Written answers

Tuesday, 26 May 2009

Department of Transport

Cycle Facilities

10:00 pm

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on the recently published National Cycling Policy Framework; the reason there are no deadlines for the achievement of actions on the NCPF in the document; when and the amount of funding which will be provided for the implementation of the NCPF; if he will further report on the recently announced national bike week; if he will confirm when the national pedestrian and walking strategy will be published; the key measures it will contain; the amount of funding he will allocate to the national pedestrian strategy; the time period over which it will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21275/09]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Cycle Policy Framework is a long-term vision that stretches from 2009 to 2020. The cost of delivery of the 109 actions that the NCPF envisages is estimated to be in the region of €2.3 billion.

The key ambition under NCPF is an increase in the modal share enjoyed by cycling from its current level of around 2% to 10%. I believe that this is an ambitious, yet achievable, target within the action period of 12 years. The wide-ranging nature of the individual interventions, their interlinked nature, and the undeniable challenges that face us in terms of availability of resources, means that it would not be productive, at this stage, to assign precise deadlines to each action.

I am satisfied that significant progress on implementing the NCPF can be made within existing resources this year. This will include holding National Bike Week as a key awareness raising event, investment in refurbishment of key cycle routes in Dublin City, advancement of work on the Sutton to Sandycove Cycle Route, identification of inter-urban cycle routes, initial legislative changes to facilitate safer cycling, and piloting of innovative cycling demonstration projects.

Insofar a Bike Week is concerned, I am happy that there has been a very high level of engagement from a wide range of stakeholders. I invite everyone to visit the dedicated website www.bikeweek.ie.

It is my intention to commence the process of developing a National Walking Policy later this year. It would be premature, in advance of its development, to speculate on the measures it might contain, the likely period it might span, or the potential cost of implementation.

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