Darren O'Rourke
Question:303. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which active travel policies have been tested to create behavioural change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28053/23]
View answerTuesday, 13 June 2023
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The Deputy will be aware that, while previous investment in Active Travel was relatively small, a comprehensive programme of infrastructure development and behavioural change initiatives has been put in place since 2020, with €290 million allocated to the NTA's Active Travel Infrastructure Programme in 2023 alone and additional funding provided for training and behavioural change programmes such as CycleRight, Green Schools Travel and Smarter Travel Workplaces and Campuses. As such, it is only now that we should begin to see an increase in the number of people choosing to walk and cycle as their preferred mode of transport as the outputs from the increased Active Travel investment come to fruition.
In order to gain an understanding of the impact of our Active Travel investment, the National Transport Authority (NTA) is now working with Sustrans to carry out the Walking and Cycling Index in Ireland's main cities. First undertaken in Dublin in 2021, it has been rolled out this year to Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford metropolitan areas. This study will provide high quality evidence on people's participation in, and attitudes to walking, wheeling or cycling as well as the barriers to same, and reports are due to be published in early 2024. These studies will give a good indication of the impact of our Active Travel programmes in our major urban centres while new data from the National Household Transport Survey is also expected this year which will provide the national picture. The recently published Census 2022 data shows an increase in walking and cycling for commuting purposes in most age demographics, with the number of children aged between 5 and 12 cycling to school almost doubling on 2016 levels.
Additionally, my Department has established the Sustainable Mobility Research Network on foot of an action in the National Sustainable Mobility Policy. It aims to advise on, agree and focus resources towards research priorities that provide an evidence base for implementation of the Policy, and includes representatives from the Department, relevant agencies including the NTA, and the Regional Assemblies. This group will map research currently being undertaken, identify gaps, and ensure that research conducted aligns with Government policy. This work will help to provide a more comprehensive data and evidence-base for policy and funding decisions going forward.