Galwegians who walk and cycle in the city every day collectively remove 29,000 cars off the city’s roads every day – and if all of these cars were in a traffic jam, it would tail back 138 kilometres…equivalent to the distance from Eyre Square to Sligo town.

That’s according to first-ever Walking and Cycling Index carried out in the Galway Metropolitan Area, which reveals that six in ten adults in Galway walk or wheel (use a wheelchair or mobility scooter) at least five times a week – and one in five cycle at least once a week.

The Walking and Cycling Index provides the largest-ever assessment of walking, wheeling and cycling in Ireland.

Delivered in collaboration with the Galway City and County Councils, the National Transport Authority and sustainable transport charity Sustrans, the Index was expanded last year to include Galway alongside Cork, Limerick/Shannon, Dublin and Waterford Metropolitan Areas.

The Index surveyed more than 1,100 residents from across Galway Metropolitan Area, aged 16 and above, not just those who walk, wheel or cycle. The Metropolitan Area covers the area from Oranmore to Barna and north to Claregalway

It reveals that 77% of residents are in favour of additional investment in cycling infrastructure and 72% are in favour of additional investment in walking and wheeling infrastructure.

This comes amid a growing demand for active travel with 53% expressing their desire to walk, wheel more in the future, and 42% expressing a desire to cycle more.

Overall, 88% of residents support building cycle tracks physically separated from traffic and pedestrians even where that means less room for other traffic.

CAPTION: Cycling along the Canal.

Get the full details in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.