FIVE schools in Limerick City and County are included in the latest round of the ‘Safe Routes to School’ programme which aims to create a safer environment for children and parents to walk and cycle to school every day.
The latest schools to join the programme are: Caherconlish NS; Crescent College Comprehensive; Lisnagry NS; St Patrick’s Girls’ NS and Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher.
Welcoming the latest extension of the scheme, Limerick Fine Gael TD and Chairman of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, Kieran O’Donnell said it would encourage young people to use more sustainable modes of transport.
“The Safe Routes to School Programme aims to create safer walking and cycling routes, alleviate congestion at the school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school by providing improvements to walking and cycling facilities.
“In September, I was delighted to attend the launch of Limerick’s first ‘School Street’ at An Mhodhscoil (Model School) on O’Connell Avenue, Limerick City and see transformative impact these type of new infrastructure works have,” Deputy O’Donnell added.
The programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and is supported by the Department of Education.
An Taisce’s Green-Schools is co-ordinating the programme, while funding will be made available to local authorities which will play a key part in delivering the infrastructure.
€20 million has been allocated for projects included in the latest round of the programme with the funds coming from each local authority’s annual allocation for Active Travel works.
