‘Negative’ change in Active Travel policy

NTA favours large-scale projects

A change in Active Travel policy was regretted at last month's meeting of Tipperary Co Council.

Cllr Michael O’Meara told the meeting that Active Travel is a great scheme that has undergone a “negative” change in policy that now tends to focus on greenways, which involves dealing with multiple landowners and can be a slow process. Cllr O’Meara said he would rather see the funding redirected towards villages, as was the case a year or two. Riverstown is a case in a point and a second phase for that village would be “hugely positive”, he said.

Senior Roads Engineer Liam Brett said Tipperary Co Council was one of the few local authorities to spend all of its Active Travel funding. Other local authorities are now spending their allocations, so it is more difficult to obtain funding, while the National Transport Authority, which oversees the scheme, favours large projects.

But Mr Brett assured the meeting that if any extra money becomes available for Active Travel projects, Tipperary Co Council would seek to use it.

Local Active Travel projects include the R445 at Lisbunny, Nenagh, where a contractor is to be appointed for a traffic calming, footpath and cycleway, with a 2023 allocation of €430,000; Ballina Active Travel scheme, which is at design stage (€5,000); Birdhill Active Travel scheme - works complete on link to train station; options selection report approved by the NTA (€50,000); Nenagh Urban Greenway – to be developed along the Nenagh River – application being prepared for An Bord Pleanála (€150,000); Borrisokane Community College footpath linkage - contractor on site (€32,000); Quarry Lane - Cullenagh (R494), Active Travel Scheme, Ballina - finalising preliminary design (€62,000); Newtown - Active Travel connectivity scheme, design stage (€15,000); R445, Roscrea footpath and cycleway scheme, contractor on site (€480,000).