AN ALLOCATION of almost €250,000 under the Government’s Smarter Travel scheme for a “tourism-orientated” cycling route in Sligo has been queried by WalkingMatters, a group that promotes healthy communities.
“Sligo has been allocated €243,950 for a scheme under the Smarter Travel scheme, and WalkingMatters believes the money could be better spent in improving walking and cycling conditions generally in Sligo town,” it said.
“Large projects like this are great for tourism and for people who enjoy cycling at the weekend, but how many more children will be cycling to school because of the project?” asked the group’s founder, Patricia Gardiner.
She noted that one of the aims of Smarter Travel was to promote a shift in commuting from private cars to walking, cycling and public transport. “This would cut carbon emissions and also address the increasing levels of obesity and heart disease.”
However, the latest funding approved by Minister of State for Transport Alan Kelly – in addition to €281,741 already allocated – would be used to extend Sligo’s Smarter Travel trail to Strandhill and Cleveragh Retail Park, Ms Gardiner said.
“This is such a lot of money to spend on one project. It doesn’t change anything to make it safer for the 20,000 people who live in Sligo town – the majority of whom are within a 20-minute walk or 10-minute cycle to town – to cycle rather than drive to work.”
Ms Gardiner said WalkingMatters would prefer that, after spending more than €500,000 on cycling in Sligo, people in the area – commuters and schoolchildren alike – could “cycle and walk safely right across town from Doorly Park to Strandhill”.
She said investing the money in other initiatives such as 30km/h zones, traffic-calming, simplified junctions and contraflow lanes for cyclists on one-way streets “could make a much bigger impact in terms of making Sligo a more walkable and cycle-friendly place to live”.
“Let’s aim to have at least 15 per cent of all commuting trips in Sligo made by bike or foot by 2015,” she said. “That would be a key indicator of a healthier, more sustainable community. If this project will help to achieve that, then we’re completely in favour.”
The Department of Transport said the projects in Sligo had been nominated by its county manager Hubert Kearns, and it was “happy” that they met the specified criteria for the Smarter Travel programme, which included supporting tourism.
