€2m fund for Galway greenway
Urging more people to cycle to work, school, or college was a key factor in the Government’s decision to invest €2 million in a major new ‘greenway’ between the city and Moycullen which was announced yesterday.
The 12.4km route from NUI Galway to Moycullen village, of which 11.4km will be ‘off-road’, mostly follows the route of the old Clifden railway line and is expected to be up and running within two years.
Minister for Public Transport Alan Kelly, speaking in the city yesterday, said the potential for commuters to use the route was a deciding factor when the Moycullen greenway was just one of three projects across the State – from 38 applications – to be approved this week.
Although he also announced new cycling and walking greenways in Kerry and Waterford this week, Minister Alan Kelly said the Moycullen route would be the first in Ireland that will be primarily targeted at daily cyclists as opposed to tourists.
“Unlike the other greenways we have given funding to in the past week, which have huge tourism potential, we are looking at the 15,000 people living in the vicinity of Moycullen to use it get to work, college, or schools,” said Minister Kelly.
“It will link Moycullen with major employers in Galway city centre, the University Hospital, and will run through NUI Galway’s campus. It will be perfect for students and, in time, I believe over 5,000 people a day could use it.”
He said that construction would commence in the near future and he expected the route to be fully operational within two years.
Visitors will be able to hire city bikes in a scheme similar to the Dublin bikes scheme from this summer.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.