticeably less since it is spread out with first preschool, then primary, then secondary school students and finally commuting workers using the roads at different times.

Is there a means to stagger the start times then traffic could flow better?

Roads Widening

This would be highly controversial but by creating an extra lane southbound along Metges Road from the Athlumney Centre, through the green lawn of Johnstown Wood and bye passing the roundabout 'might' accommodate the vast number of cars expected.

Drop off or nearby 'park and walk' location.

St Stephens NS has proactively been out on the school road directing traffic to provide a smoother and safer drop off process. We FULLY support that child safety must come first and applaud the school on taking action. However, by improving traffic flow the process has made it more convenient to parents and we have yet to see a noticeable decreased in vehicle numbers.

Can a new drop off location be identified which is away from the school campus? Perhaps the Johnstown Wood lawn along Metges Road?

Is there any remedy that will see a smoother flow of traffic in the years to come?