The funding of cycle lane extensions and new cycle lanes in Kilkenny City by Kilkenny County Council has been welcomed by Green Party Councillor Malcolm Noonan. Members of Kilkenny Electoral Area recently agreed the Road Works Programme for 2008 with an unprecedented level of funding for the provision of cycle lanes.
In all a total spend of almost 180,000 euro will be allocated to the provision of cycle tracks on the Johnswell Road, Bohernatounish Road, Waterford Road and Castlecomer Road. ‘In welcoming the ongoing commitment of Kilkenny County Council to implementing the Cycle Network recommended in the 2001 Cycle Study for the City and Environs, I am particularly pleased that the Waterford Road and Bothernatounish Road are included in this year’s scheme’ he stated.
‘In calling for an integrated cycle lane network for the city, I Believe that the Loughboy/Waterford Road area could be taken as a pilot area for the rest of the city, where a high quality, connected network could provide the basis for safe routes to local schools and offer a viable, healthy alternative to driving for people working in the city as the Borough Council prepares to introduce on street parking charges’
Cllr Noonan also outlined the fact that the older section of the Ring Road is about to be upgraded to the same specification as the Ring Road extension which will provide further cycling options to people in crossing the city’s environs.
A public consultation document, entitled ‘2020 Vision-Sustainable Travel and Transport’ issued by the Department of Transport, stated that the lack of provision of dedicated cycle lanes was by far the greatest barrier to commuters switching from cars to cycling. In Copenhagen for example, Cycle Traffic is considered a distinct traffic category and is afforded prominence over private car transport and the City has implemented binding targets of 40% of all local commuter traffic to be cycle traffic, with ongoing improvements in facilities, signage and public awareness campaigns.
‘Until we as a local authority begin to move away from token accommodation of alternative urban mobility such as walking, cycling and public transport and set annual targets for reduction of cars in the city, then I’m afraid we will be spend more of our valuable time stuck in the gridlock and building more unnecessary roads to accommodate more and more cars, the provision of these cycle lanes in Kilkenny is a step in the right direction’ concluded Cllr Noonan.
Cllr Malcolm Noonan 086 8399418
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For More information on ‘2020 Vision-Sustainable Transport and Transport’, see
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