The Drogheda Cycling Group has said questions need to be answered over the allocation of €4.5 million in Active Travel funding for Louth.
The group has called on Louth County Council to provide clarity on how the funding, recently allocated by the National Transport Authority, will be used for Active Travel improvements across the county.
Chairperson Noel Hogan said the announcement had raised concerns, particularly after comments from within the council itself.
“This week saw the announcement that €4.5 million will be allocated from the NTA for Active Travel improvements in Louth. According to the council’s own Director of Services, David Jones, this represents a funding cut and is disappointing,” he said.
“We are asking the council to clarify how this reduction will impact the development of Active Travel improvements in Drogheda. Significant funding has already been spent on planning these routes and many are now close to being ready for construction. The most cost effective option would be to fund the construction of these routes immediately rather than continuing to delay them. Further delays will only increase costs due to inflation.”
The Drogheda Cycling Group has called on Louth County Council to be open with the public and answer a number of questions regarding the funding.
They are asking which Active Travel schemes in Louth are being prioritised in light of the reduced funding and which projects are being delayed. They also want to know when construction is expected to begin on any delayed schemes and whether the council has received an explanation from the NTA regarding the funding shortfall this year.
