€25m Announced For Sustainable Transport Projects

More than €25m has been set aside for sustainable transport projects in the greater Dublin area.

The projects will involve improvements to bus, cycle and pedestrian routes, revisions to traffic management systems and footpath upgrades and extensions. The work will be designed to encourage greater use of sustainable and public transport option, reduce congestion and allow for enhanced economic activity.

It is understood 109 projects will benefit from the €25.93m funding.

Among the initiatives are 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; and funds for the city centre to Terenure route, targeting the Rathmines/Rathgar corridor.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, 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 big considerable difference to the commuters and road users in the affected areas."

(JP/IT)