New cycle corridor is 'great news' for Mullingar - Smyth

The new Mullingar Cycle Corridor announced yesterday is "great news" for the town, according to the Mayor of Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, Cllr Hazel Smyth.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan yesterday launched the Pathfinder Programme of 35 transport projects to be delivered by local authorities and agencies around the country within the next three years, including new cycle corridors in Mullingar and Athlone.

Minister Ryan's Green Party colleague Cllr Smyth welcomed the announcement, saying:

“This is great news for Mullingar and surrounding areas. We will see the Mullingar cycle corridor delivered quickly over the next 2-3 years with the direct support of the Department of Transport. It will act as a leading example of this type of project in Ireland for other towns and counties to learn from.

“Since being elected I’ve been pushing for more cycling paths around Mullingar and beyond so that people have the option of choosing a healthier, less inexpensive and fun way to travel in and around Mullingar. I am delighted that this will compliment and support my motion for a bike-sharing scheme for Mullingar. As the decarbonization zone for Westmeath, I’m very excited to see Mullingar people being able to cycle safely in and around Mullingar and do the right thing both for the environment and themselves. A great win for Mullingar!”

The projects were selected following Minister Ryan’s call to local authorities over the summer to submit their most innovative, transformative plans for public transport, walking and cycling in their areas – the projects that could make the greatest difference to people living in their counties with the objective of ensuring delivery of these projects by 2025.

Brian Leddin TD, Green Party Spokesperson for Transport says that the new Pathfinder projects will help Ireland reduce its carbon emissions.

“The Pathfinder Programme is focused on reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector, by enabling the shift to cleaner transport choices. Decarbonising transport presents an enormous challenge, one which requires a fundamental change in how we travel including a shift in our mindset and choices.

“These projects can deliver once in a generation change by bringing increased momentum to the delivery of projects at a local level and providing templates that can be replicated and scaled up elsewhere. By 2025, the Mullingar Cycle Corridor along with the other selected pathfinder projects around Ireland will be in action, improving our communities and demonstrating to other localities how our transport networks can be transformed and improved.”

The Department of Transport will support the Westmeath County Council in accelerating the delivery of the initiative along with implementation workshops. The benefits of the project will be captured and evaluated as part of a national review.

The Pathfinder Programme forms a key part of the implementation of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP), which is a vital part of the Government’s plan to meet Ireland’s requirement to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in the transport sector.