Minister of State and Fianna Fáil TD, Anne Rabbitte, has called on local authorities in Galway to submit applications for walking and cycling projects in towns and villages across the county.
A €50 million fund was announced by the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, on Friday morning and is aimed at the development of high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure. The funding is specifically targeted at towns and villages.
Minister Rabbitte commented:
There are so many projects across Galway that could be invested in so I hope the Council will push hard for these funds. We’ve seen how other counties have invested in walking and cycling infrastructure and it’s been a major boost for locals and tourists.
One of the lessons learned through Covid is that more people are outside, enjoying the outdoors and rediscovering the natural beauty on their doorsteps. There’s undoubtedly been an increase in walking and cycling in recent months. With this in mind, we need to ensure the infrastructure is there to support our rural towns and villages.
Deputy Rabbitte concluded:
There are real practical ways this funding can be applied. It will allow local authorities to invest in the provision of new and widened footpaths, segregated cycle tracks and the renewal of defective footpaths and cycle tracks. This type of investment will ensure our towns and villages are more accessible.Other areas that can funded through this include provision of cycle parking, improved crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as the setting and managing of so called ‘Slow Zones’. We can’t excel in this unless we invest in it and this fund is the ideal route to take.
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