The Kerry Cycling Campaign is encouraging people to celebrate UN World Bicycle Day to take to their bikes today. Regular physical activity of a moderate intensity, such as cycling, has huge health benefits. People of all ages see significant improvement in their mental and physical health by being more active throughout the day.

Anluan Dunne, speaking on behalf of the Kerry Cycling Campaign, said: “there is a clear desire for people to cycle more as has been demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. On UN World Bicycle Day, 2021, we are calling for significantly more ambition to provide safe routes in our towns and villages to enable people to choose their bicycle over their car. Several Councils across Ireland have installed interim bike lanes and this has had a massive impact on cycling levels. Kerry County Council must provide the same interim cycle lanes while long-term designs are being produced”.

As people return to workplaces and as retail re-opens motor traffic levels are increasing. The RSA, Gardaí and road safety advocacy groups have been warning that these increased traffic levels will impact the safety of roads and streets – particularly in urban areas.

World Bicycle Day draws attention to the benefits of using the bicycle — a simple, affordable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation. The bicycle contributes to cleaner air and less congestion and makes education, health care and other social services more accessible to the most vulnerable populations.

Anluan Dunne concluded: “we have recently witnessed the heartbreak and tragedy which can befall a family when roads are designed solely for motor vehicles to the detriment of every other mode of travel. Traffic collisions account for 40% of child deaths in Ireland and in the past year there was a 6% increase in overall deaths. No interim measures have been provided to protect vulnerable road users to cycle to school, work or leisure in Kerry. This is in stark contrast to other counties such as Cork and Dublin. Pop-up cycle lanes are cheap and quick to install and funding is available.”

ENDS

Contact: info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org

References

https://www.un.org/en/observances/bicycle-day

https://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/RSA-Statistics/Deaths-injuries-on-Irish-roads/

Kerry Cycling Campaign

Kerry Cycling Campaign is a voluntary membership group who wants a cycling-friendly Kerry for people of all ages and abilities. We are a member of Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network.

www.kerrycyclingcampaign.org	www.cyclist.ie
info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org	cyclist.ie@gmail.com
@kerrycyclingcam	@cyclistie

The Kerry Cycling Campaign welcomes and supports the proposed new greenway trailhead, traffic calming measures as well as bike parking and amenity areas as part of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway.

As part of the public consultation process managed by Kerry County Council, the group made some constructive and positive suggestions to improve on the design. Key to the proposed changes was a reconfigured design of the Fenit Trailhead for the Greenway which aims to provide a prominent public space which could become a focal point for the village without affecting the budget.

Following the submission, the group wrote to all Tralee M.D. Councillors and the two Tralee TDs seeking their support.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Anluan Dunne remarked: “the design detail of the greenway is critical to its success. It is really important that the experience of arriving into Fenit is a memorable one and our proposal seeks to enhance the draft design issued by the Council. For Fenit locals who use the beach and amenities nearby we also want to enable the community by providing space for festivals and events when that becomes possible once more. We have put a very positive, constructive, submission to the Council in this regard. The community are supportive, local groups are supportive and now we are seeking the support of our public representatives.”

The Kerry Cycling Campaign presented their proposal to the Fenit Townhall Group at their recent meeting, present also were several municipal district councillors. The design changes were well received. Following the presentation the group secured the backing of a large number of business, community and sporting organisations.

– Fenit Development Association
– Fenit Townhall Group
– Tralee Chamber Alliance
– The Irish Cycling Advocacy Network, Cyclist.ie
– Friends of the Tralee
– Fenit Greenway
– Great Southern Trail Group
– Transition Kerry

Keith Phelan from Kerry Cycling Campaign said: “apart from the Fenit trailhead we also suggested changes to exits along the greenway in particular Fenit Pump House, Kilfenora and Spa Village. Official access points and minor trailheads are essential to both allow visitors to access local amenities and allow locals to access the route for commuter purposes. Having the support of the groups in Fenit demonstrates how invested people are in the overall greenway project and they really want to see it completed to the highest possible standard”

Cycling is becoming increasingly recognised for the contribution it can make as a sustainable and healthy form of transport for work, education and leisure trips within and around towns and villages. The Tralee-Fenit Greenway will become the most important amenity in the Tralee area since the completion of the Aqua Dome.

