MORE than
?¬25 million has been allocated for sustainable transport projects in the Greater Dublin Area, it was announced last Friday.
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe, said the allocation by the National Transport Authority for a range of projects would include improvements on bus, cycle and pedestrian routes, revisions to traffic management systems and footpath upgrades and extensions.
The aim is to encoura ge greater use of sustainable and public transport options, reduce congestion and allow for enhanced economic activity.
The total funding being allocated is
?¬25.93 million. This will be distributed between 109 projects within the Greater Dublin Area, including Kildare, Meath and Wicklow County Councils. Provision is also being made for projects that will encourage students at DCU and UCD to take the bus or to cycle to and from campus.
On the Southside a number of projects have been identified and aimed at alleviating congestion.
They include interventions to reduce bus delays, including traffic light priority and works to eliminate pinch points; the construction of wider bus lanes on the Chapelizod Bypass which is a major restriction on the N4 route; and funds for the city centre to Terenure route, targeting the Rathmines/Rathgar corridor.
Minister Donohoe said:
“The economy is growing which means that there are more people back at work and more vehicles on the road. In some areas this is leading to a build-up of congestion.
“To ensure that the economic progress we are making is not impeded by the inability of people to get around we must encourage greater use of sustainable and public transport.
“We can do this by making sure that public transport is an attractive option and that the bottlenecks that are slowing us down are eliminated.
“This funding prioritises these, and other areas and I am confident that as these projects progress they will make a considerable difference to the commuters and road users in the affected areas.
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