Date: 01 Feb 2023
€290 million announced on walking and cycling infrastructure in 2023
The Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan today confirmed that the National Transport Authority (NTA) has allocated funds to Ireland’s local authorities with a view to spending €290 million on walking and cycling infrastructure in 2023.
Active Travel Investment Grants: 2023 Allocations
This substantial investment will fund approximately 1,200 Active Travel projects, contributing 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.
In total, the 2023 fund allocation for Active Travel will allow for the progression of 387 projects in the Greater Dublin Area, 250 across other regional cities and a further 502 projects across rural Ireland.
Some of the major projects receiving funding include the Dodder Greenway between Herbert Park and Donnybrook Road in Dublin, a new cycle and pedestrian bridge over the N40 in Cork, connecting to Tramore Valley Park, and the connection of the Waterford Greenway from Bilberry into the heard of Waterford City Centre.
In addition to the planned developments in cities, communities up and down the country are also set to benefit from today’s announcement with projects such as the Donegal Town One-Way Active Travel Scheme and the Monaghan Town Greenway Upgrade set to start in 2023.
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.
Expenditure on and delivery of Active Travel, as funded by the department, has increased substantially, from circa €45 million in 2019 to an expected €290 million in 2023.
The Safe Routes to School Programme is included within this year’s Active Travel allocation. This Programme commenced in 2021 and aims to create new and safer walking and cycling routes within communities, alleviating congestion at the school gates and increasing the number of students who walk or cycle to school. 170 Schools around the country were selected in the first phase with a further 108 schools announced as part of Round 2. The Safe Routes to School team in the NTA and An Taisce will begin engaging with Round 2 schools in early 2023 while work will continue on delivering projects at Round 1 schools.
In addition, €63 million will be made available to TII for the development of Greenways.