The other projects to be funded include in the following areas: Beechlawn Clonard (€165,000) , St Patrick’s N.S Crossabeg (€20,000) , Roxborough (€570,000), Gorey footpaths (€59,298), Monck Street (€220,000) , New Ross (€10,000) , Scoil Mhuire Rosslare (€80,000), Wexford town local transport plan (€100,000) , Scoil Naomh Abbann (€80,000) , Saint Aidans (€80,000) Priory Road (€130,000) as well as rounds 2 for Gorey Central School (€20,000)and Ramsgrange Community School (€20,000).
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has allocated funds to Ireland’s local authorities with a view to spending €290m on walking and cycling infrastructure in 2023.This substantial investment will fund approximately 1,200 Active Travel projects. It will contribute to the development of almost 1,000km of new and improved walking and cycling infrastructure across the country by 2025. This includes the development of segregated cycle lanes and widened footpaths, new walking and cycling bridges, and new pedestrian crossings.
As a key part of this announcement, Active Travel funding will ensure that the Safe Routes to School programme will continue to provide for safer cycling and walking facilities for many more schools across the country. Construction is expected on dozens of front of school treatments throughout 2023.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said: “Continuous and substantial funding for active travel across the country is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and a cornerstone of our transport strategies. Last year, all of the money allocated was drawn down by local authorities and I am confident that the same will happen this year. This will mean that communities across the country will be better connected with safe and people friendly corridors to visit friends, go to the shops, or cycle or walk to school, sports training or other activities.”
People very often think that Greenways, cycle-ways or walkways are primarily tourism amenities. Of course, they serve that purpose really well, but first and foremost they are about local people and improving local life, connecting suburbs, local villages or townlands that have often become disconnected from one another because of busy and dangerous roads.
The benefits of this investment are immense, locally and nationally. Not only are we making our cities, towns and villages greener and more livable, we are also helping to reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions. In transport, we have a significant challenge to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030. To achieve this, we have to encourage more people to choose sustainable ways of travelling. However, as we have seen already with the greenways, walk and cycle ways, once we build them, they become instantly popular and we don’t really have to do much to encourage people to make the sustainable switch.”
Speaking about the funding Senator Malcolm Byrne says “As a runner, I think the more we can do to make our paths and trails more attractive and safer, the better. This money will be put to good use!”
