Proposed Front of School Works St Joseph's BNS Terenure

School Zone Proposal Information

Dublin City Council, with the support of the National Transport Authority, proposes to implement front-of-school works to improve the safety of students and vulnerable road users accessing and exiting St. Joseph’s BNS School, Terenure.

What are School Zones?

School Zones are built, infrastructural upgrades designed to give priority to students at the school gate by freeing up footpaths and reducing vehicle drop-offs, pick-ups and engine idling. The aim is to increase safety at the front of school and prioritise active travel (walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting) to and from school.

School Zones are implemented around the world in order to:

• Increase student safety.
• Reduce vehicle drop-offs, pick-ups and idling outside the school gate.
• Reduce congestion and prioritise active travel (walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting) to and from school.
• Encourage slow, safe driving in the area of the school.
• Promote considerate parking.
• Reduce emissions and pollution, and improve air quality and noise quality, by reducing traffic at schools and vehicles with engines idling.

Where will these works take place?

The works will take place on Terenure Road East and Rathfarnham Road and Beechlawn Way. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At St. Joseph’s BNS School, Terenure, the works will consist of:

Pencil bollards, which are yellow rigid bollards, will be placed along the edge of the buildouts and footpath. This is to prevent illegal parking on the buildouts and footpath. These are depicted as pink dots on the design drawing. These will be installed on Rathfarnham Rd & Terenure Rd East

Flexible Pencil bollards will be placed along the edge of the footpath on Beechlawn Way and Rathfarnham Road. This is to prevent illegal parking on the footpaths. These are depicted as blue dots on the design drawing.

A ‘School Zone’ road surface sign will be painted directly on Terenure Road West on approach to the school gate. This is to advise motorists that they are in a School Zone and to drive accordingly.

A new school warden crossing will be constructed on Rathfarnham Rd to reduce the speed of cars down the road and outside the school. The footway at the crossing points will be dished with buff coloured tactile blister pavement inserts added. This tactile paving prevents trips and slips. The paving is more user friendly for people with mobility and visual impairment needs.

On Terenure Rd East new ''school warden only'' road markings are to be installed.

A new 15m² concrete footpath build-out is to be installed at loading/parking bay on Rathfarnham Rd. Flexible bollards & a section of dished kerb to be installed to allow emergency vehicular access. There will be a new 14m² concrete footpath build-out installed at the junction of Terenure Rd East and Greenmount Road. 

Colourful road markings consisting of yellow and red circles will be painted directly on Rathfarnham Road & Terenure Road East. These raise awareness of the presence of the school.

School Ahead signs with flashing amber signals will be installed on Rathfarnham Road & Terenure Road East to alert drivers that they are entering a school zone and to drive accordingly.

A new raised table/ramp will be constructed between Beechlawn Way and Rathfarnham Road to reduce the speed of cars and prioritise pedestrian movement. The footway at the crossing points will be dished with buff coloured tactile blister pavement inserts added. This tactile paving prevents trips and slips and is more user friendly for people with mobility and visual impairment needs.

Why are we implementing this School Zone?

Traffic-related safety concerns have been reported and observed by the school, parents, neighbours, Dublin City Council’s School Warden Service, Parking Enforcement and School Mobility Officer. These concerns include:

•  Terenure Cross Junction is a key concern. The high volume of traffic imposes a need for safety measures for students coming from the west of the school.
• There are two school wardens controlling the three-lane traffic at Rathfarnham Road from 8.30-9am and 2.30-2.45pm. There is no traffic warden at 1.20pm. Poor visibility of the traffic warden due to width of the lane and volume of traffic is an issue. Locals were also observed using the crossing outside the warden schedule, which highlights there is an existing desire crossing at the location.
• Desire-line of school warden crossing is slightly off at Lidl plaza, meaning pedestrians walk in the road, or through a very narrow section of the plaza. 
• There is Illegal parking along Beechlawn Way, especially near to Rathfarnham Road where the parking machine is located.
•  Vehicles and cyclists breaching the traffic lights and the school wardens is a recurrent issue at both locations, increasing the risk of accidents.

Share your thoughts from 25 July to 12 Aug 2025

If you would like to share comments or thoughts on these works please contact us via:

·        Online survey: https://engage.dublincity.ie/en-IE/projects/proposed-front-of-school-works-st-josephs-bns-terenure

·        Email: sustainablemobility@dublincity.ie (with St Joseph’s BNS in the subject bar)

·        Phone: Customer Services Desk (01) 222 2222 who will refer you to an available member of the School Mobility team

·        Postal Address: School Mobility Programme, City Centre Transports Projects, Block 2, Floor 7, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, Ireland, D08 RF3F

This period of non-statutory consultation closes at midnight on 11 Aug 2025.

What happens next?

We will review all the comments and observations and, where appropriate, make required changes to the design. Works will then be scheduled for installation.

For the School Zone front-of-school treatment to work effectively, parents who need to drive must be willing to change their drop off and pick up habits. Parents and guardians will be encouraged not to collect and drop off within the School Zone. They must park respectfully and legally outside of the School Zone by not blocking other entrances, mounting footpaths or double parking.