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THE GOVERNMENT HAS launched Ireland’s Greenway strategy in a bid to increase the number, length and regional spread of off-road walking and cycling tracks across the country.
The long-term strategy is backed by a fund of €53 million for the years 2019 to 2021.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross said the ambition is to have at least one greenway that is coast to coast, stating his preference is for a Dublin to Galway route.
Ross and Junior Minister Brendan Griffin said the eagerly awaited Strategy for the future development of National and Regional Greenways will replicate the success of towns such as Newport on the Great Western Greenway, Kilmacthomas on the Waterford Greenway, and Old Rail Trail in Moate in Westmeath, which are already open to the public.
Launching the plan in the midlands, which has been rebranded ‘Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands’ in a bid to boost tourism in the area, Ross said the public has seen the benefits that have accrued to towns along the existing greenways.
Greenways of scale
“That is why we are focusing our investment on projects of scale, the common denominator of successful projects to date is that they are in the order of 40 kilometres and thus provide the opportunity to overnight in a new area,” said Ross.
The plan states that the cycle and pedestrian routes should be well sign-posted both on and off the corridor, bike storage lockers, bike repair and charging stations, rest stops and also other facilities along the routes such as study and play areas.
It is also hoped each route will have art works such as murals, mosaics, carvings and art pieces by community members and local schools along each greenway, which the plan states “will further enhance the local ownership, use, and respect for a route”.
The government has worked out the branding for the new strategy, and plans to roll out a social media campaign, which includes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
The plan focuses on regional and national greenways which must be a minimum of
20 kilometres in length. Shorter routes will only qualify if they are extending an
existing greenway or have the potential to be extended in the future.
Proposals will need to be fully costed, and comply with Transport Infrastructure Ireland design standards and there must be clarity on land access issues.
There are specific guidelines for certain aspects such as lighting. The government are open to considering new and innovative solutions, such as Smart Highway lighting, which the plan states is an “emerging but expensive trail light technology” which uses light emitting stones which solar charge during the day.
“Such a process might be considered for signature sections of a greenway,” it states.
The minister explained that this is why it is important for early and widespread consultation with landowners and communities along and adjacent proposed the recreational routes.
Funding for shorter more local routes may be available under the schemes administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Greenway routes for regional areas and the Greater Dublin Area do not fall under the remit of this plan.
“We are lucky to live in such a beautiful country and greenways provide an opportunity to experience that beauty up close and at a slow pace. Our strategy will help us fund the spine of a network of greenways that can, over time, provide links to the rest of the countryside through quiet roads that will prove attractive to many people cycling,” said Griffin.
Using Longford County Council as an example, he said the local authority is looking to identify a quiet route from the end of the Royal Canal Greenway in Clondra to Athlone.
“This will provide a wonderful triangular route from Mullingar along the Royal Canal to Clondra and then to Athlone returning to Mullingar on the Old Rail Trail,” he added.
Minister Griffin said greenways are for more than cycling, stating that statistics from the current greenways in operation show that in towns such as Moate more people are walking along the routes than cycling.
How do you propose a route?
A funding call is being issued and an outline funding criteria document has been released. The application form will be available in the next couple of weeks and the deadline for application will be end-November with a view to awarding funding for draw down between 2019 and 2021 to the successful projects.
Proposals for a greenway must meet criteria in terms of it must be a “scenic” route, there must be things to “see and do”, it should be “substantially segregated” and it must be safe and workable for shared usage.
“I am looking forward to examining the many worthwhile project proposals that we expect to receive over the coming months under the funding call, and I would urge local authorities and state agencies to consult widely with landowners and communities along proposed routes to bring agreed routes to fruition. This strategy sets out how that consultation should take place and suggests the components that make for a successful greenway,” said Ross.
There is very little justification for entering into these public-private partnerships where the private company end up recouping their initial investment many times over within just a few years. They represent a poor deal for the State in terms of lost revenue. Surely borrowing the money would be more cost-effective?
@Sean: no brown envelopes that way
@Sean: Have a look at who’s invested in those private companies, that’s the reason right there. We’re being scammed.