The Kerry Cycling Campaign look forward to the timely completion of the project and hope to see it fully integrated with communities such as Tralee, Spa, Kilfenora and Fenit. 

– ENDS –

CONTACT
Please contact info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org for further information

REFERENCES
The proposal can be downloaded below

Kerry County Council’s Killarney Municipal District office has proposed an ambitious plan to install segregated cycle-ways on arterial routes into the town. We believe that these plans are the first significant step in enabling cycling for day-to-day journeys in Killarney.

As part of the public consultation process, we made a submission to the Council. The Part VIII process is important as it allows the public, community groups and advocacy groups to have input on the proposed design. The Part VIII documents are available from the Council website.

Focus

We focused our submission on three key areas of the proposed design:

• Pedestrian and cyclist priority

• Junction Design

• Vehicle speed

Submission Summary

The Kerry Cycling Campaign are very supportive of the proposed scheme to install significant segregated cycling infrastructure in Killarney. The ambitious scope is heartening to see and will help to enable people to choose to take their bicycle over their car for day-to-day journeys. We commend the engineering team for their vision in this regard.

Cycling is becoming increasingly recognised for the contribution it can make as a sustainable and healthy form of transport for work, education and leisure trips within and around towns and villages.

In the context of Kerry this project can serve as an exemplar to drive the installation of such infrastructure across all towns and villages in the county.

While we welcome the plan in general the Kerry Cycling Campaign have a number of constructive observations and recommendations we wish to make.

The full submission is available as a PDF to download below.

The vision document was launched by Minister of State, Malcom Noonan on the 23rd of September, 2020.  Representing Kerry Cycling Campaign, Anluan Dunne was a member of the launch panel and spoke at the event

The vision document provides the information and guidance to enable Kerry, and other counties, to excel in a multitude of areas. 

• For local people and communities we talk to regeneration of our towns and villages
• For local businesses, we talk about the economic benefits, loyalty and repeat business that cycling brings
• For health, both mental and physical, we talk to activity and well-being
• For visitors to our county, we talk to new and improved tourism products as yet unrealised

We understand that some of the changes needed to enable a higher quality cycling experience are at times not visible. This is especially the case if one does not cycle regularly.
– We encourage you to get on your bike and experience your local area and identify where you believe improvements are needed

We also understand the concerns of business leaders when we talk about re-prioritising road space for people walking or on bikes. As a country we have forgotten the value of those who travel by foot or bike. A value which is economically four times greater than a customer arriving by car and far more loyal to local business over out-of-town retail parks.
– We have engaged with Chambers Ireland and the local chambers in Kerry

What we wish for is an enhanced sense of community, safer streets for people of all ages and abilities and a thriving and growing population which can support our local businesses.
– We are engaged with sports clubs, community organisations and the PPN

We want to drive Kerry forward with with a sustainable approach to the treatment of our communities, towns and villages, with new tourism offerings with proven returns and a real and tangible contribution to business.
– The funding is available from national government, now is the time to seize this opportunity and make the changes needed. Contact your local politicians today and tell them that you want to see cycling prioritised

The vision is available from the cyclist.ie rural vision webpage (PDF).

For immediate release
Friday, 4th of September, 2020

RE: Proposed diversion of the Tralee-Fenit Greenway at Bawnboy

STARTS

Kerry Cycling Campaign calls on Tralee M.D. County Councillors to refuse to grant the Part 8 planning for the proposed diversion at Bawnboy, Tralee.

The Part 8 as drafted represents a failure to adequately mediate with the business which is occupying a section of the line at Bawnboy, Tralee. In addition, it bypasses significant historic railway features associated with the 133 year old line.

Keith Phelan, speaking on behalf of Kerry Cycling Campaign said: “This proposed Greenway has the potential to open up North Kerry to increased tourism levels, to encourage greater levels of walking and cycling locally in the immediate Tralee to Fenit corridor. The proposed diversion and flies in the face of the decision made by Kerry County Council to unanimously approve the original Part 8 proposal, as stated in both the EIA and AA statements and described as – ‘the previously approved and assessed Tralee to Fenit greenway’”

The proposed diversion deviates unacceptably from the original railway line path, which is in public ownership, undermines the 133 year old line and removes a potentially iconic feature from the Greenway.

To now discover that Kerry County Council propose to introduce a major diversion to the originally agreed route, subsequently ratified via the original Part 8 process, is more than disappointing. 

