Meanwhile, At The Races

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From top: A tweet from Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport on the night of Budget 2020; A Greenway on the Wild Atlantic Way

Not so fast, Minister Ross.

Following the announcement of €9 Million carbon tax funding for cycling during the Budget statement by Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross tweeted that the government had allocated €114 Million to cycling in Budget 2020.

If that seemed too good to be true…

Mike McKillen, of Cyclist, writes:

This €114 Million was subsequently broken down as €23 Million for “cycling” greenways and €91 Million for walking and cycling facilities in urban areas.

Greenways are provided for both pedestrians and cyclists so out of an allocation of €23 Million, the cyclist proportion would be 50% or €11.5 Million.

Regarding walking and cycling facilities in urban areas, 31% of total NTA expenditure was spent on cycling in the Greater Dublin area and the Regional Cities.

For the purposes of forecasting cycling expenditure in 2020, this percentage was rounded up to 33% which equates to €30 Million.

Therefore Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network, estimates that the departmental expenditure on cycling in 2020 will be approximately €42 Million.

Anyone who thinks that the Minister is committed to spending €114 Million on cycling, may be “at the races” (to use his own words) but is dreaming about the results…

Ah.

here.

Mr McKillen adds:

This exaggeration in cycle funding is not the first overestimation by the Minister/Department. In response to a recent parliamentary question, the Minister claimed that in 2018 cycling expenditure was 3.1% of the capital budget. Cyclist.ie estimates it at 1.0%.

There you go now.

Cyclist.ie

Pic: Bord Failte

 

 

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