By Sean Moriarty

Steps to make Killarney a '10 Minute Town' took another move closer to reality this week after over €1m in funding was announced for various projects.

These include the construction of a network of cycleways in four different locations across the town.

Last October it was announced that Killarney was one of 35 approved ‘Pathfinder’ projects in 19 different counties across the country.

‘Pathfinder’ projects are designed to transform public transport, walking, and cycling, including the reallocation of road space from cars to cyclists and pedestrians.

The idea is that every necessary service in the town will be accessible within 10 minutes and that cycling and walking will take more precedence over driving in the future.

This ties in with the ambitious cycle infrastructure project unveiled by Kerry County Council in February 2021.

Under this plan, it was revealed that Kerry County Council is to build four new dedicated cycle lanes in the town.

The funding will go towards a cycleway to and from the Cleeney Roundabout along Rock Road, a cycleway linking Fitzgerald Stadium and Lewis Road with the town centre.

A similar project on Park Road will eventually link Killarney Sports Centre with the town via a cycleway in the Deerpark area close to the Gael Scoil (as per the map and not via Pinewood Estate as stated, in error, in our print edition).

These new projects will link with existing cycle lanes in the town, including Muckross Road, which is subject to a separate funding upgrade by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the already opened Flesk Way project.

FUNDS

This week the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, confirmed that the National Transport Authority (NTA) has allocated funds to Ireland’s local authorities with a view to spending €290m on walking and cycling infrastructure in 2023.

The Rock Road section has been allocated the largest amount of money and will get €783,000 under two separate strands of this funding.

The Park Road/Deerpark links will get €180,000 under three different allocations.

“I wish to welcome the announcement by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD of €2,350,000 for 27 projects in Kerry under the Active Travel Scheme,” said local Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin.

“This is very welcome funding which will help develop safer walking and cycling routes in Kerry.”

In addition to the cycleway projects, other traffic-related issues in the town and surrounding areas will be addressed under this funding scheme.

This includes €5,000 for Fossa and €15,000 for Ballydribbeen.

The Ballydribbeen funding ties in with a separate project aimed at both reducing traffic congestion from Madam’s Hill to Cleeney Roundabout and a footpath linking the same two areas to allow Aghadoe residents to walk into town.