€1.4m allocated to Mayo for safe school routes
The safe routes to school programme is giving students safer and healthier options for getting to school in Mayo with €1.4m allocated to 13 schools, Minister of State Alan Dillon has confirmed.
Minister Dillon said: “It’s great to see such high demand for this scheme in schools across Mayo. This scheme is not only good for students, but also good for the environment.
‘The scheme funds small and large-scale projects like providing ‘front of school’ treatments to enhance access to the school grounds, accelerating delivery of walking, cycling, and wheeling infrastructure on key access routes to schools, and expanding the amount of cycle and scooter parking available at schools.
“Across the country 412 schools are currently active in the programme, with 13 of these in Mayo.
"Funding of €190,000 has also been provided to assist Mayo County Council in addressing rural roads with higher speed limits and aims to alert drivers to the presence of schools and encourage lower, safer speed through specific signage and road markings near the school.
‘We’re seeing the success of this programme, with schools in the programme reporting a 17% reduction in journeys to school by car, with students shifting their journeys to walking, cycling, scooting, or taking public transport instead.
"I congratulate all the schools involved, in particular Ballinrobe Community School and St. Joseph’s NS in Ballinrobe for their hard work on implementing this project.
"I saw this work first hand when I attended the official opening of phase one of Ballinrobe Urban Greenway recently which facilitates students to walk or cycle to both schools in the town.
“It’s so important that we are supporting students to walk, cycle, scoot or take public transport to school which makes routes to school safer and helps with relieving local traffic congestion”, concluded Minister Dillon.
The successful applicants were
Brackloon NS, €200,000
Carn National School, Moygownagh, €200,000
Cong NS, €250,000
Davitt College, Castlebar, €10,000
Scoil Raifteiri, Castlebar, €10,000
Scoil Iosa NS, €210,000
St. Colmans College, Claremorris, €40,000
Ballinrobe Community School, €135,000
Claremorris BNS, €30,000
Holy Trinity NS, Westport, €30,000
Murrisk N.S, €30,000
Quay NS, Westport, €30,000
St Josephs NS, Ballinrobe, €40,000
Higher Speed Rural Roads x 8, €190,000.