COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 08, 2024

QUESTION NO.12

QUESTION: Councillor C. Brady

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on measures in place to reduce congestion and parking on school routes. Report to include plans to improve congestion and safety on roads leading to and from schools, outside the school gate, and in surrounding estates.

REPLY:

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme was developed in partnership by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce Green-Schools, as a response to the need to support schools to increase walking and cycling to school, rather than using private cars for the school run, thereby reducing congestion. Details of the SRTS Programme can be found online at this website; Safe Routes to School - Green-Schools (greenschoolsireland.org)

The current SRTS Programme was launched in March 2021 and was open to all schools in Ireland to apply for active travel funding and delivery. Funding is provided annually by the NTA as part of the overall annual allocation to SDCC. Nationally, the programme received expressions of interest from 932 schools, almost one in four schools in the state. 25 schools in SDCC applied to the programme.

Due to resource and funding limitations, all schemes at schools cannot progress at the same pace through design, planning processes, procurement and delivery. Projects have been prioritised for funding by the NTA in rounds 1 and 2, subsequent schools will be engaged with on a rolling basis. SDCC engage closely with the An Taisce SRTS Team to help progress as many of the SRTS projects as is possible.

SDCC is pleased that there has been significant progress on the delivery of SRTS projects at schools in the SDCC area, including; Bishop Galvin NS in Templeogue, St Maelruain's, Tallaght and St Dominic's, Tallaght. In order to help accelerate the delivery of SRTS works, SDCC has incorporated schools works into larger Active Travel projects. This will enable projects to be delivered faster under the funding for the main projects.

SDCC has also completed Active Travel School Zone projects at schools in St. Lorcan’s and St. Brigid’s (Palmerstown), Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcáin and Coláiste Cillian (Clondalkin) and at St. Mark’s S.N.S. and J.N.S. in Springfield (Tallaght). These schemes have been well received and effective in reducing traffic volumes, speeds and congestion outside those schools. These schemes will continue to be monitored and adjusted if necessary to make them as effective as possible.

The Active Travel team in SDCC worked closely with the D12 Bus Bike group of parents and children who use the route to cycle to school each day. This engagement helped to deliver the Limekiln Lane scheme which was opened by the Mayor on 27th June 2024, and provides 1.2km of segregated cycle track, along the route to Riverview ETNS, Holy Spirt National School and St. Paul’s Secondary School.

Additionally, the D24 Neighbourhood Network, Phase 1 of which is complete and Phase 2 is under construction, is a project which will deliver 11km of protected cycletracks in the D24 area. The project passes 12 schools within 200m of the network enabling school children and parents to choose to walk or cycle to school safely rather than use private vehicles. As part of the D24 project significant works have been completed in front Scoil Croi Ró Naofa SNS and JNS, Killinarden Community School and it also links with the SRTS scheme at Scoil Maelruain's JNS and SNS schools.

Further works in front of and close to schools are planned for the summer months at Scoil Maelruain's, St Dominic's and Pope Pius X Schools.