People opting to walk or cycle take around 680,000 cars off the roads of the State's five largest cities each day, a new study has found.
Nearly 16,000 of those cars are in the Waterford Metropolitan Area which comprises of both Waterford City and County Council and Kilkenny County Council administrative areas.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) published the findings of the Walking and Cycling Index on Tuesday, examining the walking, cycling and wheeling (the use of wheeled mobility aids) habits of people across the metropolitan areas of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick/Shannon and Waterford.
Across each of the five areas, more than half of adults said they walk five or more days a week, while 15 per cent said they cycle at least once a week.
In Waterford the study shows that 52% of residents walk or wheel at least five days a week while only 4% cycle. It also shows that cycling participation is not equal as 23% of men cycle at least once a week compared to only 9% of women.
Elaine Mullen is a lecturer in SETU Waterford and a member of the Waterford Bicycle Users group. She cycles to her job everyday and says many females find active travel intimidating.
"There's a confidence and safety perception barrier so women feel more afraid of being harassed and being shouted at and women are more likely to be harassed and shouted at.
"I've had this discussion with students here on campus. Even just walking around, minding their own business they have cars beeping at them and fellas shouting out the windows whereas lads don't have to deal with any of that at all."
The survey – conducted in collaboration by the NTA, local authorities, and sustainable transport charity Sustrans – found that there is broad public support for active travel investment in Waterford, with 68% of residents wanting to see more investment in walking and wheeling, and 63% wanting to see more investment in cycling, to create a more sustainable, liveable city, where people and businesses can thrive.
There was also agreement on how walking and wheeling could be made more accessible, with better footpath surfaces, and more places along streets to stop and rest among the recommendations.
Signed cycle routes along quieter streets, and cycling tracks along roads which are physically separated from traffic and pedestrians were suggested to incentivise cycling.
The majority of respondents said they would also support the installation of such cycle tracks, even if it meant there would be less room for other traffic.
The report found that walking, cycling and wheeling journeys taken instead of driving saved a total of 160,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions across the five areas assessed, equivalent to 2,200 flights from Dublin to London.
Overall, the NTA estimated that walking, wheeling and cycling across the five metropolitan areas equated to an annual economic benefit of €3 billion.
"It’s clear from the latest Walking and Cycling Index that more people in Ireland’s five largest cities want to cycle and walk each day," NTA chief executive Anne Graham said.
"By encouraging people to make active travel a part of their daily journey, we can all play our part in creating a more sustainable future."
Waterford City and County Council has been delivering projects that support active travel in the Waterford Metropolitan Area for several years, most notably the hugely successful Waterford Greenway which opened in 2017, stretching nearly 50km from Waterford City to the sea-side town of Dungarvan in west County Waterford.
A new 2km section bringing the Greenway right into the city centre was completed in 2023.
Other work has included the development of segregated cycle lanes and widened footpaths, new pedestrian crossings and urban realm upgrades and the progression of a new sustainable walking and cycling bridge over the River Suir, which is currently under construction.
Waterford TD and the Green Party Spokesperson for Social Protection, Marc Ó Cathasaigh said:
"There's been huge funding made available to Waterford City and County Council in terms of walking and cycling infrastructure under this government but I'd still struggle to point you to a really high quality piece of cycling infrastructure anywhere on Waterford City's main arteries and so people don't feel safe to make the choice to get up and onto their bike"
Muireann Duffy & Dayna Kearney
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