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Traffic Management Plan Update

Please see important updates to our traffic management plan.

Traffic ManagementPlan UpdatePlease see important updates to our traffic managementplan.

Safe Routes to School

In June 2021 our school was one of four schools in Waterford selected for the Safe Routes to School Project. After extensive consultation between members of the school community, parents, guardians, Waterford City & County Council, and the National Transport Authority along with an extensive public consultation period a final plan is now in place. The tender process is now completed and works will be completed during the summer period beginning on Monday the 12th of August.


The aim of the Safe Routes to School Project is to:

  • Improve safety at the school gate by providing ‘front of school’ treatments to alleviate congestion and improve access.
  • Improve access routes to school by improving walking and cycling infrastructure.


The goals and vision for the project are simple:

  1. Make the area outside our school safer for our pupils and their families.
  2. Remove cars travelling down the slip road unnecessarily.
  3. Encourage and make active travel to the school safer and more accessible.

The Changes

Once the road improvements works outlined in the next section are complete there will be significant changes to how traffic safely flows around our school. Our schools traffic management system has remained the same for the last 8 years and in this time our staff and pupil body has almost doubled. The slip road and carpark were not designed to handle this quantity of traffic and this can be seen in the daily difficulties and unsafe road use that we see each day at our school.


The main changes are the following:

1. No Access to the Staff Car Park

The Waterford ETNS car park will be for staff use only. There will be no access to the car park at drop off and collection times.

*Exception for children enrolled in our Hub Classes.

2. Park on the Carrickphierish Road

There are lots of car parking spaces available on the Carrickphierish Road and this is where those wishing to walk their child to the gate must park. Older pupils can be dropped here also to walk the last 200 meters to school.

3. No Set Down on the Slip Road

There are very limited car parking spaces available on the Paráid na bPáistí slip road. Drop off must not take place on the slip road and this should not be used as a set down area. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the number of cars passing the school gate and this goes directly against this.

4. Disabled Parking Spaces

As part of the works 3 additional disabled parking spaces will be available on the slip road. Following a request from the school these were included as part of the plan including the space closest to the front door of the school. These spaces have been included to ensure our school building is as accessible as possible to all. As these are located on a public road they will be monitored by an Garda Siochana and those parking without a valid permit will be subject to the relevant fines. Click here for more information.

5. Wet Mornings

On wet mornings our pupils will enter the school through the front door of the school. Supervision is provided from 8.40 and no pupils should be on the school grounds before this time.

6. Collection Points and Times

  • Junior and Senior Infants finish at 1.30 and are collected by an adult from the front door.
  • 1st, 2nd and 3rd Classes finish at 2.30 and exit through the front door of the school.
  • 4th, 5th and 6th Classes finish at 2.30 and exit through the rear gate of the school.

The Plan

The Safe Routes to school scheme will see significant road safety improvements being made to the Paráid na bPáistí slip road and the neighbouring Carrickphierish Road. The main improvements include:

  • Two permanent pedestrian crossings on the Carrickphierish Road.
  • An additional pedestrian crossing on the slip road along with improvements to the crossing outside the school door.
  • Additional age friendly and disability parking on the slip road.
  • Narrowing of the slip road to eliminate double parking.
  • General road improvements including landscaping, placemaking etc. to make the area more welcoming, safer and user friendly.


The full plan for the works can be seen in the picture below.

School Community Desire for Change

During the consultation period with the school community a desire and need for changed was flagged by many of the respondents. The key finding's of the consultation were that:


  • 63.2% of respondents surveyed agreed that road safety is a problem around the school
  • 94.7% of respondents would support works at the front of school that improve student safety, putting pedestrians and cyclists first


It is clear to all that the current arrangements and road outside our school is not functioning as it should. A desire for change has been expressed by 94% of parents and guardians. Any efforts to make our school a safer place for our pupils and their families should be greatly welcomed by all.


The full survey findings are attached below.

Waterford ETNS
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