@Sean: and have you evidence that they are recouping their investment ‘many times over’? The truth might surprise you.
@Aileen Lawlor: I’m not the one who made the claim. Let them produce the evidence.
All tolls charges should be scraped, we pay enough Taxes.
@Jimmy Pea: yes, let’s scrape those taxes.
Surely the revenue from the already paid for East link will cover a percentage of the proposed hike.
@The Bolt: Its been paid for many, many times over by now. That hike would be nice to get a ministers kids some PS5′s.
Every single penny of profit from tolls going into accounts setup and based in The Isle of Man as there would be absolute uproar if everyone was able to see the huge profits being made!
A classic case of the government upping prices with a flimsy excuse and without a backup plan for the public, forcing them to pay.
Clondalkin to Blanchardstown will take you 15-20 minutes by car on the M50, but well over an hour if you take public transport merely because there’s no direct route. Between 2 of the largest areas outside the M50 and 10k away from each other.
The toll bridges have been paid for many times over, and maintaining the roads isn’t going to be an arduous task with the heap of money currently being raked in.
“May”?? How about tell Eamonn Ryan to sort it out.
@Will Roche: he’d turn it into a bicycle lane
@Will Roche: Eamon told TII to do it
@Jonny Spuds: you’d be quicker getting from Bray to the Airport on the M50 on your bicycle most days…
There is no realistic and economic reason for an increase. Costs have not risen, there is no competition and they are already making huge profits. In fact the opposite should be the case, they should be handing money back to the government coffers
@BadBob: The contracts these PPP have is if the tolls don’t get a set amount of vehicles, passing through the government pay the PPP companies the difference.
But if the companies make a profit, the government doesn’t get a bean.
@BadBob: Are you living in the same country where prices are rising. I presume you mean none of the workers are getting paid any more since the last toll increase and on your planet, there is no construction/road maintenance inflation. I want to live where your fuel costs to move all this man and material does not exist. What world has competition for toll gate revenue- we already have different toll road operators. Maybe your world has no extra traffic congestion, car use and naturally road maintenance overheads. The cash for the eastlink already goes to DCC. The westlink funds pay the not insignificant ripoff price paid to take it public.
They don’t want to give with one hand and take with the other yet that’s what they have been doing for years so why stop now!
Why don’t the government call for fuel price reduction. Diesel in many areas €1.99 ltr yet I happened to get diesel at €1.80 ltr. Cost reduction not getting passed on and gouging by large forecourt operators going on
The result of the out-source-everything ideology of current parties in power. As with all other utilities, we are expected to pay for the cost of supply plus a hefty profit for one or other of the in crowd. When is the GE?
Only justification for M50 charge would be if they where actually building a secound level for more cars and a light rail system.
Can somebody in RTE please find the LLS interview in which Gay Byrne specifically asked (the week of the East Link Toll launch) how long we’d be paying. He was told that as soon as the cost of the bridge was paid (estimates suggested no more than ten years), the toll payment would be scrapped. That was a hell of a lot longer than ten years ago.
@Ernie Gallagher: Dublin City Council said they need the money so voted to retain the toll
Ye right.
Everyone who uses the road should pay, not just at a point you cross. If it goes to upgrading / maintaining the roads then put a 20c toll and relevant increase per vehicle, so at every bridge and capture all users, with a cap at the current price.
Ridiculous you only pay to use at a point. Get off before and drive around.
Can’t believe this government just keep hiking up prices and try to put a good face on it saying it’s. Ot the right time, like they are doing something positive by not letting hike happen just now.
Idiots.
@Rafa Condron: What the f. We have already paid for these roads and bridges you talk about. We are paying for their upkeep with every wage packet. This is about tolls from private companies making massive profits already and trying to make more…. Bull when they say it’s for increased upgrades, etc. That’s only a percentage of the money they make
@Rafa Condron: It’d cost you more to drive around.
We are all part of the rich man’s game of chess!! And we ain’t winning!
They’ll “call for them to be scrapped” and then they’ll say they tried when nobody listens
We are all part of the rich man’s chess game! And we ain’t winning!
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