Cycling the Connemara Greenway in County Galway.Irish content pool
Ireland’s Department for Transport has announced plans for a new National Cycle Network (NCN), which envisions 3,500km of safe cycle corridors connecting 2.8 million people in cities and towns across the country.
The new plan comprises 85 corridors, including existing and planned greenways, as well as an extensive new network of safe cycle routes planned on existing roads.
The NCN aims to make it easier for people to make cycling part of their daily lives, providing links to transport hubs, education centres, employment, leisure and tourist destinations.
By completion, the government aims to have 80% of homes and 90% of workplaces located within 5km of the network.
Implementation of NCN will occur in stages. Approximately 1,000 km (28% of the network) of the plan will be implemented by the end of 2030 as part of phases 1 and 2, and phase 3 is envisaged to be implemented between 2031 and 2040.
NCN Corridor proposed in the National Bicycle Network Plan Summary Report.
Minister for Transport Eamonn Ryan launched the NCN on Wednesday 10 January at the opening of the latest extension of the Grand Canal Greenway between Sullins and Allimers Bridge, Co Kildare.
When completed, the Grand Canal Greenway will run along the entire length of the 130km Grand Canal, providing an almost completely separate route between Dublin and the River Shannon.
“I am very pleased to be launching this scheme here today along the Grand Canal Greenway, as it is already well underway towards the development of this new visionary national cycling network. “This is because we have shown that we are ready to deliver 1,000km more bikes quickly and plans are underway to rapidly deliver 1,000km of bike routes by 2030,” Ryan said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This National Bike Network will serve as the core, connecting towns, cities and destinations across the country with the safest and most isolated bike infrastructure possible.
“I think this will go a long way in promoting cycling confidence and, in turn, increasing the number of journeys both walking and cycling taken by local residents, leisure users and tourists.”
minister @EamonRyan start #NationalCycleNetwork The Aylmer Bridge to the Sallins section of the Grand Canal will then open. #greening
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👉🔗 https://t.co/T5mZ2KDkX0@kildarecoCo @merrionstree @TIITraffic pic.twitter.com/W7iTXHanxK— Department of Transport (@Dept_Transport) January 10, 2024
The Grand Canal Greenway forms part of 400km of existing greenways in the country. While the NCN calls for an additional 900 km of new greenway routes, the remaining 2,200 km of the NCN will be developed alongside existing road infrastructure, providing cycling infrastructure that is largely isolated from traffic.
It is hoped that the NCN will allow cyclists to travel in their own space, separated from road vehicles.