Cycling Greenway for North Wicklow

The Blessington lakes were named one of Ireland’s top 10 cycling routes last year by Ireland’s active travel guide. Not at all surprising, with stunning views, a clean environment, and great visitor spots; Wicklow has so much more potential to capitalise on day trippers from the city.

Anyone who lives in Enniskerry knows come Saturday and Sunday, roads will be jammed with hundreds of cyclists from the City, exploring the wonderful sights North Wicklow has to offer. Locals will also be cognisant of the number of tail-backs and accidents that have occurred as a result of infrastructure not being suitable for everyone’s needs.

I believe the only way forward is to work with neighbouring Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to build a new greenway that can dramatically increase the number of cyclists coming to North Wicklow. This greenway will deliver much-needed visitors to our excellent cafes, hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, while also reducing the number of cyclists on the main transport arteries between towns. More importantly, it will put North Wicklow on the map as an accessible outdoor tourism adventure activity, unrivaled in neighbouring counties.

It’s a win-win for everyone. If elected I want to deliver seamless co-operation with local authorities that will deliver streamlined cross-boundary infrastructure projects. Collaboration is key to the future of our area.

Bus Connects: Concerns about the proposed 213 route

Bus Connects is a welcome investment into transport services in the Greater Dublin Area and we should work with the National Transport Authority to optimise the new network to connect our towns and villages in North Wicklow.

However, I do have concerns about the proposed 213 route, which will merge the 185 and 44 bus routes. I acknowledge that the proposed route has its drawbacks, but I believe it also has some benefits, like going to or near all the major Dublin universities. However, I am concerned that the route would not go through Dundrum anymore but rather near hubs where other buses or the Luas could bring people there. Though a major reformation of the bus network is not going to please everyone, we need to have local input about the proposed destination changes, frequency and pricing.

One issue that needs to be addressed is the consistency of the buses, coming every 40 minutes, without any regard for peak hour travel. I think this needs to be amended to take account of rush-hour and the frequency should be increased to every 20 minutes between 7 and 8 in the morning, as well as between 5 and 6.30.

In response to these major changes, pricing of tickets will need to be more flexible for customers’ needs and ensure services are prompt and consistent.

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