A potentially transformative plan

Thanks to the local authority, its Active Travel unit, and all involved for progressing this potentially transformative plan.

A couple of comments in support of the plan:

1) We have five- and seven-year old girls; they are two of the 2700 school children who attend school along the route. In order for them – and many like them – to continue to use active travel and to cycle in particular over the next 12-14 years while they are in school, they need safe routes just like the one proposed. This infrastructure allows them to be safe, independent, and active.

2) Cargo bikes have recently become eligible for a government grant and will become much more common in our cities during the coming years, removing traffic from the roads as they do in other cities. They are of particular benefit to families with small children and have significant potential for city businesses. At present, the number of cargo bikes in Limerick can be counted on one hand, and for good reason: adequate infrastructure is not yet in place in many areas. If we want active travel, including cargo bike journeys, to replace car journeys at scale, this requires infrastructure of exactly the type planned, linking up routes that can take commuters across the city. This infrastructure is in place in many European cities, and it has also facilitated the uptake of cargo bikes where Irish local authorities have started to build adequate cycling infrastructure, e.g., in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

The provision of cycling infrastructure, a quieter route, and improved provision for pedestrians would be a transformative quality-of-life improvement and I fully support it.