Just over one third of Dubliners feel safe cycling in the city
Only 36% of people feel safe cycling in Dublin city according to a recent survey by Dublin City Council.
These figures come as the Council are promoting their Active Travel programme, which aims to encourage sustainable means of transport, such as walking and cycling. While cycling is a healthy means of travel, it also comes with its own risks as cyclists must contend with dangers of busy city centre traffic.
A major part of the programme is the Active Travel Network, which consists of 314km inclusive walking and cycling infrastructure delivered by the council and the National Transport Authority. Of those participating in the Your Dublin, Your Voice survey, 43% of people use the network, while 44% were not aware of its existence at all.
While 69% of people would consider reducing their car journeys to participate in more sustainable means of travel, they highlighted several barriers toward actually doing so. 59% of people cited unreliable public transport as a barrier, 26% highlighted convenience issues, 22% said there was lack of alternatives, and 17% had safety concerns.
In a typical week, female respondents revealed that 14% of their transport time was made of cycling. With males, this figure was higher at 24%. This gender gap influenced the ‘Girl Influencer Campaign,’ which aimed to promote cycling for young women in Dublin.
This campaign saw three social media influences popular on TikTok and Instagram make videos in an attempt to show teenage girls that cycling can be cool and fun. Videos made by Amber Arkins, Kasey Campion, and Eadaoin Fitzmaurice during summer and autumn 2025 reached 45% of the 18-34 female audience in Dublin and gained 933,781 views and 2.9 million impressions .
Another campaign fronted by social media influencer Garron Noone called ‘Be Sound’ encouraged all road users to look out for another with focus on the dangers for pedestrians and cyclists on cycle lanes. These videos received a total of 8 million views.
The ‘Active Travel Citizen Science’ programme also worked with primary school students to address safety and community wellbeing. This saw students monitoring air pollution and traffic within their local communities.
Older members of the public were not left behind in the Active Travel programme as Cycling & Walking Officers met with members of the Old Persons Council to discuss infrastructure changes within the city. This included explaining how routes are planned and how safety concerns among all citizens are addressed.
Into 2026, the Active Travel programme is set to activate its DATA project, which will focus on statistics to explore how Active Travel routes have changed the way people move and influence communities. “By understanding these changes, the project will reveal Active Travel’s wide-ranging benefits to the city, inspire further bold city‑wide improvements, and pinpoint where Dublin City Council can act to transform communities,” a Council report stated.
This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme