As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to active travel infrastructure. The National Transport Authority (NTA) along with the relevant local authorities, are responsible for the development and delivery of individual projects.
Any new active travel infrastructure funded by my Department must be designed in compliance with the guidance and standards set out in the National Transport Authority's National Cycle Manual which is currently being revised and updated. I expect the revised version of the National Cycle Manual to be published before the end of Q2.
In tandem, my Department officials have convened a Standards Working Group to examine the various guidance and standards documents which should be taken into account by local authorities when constructing new walking and cycling infrastructure. These include the National Cycle Manual, as well as the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland's (TII's) standards. The Working Group will seek to identify any gaps or contradictions between these various guidance documents to ensure that new walking and cycling infrastructure is designed safely and efficiently in order to encourage more and more people to use Active Travel transport modes over the private car.