Smarter Travel in Kilkenny City - A New Year’s Resolution for 2012
As the costs of fuel, insurances and motoring continue to increase relentlessly why not do a little more cycling and walking in 2012 ? Kilkenny is at times referred to as the “ten minute city” and many destinations are quickly accessed by bike or on foot.
Successive governments have in recent years adopted two transport strategies to fairly wide acclaim. These are the “Smarter Travel” and “National Cycle Policy Framework” reports, that, if implemented , would substantially mean more cycling , walking and use of public transport where such is available. There would also be less car usage, less oil dependency, less carbon emissions with resultant beneficial knock on effects in terms of public health. The “Growing up in Ireland “ report launched last autumn concluded that 26 percent of nine year olds in Ireland are overweight or obese and that a looming obesity epidemic is around the corner.
Recent cycling investments – Dublinbike, the Newport Mulrany Greenway, the bike to work scheme and new cyling infrastructure – are delivering voluntary transfer to non car based transport beyond forecasted levels and at relatively little cost. The An Taisce Green Schools programme has so far resulted in about a 20 per cent reduction in transport to school by car.
Long before Government policy documents came to the fore Kilkenny Local Authorities had devised similar local strategies to meet the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and persons with mobility difficulties. Following the publication of a Mobility Management Plan for Kilkenny City in 2009 the Borough Council prepared a bid application to Department of Transport under the Smarter Travel Competition. The bid sought funding for works to the value of €8million over the period 2010 to 2014. These works included such items as a new pedestrian bridge over the River Nore, improvements to Greens Bridge, new cycle ways and footpaths, park and stride initiatives and the possibility of a suburban bus transport system. Equally, proposals were submitted for the inclusion of education and awareness programmes which are aimed at encouraging increased levels of personal activity and reducing car dependency. The submission looked at national trends in terms of current travel patterns and established goals to increase the percentages of people walking, cycling, using public transport instead of taking the car.
While funding under the national Smarter Travel programme has reduced substantially €415,000 of Government funds was received in the latter end of 2011 and was allocated towards cycle lanes on Granges Road, Dublin Road, College Road, the Market yard and towards the construction of improved footpaths at Wolfe Tone Street.
In order to gauge our future progress in achieving Smarter Travel targets, the foremost of which are to increase cycling take up by 90% and a 20% reduction in the use of car transport to work and school in Kilkenny, a baseline survey of activity needed to establish the pre existing situation in Kilkenny. This survey carried out earlier in 2011 was followed a promotional day in the City in June. The Smarter Travel Family Fun Day held on a fine sunny Saturday was a great day out, with cycling and walking events, trade and health/activity promotional stands, with local bands providing the musical entertainment. It is hoped to make this an annual event catering for all the community and visitors to the City and to showcase a wide variety of events that take place throughout the year encouraging a healthier lifestyle.
Children in Kilkenny would prefer to cycle to school
More than half of all primary school children in Kilkenny said they would prefer to cycle to school instead of being driven, yet only 5% actually do.
This is just one of the findings to emerge from the Borough Council’s first ever comprehensive study of active transport in the city. The study was conducted in conjunction with the Waterford Institute of Technology in May of 2011 with almost 2,300 children and adults participating in the survey. The survey will be repeated again in 2013 and 2015 to measure any changes that might occur as a result of efforts to promote walking and cycling in the area.
Overall, the survey has shown that levels of walking for transport are particularly low in children compared to the 1980’s. Only 32% of children in Kilkenny currently walk to school (compared with 45% nationally in the 1980’s). Over 50% of children are driven to school and 13% take the bus. A similar trend was seen in secondary school children with car being their most frequently used mode of transport. Worryingly, 15% of children didn’t spend at least 10 minutes walking for transport on any of the last 7 days prior to completing the survey. Also, girls were less likely to walk or cycle for transport.
Speaking about the survey findings, Dr. Niamh Murphy of the Centre for Health Behaviour Research in WIT said that ’although these statistics are typical in a national context they don’t compare favourably to countries like Holland and Denmark where over 50% of children actively commute to school. Despite that, the percentage of children currently cycling to school has increased and it is encouraging to hear that children actually want to cycle to school. This is so important because we know that children who use active forms of transport are more likely to have higher overall physical activity levels. The benefits of being physically active, of course, are well documented and include reducing a child’s risk of developing chronic disease such as diabetes and obesity.
Whilst the above findings are not ideal, it is encouraging that there is a desire to change the way we get around Kilkenny and to get more active. Kilkenny Local Authorities and all our associated partners and stakeholders are looking forward to improving our city environment to facilitate this change and to actively encourage everyone to get moving and leave the car at home.
New pedestrian crossing at Butt’s Green
New shared surface through Market Yard Car Park forming first phase of "Quay Link".
