Details Revealed For Plaza Works At Bray Train Station

The long-awaited refurbishment to the forecourt and station road area at Bray Railway Station is set to commence within a few weeks, according to Green Party TD Steven Matthews.

“It has taken much longer than I expected,” said Matthews “but it is urgently needed and will make a huge difference to pedestrian, cyclists and commuters’ safety when using the bus or train station. Currently it is one of the most hostile road layouts in the town for any users including drivers. There is no clear indication for anyone exiting the station on where you should walk or cycle while buses, cars and taxis compete for limited space.

“The new design and planning permission was agreed in 2018 when I was a Bray councillor and I participated closely in design and safety improvements in this fully NTA funded scheme. The entire road frontage at the station will be reconfigured for pedestrian safety, with better bus parking and taxi spaces and provide a much more attractive introduction to our town for anyone arriving by bus or train. There will be wider footpaths, safe crossing points and clear cycling routes to the station and lots of bike parking. The design and layout of the paths and roadways will create an urban plaza type area with tree planting and seating.

“The work will also include the construction of 2 speed tables and pedestrian crossings at the junction of Station and Adelaide Road and at the junction of Adelaide Road and Quinsborrough Road. This will greatly improve pedestrian safety and accessibility at these busy crossing points where most commuters cross when going to the station area’.

‘I have worked constantly with the Roads section in Wicklow County Council and with Irish Rail to ensure advance works, co-operation and agreements were in place between both organisations before the main work starts. There was lots of planning of temporary access routes, rerouting of drainage and services, and alternative bus stops and taxi stands to be agreed and now that is all completed. The design is finalised, funding is in place and contracts for work have been awarded and works are ready to start. The job will take around 9 months to complete, there will no doubt be some temporary inconvenience, but the end result will be worth it. Visitors to Bray will be greeted by a far more attractive gateway to our town and local commuters, cyclists and residents will have far safer access to public transport.

“The next objective is to improve the Albert Walk route and my Green Party colleague Cllr Erika Doyle is working closely with Bray Municipal District engineers to deliver improvements to the area with lighting, surfacing and a pedestrian crossing on Albert Avenue,” concluded Deputy Matthews