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A few thoughts on the new @Fingalcoco Environment Climate Action and Active Travel Department. It's a hugely positive & progressive move by @AnnMari92672817. Retrofitting of existing infra to make active travel safer and more appealing is one of the key challenges that
faces Fingal & most other local authorities. We need an ambitious & deliverable plan that will allow people to choose more sustainable methods of getting from A to B, with particular focus on safe routes to school & linking the towns & villages of Fingal. Everywhere that has made
active travel a safe & convenient option, has seen people make the choice to walk or cycle in their droves. If you build it, they will come. I've no doubt that @davestorey18 is the person that can drive a much needed transformation of Fingal's infrastructure so that walking &
cycling become the norm for the majority of Fingal's people. Too many kids are being driven short distances to school or other activities because it's deemed not safe for them to walk or cycle. We need the infrastructure to make active travel to school
and other activities the norm for our young people. Instilling this behaviour at a young age will pay dividends in terms of health, fitness, environment and general use of public space for years to come. How do we get there in the context of this new department in Fingal Co Co?
As always, the devil will be in the detail. There's no point creating this new department if it's not backed up by the resources to deliver quickly & effectively. Allocation of staff in terms of numbers & skillsets will be critical. Too many projects get lost in the current
departmental structure due to sheer volume of competing demands. ECA&AT Dept will need a clear brief & a strong mandate to deliver their projects. The NTA is challenging Fingal to deliver 130kms of new cycling infra over the next 5 years. It's crucial that this and far more
is delivered. We don't have the space to just keep adding more & more cars to our road network. Most of our towns & villages are already choked with traffic. This will only worsen if we continue on the path that we've taken to date. Community engagement will be key in bringing
people with us in making the necessary changes to the public road network. However, we've seen with many projects over the years that even positive change will be met with resistance. Often this leads to the people who shout the loudest getting the result they want - no change!
Fingal will have two great allies at cabinet in Eamon Ryan & @DarraghOBrienTD as we move to make the necessary changes to provide a top class active travel network in the county. It is going to be up to Cllrs of all parties & none to give their full backing to these efforts.
Too often we hear local politicians say "I'm all for X but..." and the end result is a project getting watered down to a point that it serves nobody, or else just shelved. This can't be allowed continue to happen. As projects under this new department start to develop, we'll see
people in many instances being asked to forego some of the convenience of their existing car journey to accommodate safe infrastructure for vulnerable road users. This may take the form of new one way systems in certain areas, or full closure of streets to vehicular traffic in
others. No doubt people will be asked to make other changes also. The key in delivering this new, much needed & safer infra for people on bikes and walking, will be the Councillors standing up for what's right even when those shouting loudest seem to be the only voices.
We've got a real opportunity in front of us to make long lasting positive change. The financial backing & policy direction from Government around active travel will be crucial in helping us get there. Cllrs brave enough to take the right decisions will achieve this change.
It's incumbent on @Fingalcoco to put the structures in place to make this new department work & it's up to the Cllrs to back them in order to deliver these projects. Sounds easy right?
@Fingal_Cycling
@AndrewNolan5
@IrishCycle
@Fingal_Cycling
@AndrewNolan5
@IrishCycle
