Traffic and noise levels were down in Limerick yesterday, with most of the main street and some side streets cordoned off from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Mr Rory McDermott of the corporation's road and traffic division said good weather had kept the public on side and delivery disruption had been the biggest problem, followed by some traffic jams at diversion routes.
Hourly traffic movement on the Dublin road was down by 12 per cent on last year, and in O'Connell Street the noise-monitoring unit found "a remarkable reduction" in background levels. "It is one aspect that we have to consider if we want to sell traffic congestion solutions to the public," Mr McDermott said.
In the city centre there was a relaxed atmosphere as pedestrians reclaimed the quiet streets for a few hours. The Labour Party TD, Ms Jan O'Sullivan, who was shopping, said it was a pleasure to walk around. "Overall, I think it is great. It is an educational experience for people," she said.
The volume of early-morning traffic appeared to be much the same before the 10 a.m. restrictions came in.
One cyclist, Prof Mark Davies, of the University of Limerick's mechanical and aeronautical engineering department, said motorists had become increasingly aggressive over the 11 years he had been cycling.
Ms Maria Woods, a commuter who works in the county council and left her car at home, said it had been a nice morning to walk the two miles to work.