Anluan Dunne, speaking on behalf of the campaign said: “the diversion will add nearly a kilometer the length of the greenway with no obvious benefit or practical reason and inconveniences those who could use the route to commute. School children from areas close to the greenway will be put off using the greenway to cycle to school as the length of their journey will potentially increase”

Kerry Cycling Campaign, on behalf of greenway users, pedestrians and cyclists from across County Kerry, objects in the strongest possible terms to this Bawnboy amended greenway route. 

Anluan Dunne concluded: “All parties must re-engage in meaningful, transparent and constructive discussions to create a solution that satisfies the needs of all involved. It is also critical that our public representatives engage in this process to ensure it is successful. Should it not be possible to come to an agreement in the near term, the Bawnboy diversion should be seen as temporary”

The deadline for submissions to the Part 8 planning process is 5 PM on Friday the 4th of September. The Kerry Cycling Campaign urge the people of Kerry and beyond to voice their opinion and make a submission to ciu@kerrycoco.ie

ENDS

Contact

E: info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org

Kerry Cycling Campaign

Kerry Cycling Campaign is a voluntary membership group who wants a cycling-friendly Kerry for people of all ages and abilities. We are a member of Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network.

www.kerrycyclingcampaign.org	www.cyclist.ie
info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org	cyclist.ie@gmail.com
@kerrycyclingcam	@cyclistie

This August 15^th – 29^th 2020 – Practice Walking, Cycling or Scooting to your school – with events happening around the country and a nationwide ‘scavenger hunt’ style competition there is plenty of opportunity to show that kids like you want to be able to get there safely and on their own steam!

Events in Kerry

We are currently in the planning stage for events in Kerry. We hope to run an event on the 29th of August in Tralee. If you’d like to help out, or if you’d like to run an event for your school get in touch: info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org

The Nationwide ‘Get to School on your own Fuel’ Competition

As long as it’s human powered you can play the game!

How to play : Start by registering your team of 1-8 participants (primary or secondary level students), once registered you will be redirected to a print-friendly Competition Scorecard. Each item on the score card has a point value, the more points you score, the more likely you are to win our hamper of bike-y goodies!  

Register your team here

What’s involved: Some items on the list require you to post photos to our facebook, like a photo ‘along your route’ or ‘with your group in front of your school’. Others are tasks like ‘create a route map’ or ‘count the bike parking at your school’! Full details are on the print-friendly score card. (If you are under 13 you will need adult supervision on all your cycles, and use of a parent/guardian’s facebook account.)

Preview the scorecard here

When you are done : Post your final score on our Facebook (tagging #gettoschool @cyclistie) total by Friday 28th August at 12pm – the top 3 teams will invited to submit a photo of their completed scorecards and some evidence of items completed – a winner will be declared Saturday 28th of August by 5pm and we will post out your big hamper of bike-y goodies! 

We are looking forward to seeing your photos!

MEDIA RELEASE – for immediate release
Tralee, Co. Kerry – 25/07/2020

Re: Rural Cycling Collective Manifesto Launched by Kerry Cycling Campaign

During the lockdown period of restricted travel one widely remarked phenomenon countrywide was the large increase in the numbers of people of all ages out walking and cycling. A desire to retain that peace and freedom, together with the promise by the new coalition government of an annual €360 million spend on walking and cycling infrastructure has led to the formation of a new Rural Cycling Collective.  Comprising an array of groups and individuals under the umbrella of the wider national Cyclist.ie advocacy network, the group is focussed on making rural communities (towns, villages, and rural roads) cycle-friendly for all ages and abilities. It aims to rebalance the debate on active travel so that everyday journeys by bike across rural Ireland are enabled and supported.

“A VISION FOR CYCLING IS A VISION FOR THE FUTURE”

Launching the manifesto in Tralee, Anluan Dunne, speaking on behalf of Kerry Cycling Campaign said “Today, we launch our draft vision document which aims to promote and celebrate everyday cycling in, towns, villages and their surrounding areas.  We are launching the Rural Cycling Collective to highlight the needs of areas outside of major cities. We are campaigning for fair distribution of transport funding to regional parts of the country to make cycling for all ages and abilities a reality.   Our 8 identified priorities have the potential to completely transform communities.”

