Safe Routes scheme sees travel by car to one Cork school dip by 60%

The amount of people travelling to one particular Cork school by car reduced by nearly 60% through the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme, a new report has shown.

Overall, 412 schools are in the programme. Almost 15% are located on “higher-speed rural roads”, where speed limits of 80km/h or 100km/h were in place.

The report mentions that at Scoil Mhuire na nGrást, in Belgooly, an “impressive” 59.8% reduction in travel to school by car was reported.

Walking, cycling, and use of the school bus all increased, with walking having the biggest increase.

Connection

A key element of the scheme was the introduction of a pedestrian crossing to create a connection between the front of school, the footpath to Belgooly village, and the residential areas.

The report explains: “Filling in gaps in existing infrastructure like this can be a quick and cost-effective way to support a move to active travel.”

Also looked at in the report is Scoil Bhríde in Crosshaven, which has 230 students, 73% of whom live within 1km of the school.

The report noted that Scoil Bhríde was at the top of a hill and has a single access route with no pedestrian segregation. When the SRTS team carried out a travel survey with the school, 84% of respondents said that ‘new and improved footpaths’ would support active travel.

School zone

Cork County Council worked with SRTS to develop the new 2024 school zone, which provides “a colourful and child-friendly road design, transforming the front-of-school area in to a safe and inviting space for the school community”.

Shared surfaces, widened footpaths, crossings, art installations, and traffic-calming measures have improved pedestrian priority and helped to slow traffic down, despite the space limitations in the area, the report said.

The rural transport state minister, Jerry Buttimer, said: “It’s wonderful to hear from students and teachers that the Safe Routes to School programme is making such a difference to them.”