Denis Naughten
Ceist:133. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport the plans he has to improve the standard of urban cycle lanes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53574/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 4 November 2021
Ceisteanna (133)
Freagraí scríofa
The Deputy will acknowledge that the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future sets out an ambitious and wide-ranging set of commitments in relation to active travel, supported by an increased multi-annual budgetary allocation amounting to some €1.8 billion over the lifetime of the Government.
I wish to assure the Deputy that the safety of all road users, particularly those who are most vulnerable such as cyclists and pedestrians, is at the top of my priority list as Minister for Transport.
I would point out that any new cycling infrastructure funded by my Department must be designed in compliance with the guidance and standards set out in the NTA's National Cycle Manual (NCM) which is currently being revised and updated. I expect the revised version of the NCM to be published by Q1 2022.
In tandem, my Department officials have recently convened a new Standards Working Group which is examining 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 NCM, 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 people to use Active Travel transport modes over the private car.