Residents of Nass, Co Kildare, have voted with their feet in favour of a temporary ban on cars using a canal-side route between the town and nearby Sallins.
The route, originally a towpath for a branch of the Grand Canal serving Naas, has seen up to 10,000 people walking on it on Sundays during the pandemic when it has been closed to vehicular traffic.
Kildare County Council recently decided to continue the Sunday closure at least until August, with traffic diverted from Osberstown Bridge to Mill Lane and from Tandy’s Bridge to Abbey Bridge.
At the same time the council is progressing plans to designate the route as a greenway, a move that would see it reserved for pedestrians and cyclists on a permanent basis.
The temporary closure was put forward by local man and county councillor Bill Clear, who said he got the idea for a network of interconnected greenways after spending time in Seattle in the US.
Mr Clear said the council was using the lockdown period to bring forward planning for all of its active travel routes. In Naas these include cycleways in all new estates, with others being developed throughout the town.
The canal walk would allow people commuting from Naas to link in with the train station in Sallins, which is some 7km from the town.
Mr Clear said people were good at socially distancing as they walked along the route. He said there were some houses along the towpath, and these residents must continue to be allowed access for their cars.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has promised a substantial financial allocations for active travel over the next five years, including protected cycling networks like the Grand Canal route in Naas. A total of €360 million annually is to be allocated for such initiatives.
