Robert Troy
Question:205. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of capital investment provided to urban pedestrian and cycling routes in each year since 2005, in tabular form. [40445/18]
View answerThursday, 4 October 2018
Questions (205)
Written answers
I refer the Deputy to my reply given to Dáil Question 228 and the supplementary information given via letter dated 30 May in respect of cycling and walking infrastructure investment over the period 2011 to 2017.
As noted in that reply, I have secured significant increases in funding for such infrastructure over the period 2018 to 2021.
Over this period, we now have a funding stream of €110 million specifically for Cycling/Walking investment in our major cities, together with €135 million for Sustainable Urban Transport, a programme which encompasses a range of initiatives to improve urban transport including for cyclists and pedestrians. Alongside this, our considerable planned investment in the bus system through the new BusConnects programme - initially in Dublin and then followed by other cities - will also support the construction of, where possible, segregated cycle lanes along the improved bus corridors; the aim in Dublin is to deliver around 200 kilometres of quality cycling facilities as part of the bus upgrade. Beyond these urban initiatives, the Deputy will be aware that I have also allocated €53 million to support the development of new Greenways in line with the recently published Greenways Strategy.
I believe these measures, and the funding I have secured to underpin them, will positively assist with the better development and provision of cycling and walking infrastructure across the State over the next short few years.
In relation to the period 2005 to 2010 the detailed information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be forwarded in due course in line with Standing Orders.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 205 of 4 October 2018.
As set out in my response to your Dáil question I would again like to refer you to my reply given to Dáil Question number 228 and the supplementary information given by letter dated 30th May in respect of cycling and walking infrastructure investment over the period 2011 to 2017. I would also like to refer you to my response to your Dáil Question number 1475 of the 16th January 2018 and the supplementary information given by letter dated 29th January 2018 in respect of investment in cycling and walking infrastructure in each year since 2008.
Since 2009 Exchequer investment in cycling infrastructure has been made under a number of different programmes and schemes administered by my Department, namely the Smarter Travel programme, Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG) Programme and the Regional Cities Programme.
Projects funded under the Smarter Travel Programme involved integrated initiatives across a number of aspects of active/smarter travel and incorporated measures such as investment in cycle lanes, bike parking, footpaths, traffic calming measures, shared streets and other interventions that encourage and support modal shift to walking and cycling.
In addition, since 2010 my Department has also provided funding to the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG) Programme and the Regional Cities Programme to implement sustainable transport projects, including providing cycling infrastructure, in the Greater Dublin Area and the regional cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Given the overarching scope of these programmes, it is not possible at this time to isolate specific expenditure on cycling infrastructure alone for the period 2009 to 2017.
Prior to the publication of the National Cycle Policy Framework in 2009, funding for cycling infrastructure was provided through the Traffic Management Grants Programme (TMG ) and the relevant local authorities. The development of cycle facilities also took place in conjunction with the implementation of other schemes including bus priority; therefore due to the overarching scope of these programmes it is not possible at this remove to isolate the expenditure on cycling infrastructure from that on bus priority and other schemes.