Skerries Cycling Initiative

Beasty

Good News for those of us in and around Skerries - hopefully this will become a template for other communities:

PRESS RELEASE January 20th 2010

FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL PLAN FOR MAJOR CYCLING PROJECT IN SKERRIES

At a meeting of the Transportation Strategic Policy Committee on January 19th 2010, Fingal County Council (FCC) revealed that it was close to completing negotiations with the Department of Transport (DoT) for funding under the Smarter Travel Projects Fund which targets cycling development throughout Ireland. The award is approximately three quarters of a million euro and FCC has agreement in principle from the DoT for this funding, subject to signing contracts and fulfilling certain legalities.

FCC won the award for a pilot project in Skerries which basically comprises two elements. First, the plan will seek to implement the recommendations in a consultants’ report, Malahide & Skerries Cycling Study (Sustrans/Colinbuchanan/FCC 2009) for the development of a cycling network in Skerries town, which would facilitate citizens seeking rapid North-South/East-West access by bicycle to schools, shops, the Townpark and the train station. This report was completed with the cooperation of the Skerries Cycling Initiative (SCI), including fieldwork. The second element of FCC’s plan, details of which remain to be worked out, envisages a pro-cycling and pro-walking upgrade of the R127 Skerries-Balbriggan road, via Barnageeragh, with a return route via Balrothery, Ardgillan (where there is now a 3km cycle route open), Ardla, Milverton and back to Skerries via Togher Hill. It is the desire of FCC that this route will not only provide a benefit to recreational cyclists and walkers, but will also encourage commuters between Balbriggan and Skerries to switch to the most sustainable transport mode in existence, namely the bicycle. It is expected that the full implementation of the plan will take 3 years.

Welcoming this major development for cycling in Skerries, Ray Ryan, Chairperson of the SCI, said: “The Skerries Cycling Initiative wish to congratulate Fingal County Council for the vision and determination in winning this award for the Skerries area. The plan incorporates the SCI’s primary goals for which we have been lobbying for over two years. We have pledged our help to the council in the design of these pro-cycling/walking improvements and FCC has accepted this offer. The award must be seen in the context of the publication last year of the National Cycling Policy Framework (NCPF) by the DoT. This excellent policy has won the support of cycling campaigns across the country and one of its recommendations is the development of so-called ‘Demonstration Towns’ as pilot pro-cycling projects. This is what we hope Skerries will become. As pointed out in the NCPF, investment in cycling produces a staggering return of approximately 4:1 for society for a variety of reasons, including health, reduction of traffic congestion and absenteeism, reduced CO2 production, reduced expenditure on cars and best of all, reduced death and injury on our roads. This is a great day for Skerries.”END

A €750k investment is pretty good in the current economic climate, particularly for a local community of not many more than 10,000.

Obviously there is still some way to go, but this is an excellent example of what a cycling campaign group can achieve if it sets its mind to it

Jawgap

Cool, if they actually do it!

shaungil

Sounds great (as a Skerry-ite) and of course after three times up Ardgillen hill last night on the crappy surface and not so great light a decent road up might make it easier for the horrible winter hill sessions.

Regular poster Glenamaddy is involved in this also but to be fair Skerries has large green tracts right through the centre of the town (Mills Ballst pit Community centre seafront) which should facilitate it much better.

Also hosting the finish for the Ras for the fifth straight year so well deserved I say.

GlennaMaddy

looks like most of the funding will go on a segregated cycle lane along to coast to Balbriggan, it's only a small part of what we hoped for but a fantastic addition to the town nevertheless. It will link up with the route within Ardgillan Park which should encourage more newbies and kids to venture outside the town on their bikes