‘I blindly get on the bike, just hoping I get home alive’ – Drogheda Mayor calls for cycle paths review

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

Cyclists are “being put in danger” if Active Travel projects are not fully funded and fail to include joined up cycle lanes, according to the Drogheda Mayor.

Speaking at the January meeting of Louth County Council, Cllr. Michelle Hall criticised the funding allocation from government for the Drogheda pathfinder project, which has been awarded €120,000.

"What can we do with that? To me it looks like it is ready to go.”

She said the pathfinder projects are only going to be successful when they link up with cycle lanes throughout the town.

"Otherwise you are just putting people in danger. In Drogheda you are bringing them out onto the carriageway from the Dublin Road to go up to the train station without protected cycle lanes.”

She said the approach “is not going to be successful, it is not going to get people out of their cars.”

Cllr. Hall told the meeting: “I just don’t understand the rationale here, are we meant to reapply again for the rest of the funding needed, asking can we get the €11 million that we need now?”

The cut in funding awards for Active Travel projects was also preventing Louth from fulfilling its obligations under the national climate action plan, or the Louth climate plan.

"Our highest increase in emissions in Ireland over the last decade has been in transport, because we are so car-centric. So we have to reduce those emissions in order to meet targets set.”

She said the government were also “impeding us” in the road safety plans.

"We know the statistics on pedestrians and cyclists killed. But people want to cycle, even through they know they are taking their lives in their hands.”

"I do it myself, I blindly get on the bike every time and just hope I get home safe and alive.”

She said cycle hubs from places like Tullyallen and Drogheda which are close to Drogheda, would also encourage more people to cycle into the town.”