Eamon Ryan has promised to build 3,500km of cycle lanes by 2040. 

The Minister of Transport made the pledge today at the launch of the National Cycling Network in County Kildare.

The aim is for 80% of households and 90% of jobs to be located within 5km of the network once it is built and Minister Ryan said the entire country would benefit from the new infrastructure.

“Our agency to deliver this infrastructure is going to make sure that it all connects, that it’s not just short sections here and there but it’s part of a national network,” he said.

“So, you can get from the centre of Dublin to here - not just for a weekend spin - but for everyday use.

“3,500km, 1,000 of which we’ll build in the next seven years.”

Decarbonisation

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Cyclist.ie spokesperson Dr Damien Ó Tuama described the announcement as a “really positive step forward” for transport in Ireland and a “good news story”.

“It’s going to be a network of high-quality cycling routes linking the towns, cities and villages [of Ireland],” he said.

“[They’ll] link into schools, greenways and smaller tourist attractions.

“So, it’s really good for tourism, really good for decongesting towns and we heard yesterday in the news that the EU Copernicus Climate Change Service reminds us that 2023 was the hottest year ever.

“So, good from a decarbonisation perspective [as well].”

A cyclist uses the newly created pop-up cycle lane on Belfast's Dublin Road.

The definition of ‘high quality’ means the cycle lane is segregated from other forms of traffic, making the experience of travelling by bike much safer than it would be otherwise.

“It’s really enabling children cycling to school, people who are less competent on the bike at the moment, tourists who have a range of experiences in cycling - some very experienced, some new to cycling who come to Ireland for a few days,” Dr Ó Tuama said.

“So, the high-quality is not mixing with bigger vehicles, that’s really the definition.”

Going Dutch

According to the National Travel Survey in 2019, only 15% of Irish adults ever travel by bike and just 2.2% do so at least five times a week.

By contrast, the Dutch Government estimates that 25% of all trips in the Netherlands are made by bike.

The result is an estimated 11,000 deaths are prevented each year, thanks to the health benefits of cycling, and the average lifespan of a Dutch resident is six months longer than it would be otherwise.

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Main image: Eamon Ryan arriving at Dublin Castle for Cabinet. Photograph: Leah Farrell/RollingNews