“RURAL COLLECTIVE HAS 8 PRIORITIES”

The collective is calling on Local and National Government to –

· Create an environment in our towns, villages, and rural roads where cyclists are expected and respected

– Create and Map existing a network of connected cycle routes in all Local Authority areas

– Implement best practice design so that routes are safe and comfortable for all ages and abilities

– Create safe cycle routes to school and car-free zones at school gates

– Lower Speed Limits to make our roads and streets safer and more accessible for everyone, and to reduce casualties

– Ensure clear and timely access to funding by improving capacity at all stages of local and national government

– Collaborate with all stakeholders including cycling and community groups at all stages of planning and design

– Provide Cycle Training for all ages especially children

Taken together these measures would transform active travel throughout Ireland. The co-benefits would include improvements to health, safety, congestion, air-quality, noise levels, and the public realm.  More cycling will also help us to meet our climate change obligations. “We can be a voice for areas of Ireland that have not realised the potential of cycling for everyday activities, cycling to school for children and students, to work, to the post office for your pension or even to buy a litre of milk. We need to change how we develop our towns, villages and rural roads and we need our collective voice to be heard” said Mr. Dunne.

The Rural Collective are calling on everyone – cyclists, non-cyclists, want-to-be cyclists, mums, dads, planners, councillor to get involved in shaping this vision and helping to make it a reality. 

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

AIMS

The collective plans to foster collaboration amongst cycling groups across Ireland and to jointly lobby local authorities and public representatives for the changes which will entice more people to choose the bicycle for everyday activities.  They will also work towards a cycle-friendly Ireland by collaborating with all stakeholders, organising regular events, fun-cycles and campaign actions.

SPOKESPEOPLE

Anluan Dunne, Kerry Cycling Campaign, a member group of Cyclist.ie
Email:  info@kerrycyclingcampaign.org

MORE INFO

Further information is available here: https://cyclist.ie/2020/07/cyclist-ies-rural-collective/

Our manifesto can be found here: https://cyclist.ie/2020/07/a-vision-for-cycling-in-rural-ireland/

About Kerry Cycling Campaign

Kerry Cycling Campaign is a voluntary membership group who wants a cycling-friendly county for people of all ages and abilities. We are a member of Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 14/June/2020

Tralee, Co. Kerry

Kerry Cycling Campaign and other campaign groups have been calling for a revolution in the funding of cycling and walking for many years. We are seeking a 10% allocation for cycling from our government’s transport budgets. We are delighted to see that the initial figures emerging from the government formation talks appear to have recognised this urgent need to invest in ‘active travel’ (walking and cycling) by allocating €360 million per annum towards cycling and walking schemes. Kerry Cycling Campaign welcomes this commitment.

Speaking on behalf of Kerry Cycling Campaign, Anluan Dunne said “Acknowledging that this program for government requires approval, we welcome the proposed funding for walking and cycling. The minimal cycling infrastructure which does exist in Kerry is typically sub-standard or in some cases dangerous and needs substantial funding to be upgraded”.

We have consistently highlighted the multiple benefits of investing in cycling – across economic, societal and environmental headings. On the public health side, regular cycling for everyday journeys builds exercise into our busy lives and can be easier to maintain compared to recreational physical activity. Economically, each kilometre driven by a car incurs an external cost of €0.11, whereas cycling and walking bring benefits of €0.18 and €0.37 per kilometre, respectively (see New study reveals the social benefits of cycling and walking in the EU). On the emissions reduction front and responding to the Paris Climate Agreement, cycling and walking are an essential part of the solution in decarbonising our mobility system and hence are a critical part of an overall transport mix. This has been recognised in many states in North West Europe since the mid 1970s. 

It is estimated that spending on cycling currently amounts to less than 2% of transport capital spending, as shown in Cyclist.ie’s 2020 Budget submission. Meanwhile theThird Report and Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action [https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/32/joint_committee_on_climate_action/reports/2019/2019-03-28_report-climate-change-a-cross-party-consensus-for-action_en.pdf]

and the 2019 Climate Action Plan all endorsed the spending of 10% of the transport budget on cycling.

Our expectations are that this funding will be spent on high quality cycling infrastructure in our towns and cities so that we can grow cycling to levels common in many continental countries. We also urgently need to redress the gender balance in cycling (currently only 27% of all persons commuting are female, Census 2016).

Kerry Cycling Campaign looks forward to examining the full published Programme for Government and a more detailed media release will follow.

ENDS