Student travel in Malahide made safer through national programme

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh and Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD, today celebrated the completion of the Safe Routes to School works carried out at Pope John Paul II NS, Malahide.

The Safe Routes to School Programme was developed in partnership by the NTA and Green-Schools, An Taisce, in 2020, as a response to the need to support schools to increase walking and cycling to school. Pope John Paul II NS in Malahide applied and was successful in qualifying for Round 1 of the programme, alongside ten other schools across the Fingal county.

The aim of this initiative is to enhance safety, reduce traffic congestion, and improve access at schools. It focuses on upgrading walking and cycling infrastructure to create safer, more accessible routes for students. Additionally, by expanding bicycle parking facilities, the programme seeks to encourage more students to cycle to school.

Safe Routes to School designs are unique to each school. Some of the improvements featured at Pope John Paul II NS include tightened junctions to slow down approaching traffic, extended footpaths, increased signage, upgraded zebra crossing and the creation of a car-free school street.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh stated ‘’When children feel safe on their journey to and from school, they and their guardians are far more likely to choose active travel options such as walking, wheeling or cycling. By creating safer infrastructure, we are encouraging healthy habits among school children that extend far beyond the school gates.”

David Storey, Director of Environment, Climate Action, Active Travel and Sport at Fingal County Council said ‘’These improvements not only make active travel more accessible and appealing, but they also help raise driver awareness. By encouraging motorists to be more mindful of the presence of children and the need for cautious driving near schools, we’re creating a safer, more supportive environment for young people to travel independently and confidently.”

Fingal County Council is committed to making necessary improvements and installing infrastructure to support active travel, making it first choice for local journeys under 5km.  We are currently at the preliminary design stage for Round 2 of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programme, with construction works expected to commence on site in early Q2 of 2026. In parallel, we have begun the early engagement phase of Round 3 of the programme and are actively collaborating with our partners in An Taisce to progress this phase.

For more information on Safe Routes to School in Fingal, visit https://www.fingal.ie/activetravel/srts