Commuters and nature enthusiasts alike will benefit from funding of €13.67m allocated to Kildare County Council for walking and cycling projects in Co. Kildare according to Fine Gael TD and Minister Martin Heydon.
Minister Heydon said the funding confirmed today from the National Transport Authority will deliver high quality upgrades to walking and cycling infrastructure, making walking and cycling in our villages, towns and cities safe and sustainable as we emerge from the Covid pandemic.
“I am pleased that Kildare County Council has been awarded funding which is part of an overall total of €289 million for approximately 1,200 Active Travel projects across the country.
“Ensuring we have a good and efficient transport system in Kildare is essential for the future as we aim to make our communities and town centres more vibrant, in addition to making commuting to work and school safer and easier.
“Over the past two years we have spent more time enjoying our outdoor amenities and investing in active travel will also help us to meet our climate change obligations. The funding confirmed today includes €700k for a Monasterevin Cycling Network, €200k for improvements around Newbridge main street and Station Road and €100k to link Athy Community College to the new Southern Distributor Route as well as a number of projects in North Kildare. An amount of €500k is also included for Safe to Schools Programmes at Monasterevin and Craddockstown Road.
“There has been substantial progress in this area over the last number of years. Expenditure on and delivery of Active Travel, as funded by the Department of Transport, has seen a significant increase, quadrupling from circa €45 million in 2019 to €184 million in 2021.
“Further amendments are also expected to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill in the coming weeks, which will help our local authorities progress experimental traffic management schemes and other measures which will fast track active travel infrastructure.