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Plans for a 2,000km national network of cycle paths connecting
cities and major town across the Republic have been drafted
by the National Roads Authority (NRA).
Work on a detailed route for the first 'interurban'
cycle path from Dublin to Galway began recently and is due
to be completed by the end of the year.
The NRA
has mapped out 13 route 'corridors' serving the cities
of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway and almost
100 large towns which will make up the National Cycle Network.
The routes pass through all of the 26 counties except Longford
and vary in length from 52km (Drogheda to Trim) to 286km (Wexford
to Tralee).
Local authorities along the routes have identified almost
500km of potential off-road cycle routes, which are physically
separated from the road by a grass verge or other barrier.
The network will be made up of off-road cycleways, on-road
cycleways, which are not shared with buses and taxis and cycle
trails or dedicated cycle paths, which are entirely separate
from the road network, along canal tow paths or disused rail
lines.
Large parts of many inland and western counties are not served
by one of the 13 route corridors. However, the roads authority
said the route corridors were a 'skeleton' around which
the national network should develop. This could include 'links
and loops' between each of the corridors, as well as links
to local rural and urban cycle routes to gradually allow all
parts of the State to be served by cycle paths.
In choosing the routes, the authority specified that they
must connect the major cities and settlements with populations
greater than 10,000 to attract the greatest number of users.
The routes should be connected to public transport stops and
have links to ports and airports. The network should facilitate
commuter, leisure and tourism usage and should connect to
the National Cycling Network already developed in Northern
Ireland.
Each local authority will be responsible for developing their
section of the network. Funding will be available through
the National Sustainable Transport Office, which has been
allocated €50 million for 2010 and 2011.
A total cost for the network has yet to be quantified. However,
the detailed plans for the Dublin to Galway corridor will
identify how much each stage is likely to cost. The study
of that route will involve detailed route selection, which
will assess the potential for using parts of the Royal Canal
towpath, abandoned railway lines and bypassed national roads,
including the old N6.
The study will also identify which types of cycle path will
be used on each section of the route.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said he wanted to provide
“world class” cycle routes. “I believe a Dublin to Galway
cycle route is an exciting concept that would prove to be
a major attraction”.
Source - The Irish Times
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