About one third of Galway County Council’s budget allocation for Active Travel projects this year will not be spent.

The Department of Transport allocated some €2.5m to County Hall for a range of infrastructure projects designed to encourage people to walk and cycle but only 70% of that will be spent in 2024.

It was also confirmed that the public won’t see much progress on projects on the ground – about 90% of the funding is for design and planning.

Paula Higgins, senior engineer over the Active Travel team at County Hall, confirmed at the September Athenry/Oranmore Municipal District meeting that spending of the allocation was about 70% on target.

“We won’t get to spend the full €2.5m,” she said.

The reply was directed to Cathaoirleach of County Galway, Councillor Albert Dolan who said there was frustration at the lack of progress on constructing projects.

Cllr Dolan, and Councillor James Charity, criticised the direction of the Active Travel policy, which ignored smaller, rural settlements.

In the past, pre-2021, the Council and County Councillors had discretion in choosing Active Travel projects that got funding, and that included in small villages.

But the new policy from the NTA funnelled money into bigger projects in larger towns.

Cllr Dolan said settlements such as Attymon, Gurteen and Monivea were losing out, while Cllr Charity said a whole stretch from the city limit to Headford would not get any Active Travel funding.

Ms Higgins said the NTA was ‘process driven’; it wanted Active Travel schemes, not ad-hoc, one-off measures such as footpaths here and there.

The projects had to tie in with Local Area Plans, Local Transport Plans and other regional and local plans.

There was a seven-phase delivery process, which she said was not popular with councillors because it meant smaller projects could take 12 months to complete while bigger projects could take 48 months.

Ms Higgins acknowledged elected members’ frustration but said the Active Travel could not deviate from the process, nor could it divert funding earmarked for one project to another.

She confirmed the NTA had pledged €2m over four years, including €500,000 this year, for bus shelters to be rolled out across the county – including one in Clonboo.

Ms Higgins advised Councillor David Collins (FG) that he should look elsewhere for funding for his plan for a pedestrian crossing in Claregalway as it would take too long under Active Travel.

Ms Higgins said the Safe Routes To School (SFTS) programme was oversubscribed – 65 schools had signed up but there was funding for just five schools this year, with possibly nine to be funded in the next tranche.

She conceded it was unlikely the NTA would seek further expressions of interest for SRTS in 2025.

Two Active Travel projects were being progressed in Oranmore. This included the Oranmore to Train Station scheme on the Coast Road. This would cost about €1m but just €120,000 was allocated this year and the team will have to apply for more funding in 2025, she said.

It was also progressing a new pedestrian crossing at Lidl. This had been delayed because the design submitted did not meet the NTA’s standards, but Ms Higgins said she was hopeful the new design was accepted, and it would go to tender soon.

The appointment of a design team for the Athenry Church Street to Tuam Road Active Travel scheme was imminent. Consultants will examine up to seven routes before picking the preferred option, which will then be voted on at a full Council meeting in mid-2025.

Active Travel funding was part of the NTA’s plans to encourage a modal shift in commuting to cycling and walking. It plans 1,000 kilometres of walking and cycling infrastructure next year as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, Ms Higgins said.

Pictured: Critical…Cllr Albert Dolan.