NTA Allocates €240M to Councils for Walking and Cycling Infrastructure

The National Transport Authority has today announced a total of €240m to support sustainable transport projects across the country. This year’s allocations have increased by just over €130m as compared to last year’s and will support the addition of 233 new projects to the NTA’s investment programme in 2021.

Among the major projects scheduled for construction this year are the Clontarf to City Centre route in Dublin, the Mahon to Marina Greenway in Cork, the Castletroy Greenway in Limerick, Parkmore Improvement Works in Galway and the Bilberry to City Centre route in Waterford.

Other major announcements are:

General projects in the scheme include the reallocation of overall road space which will include segregated cycling lanes and widened footpaths, cyclist parking, raised pedestrian crossings and reducing road width at crossing points as well as other improvements.

The NTA will be tasked with overseeing and supporting the development of the high-quality mobility infrastructure across all projects. The state agency will also ensure that projects are accessible, age-friendly and maximise comfort to people of all ages and abilities.

Commenting on today’s announcement Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said:

“Today’s allocation increase marks a huge step forward in providing green sustainable mobility options to our cities, suburbs and hinterlands.

During COVID we’ve reconnected with our local areas and can all see why and where improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure are needed.

The projects that the NTA are funding will make a real difference to commuters and leisure seekers alike. Improving infrastructure for cycling and walking will make our cities, towns and villages more accessible and attractive for everyone. That’s good news for communities, and good news for the economy.

I look forward to seeing and hopefully using the different projects that will be progressing in the months and years to come.”

Welcoming the announcement Minister Hildegarde Naughton TD said:

“Over the last number of months Government has funded local authorities across the country to re-orientate road-space toward our pedestrians and cyclists.  Today’s announcement, which builds on from our recent progress across towns and villages nationwide, is underpinned by our commitment to invest almost €1 million per day in walking and cycling infrastructure in 2021.

“Today’s announcement will also contribute greatly towards achieving Safe Routes to School, be it walking, cycling, or scooting, for our children in their daily commute to the classroom when schools reopen.”

Anne Graham CEO of the NTA said:

“The announcement today states clearly that the number of people who are choosing to get around by active travel modes is growing. Much of the funding announced today represents new projects for both pedestrians and cyclists which will result in easier and safer travel.

“Walking and cycling represent a growing form of travel particularly in light of Covid-19. Funding will be delivered across a wide variety of regions, bringing the option of cycling or walking to localities both inside and outside the city centres.

“We will continue to work with our partners in the local authorities to ensure the projects announced today become a reality as soon as possible.”

Further information

The local authorities included in today’s announcement are the four Dublin councils, the three other counties in the Greater Dublin Area: Meath, Kildare and Wicklow; plus the local authorities covering the regional cities: Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Limerick City and County Council, Galway City Council and Waterford City and County Council.

A full list of projects to be funded under this allocation can be found here.

Additional allocations targeting rural towns and villages will be made in the coming weeks.