Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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228. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the capital investment in cycling infrastructure in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21893/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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In recent years, Exchequer investment in cycling infrastructure has been made under a number of different programmes and schemes administered by my Department. Projects funded under the Smarter Travel programme involved integrated initiatives across a number of aspects of active/smarter travel and incorporated measures such as investment in cycle lanes, bike parking, footpaths, traffic calming measures, shared streets and other interventions that encourage and support modal shift to walking and cycling.

In addition since 2010 my Department has also provided funding to the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Sustainable Transport Measures Grants (STMG) Programme and the Regional Cities Programme to implement sustainable transport projects, including providing cycling infrastructure, in the Greater Dublin Area and the regional cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Therefore, for the period 2011 to 2017 it is not possible at this time to isolate specific expenditure on cycling infrastructure alone.

Looking to the future, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that in Budget 2018 I managed to secure over €110m in capital funding which is specifically allocated to develop cycling and walking infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford over the period 2018-2021. This programme will provide "active travel" (i.e. cycling and walking) routes, which can help alleviate congestion by improving the viability of these particular forms of travel, and doing so in a way that provides useful connectivity with existing public transport infrastructure. Allocation of funding and details of individual projects are managed by the National Transport Authority in conjunction with the relevant local authorities. In addition to this, €55m will be spent in this same four year period on Greenways outside of the 5 cities, and the greenway programme will be largely aimed at providing an enhanced tourism and leisure amenity.

A further €135m capital funding has been allocated over this same period for investment in Sustainable Urban Transport projects. These will include projects that will provide either direct or indirect improvements for urban cycling. This programme builds on investment to date to deliver improvements in public and sustainable transport infrastructure in the regional cities and the GDA. It includes traffic management, bus priority and other smarter travel projects, which will allow transport infrastructure to function more effectively and will help relieve traffic congestion. Again, allocation of funding and details of individual projects are managed by the National Transport Authority in conjunction with the relevant local authorities.

Furthermore, investment of more than €750m on the BusConnects Programme in the same period, will deliver a transformative investment package that will finance new and expanded bus routes, greatly improve bus access, and includes designated segregated cycle lanes.

In addition to funding for the provision of infrastructure, my Department continues to be very active in promoting behavioural change to encourage more people to take up cycling and to cycle safely. We provide funding to the NTA on an annual basis for the delivery of behavioural change programmes such as Workplace and Campus travel programmes and the Green Schools Programmes. My Department also engaged Cycling Ireland to develop a new national cycle training standard - "Cycle Right" – which was rolled out in January 2017 to approximately 15,000 primary school students. My Department supports the great work that is being done by RSA in the promotion of safe roads for all road users, including the more vulnerable users such as cyclists and pedestrians. In addition my Department provides funding to local authorities throughout the country to assist in organising events and activities during Bike Week which further serve to promote cycling.

As part of an overall coordinated approach to the provision of an integrated sustainable transport network of cycling, walking and public transport, these various investments will support and lead to a further increase in the numbers cycling safely, thereby easing congestion, improving public health and enhancing the liveability of our towns and cities; the investment will, I believe, have a lasting transformative effect on our transport network over the coming years.

The detailed information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled by programme and local authority and will be forwarded in due course in line with Standing Orders.