We at Safe Routes to School are delighted to announce the launch of Round 4 of the programme!
This means that 105 additional schools have been accepted onto the most recent round which aims to improve safety for thousands of students walking, wheeling and cycling to school. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien TD and Minister of State Emer Higgins, along with the National Transport Authority and Safe Routes to School, were in attendance to launch Round 4 of the SRTS programme.
Since its launch in 2021, the SRTS programme has grown significantly with 526 schools now actively incorporated into the programme. Tangible progress has been made in every city and county in the country, giving more families the option to choose active travel for at least part of the school journey.
“The way we move around our towns and cities needs to change and our reliance on private car use, particularly for our shorter journeys, must decrease. At its core, this programme is about making school environments safer by reducing traffic speeds and improving how children interact with the road.The default choice of many is to travel to work or school by car, but with the provision of infrastructure through the Safe Routes to School Programme, walking, wheeling and cycling should become a viable option for much of the school community and will give people the option to leave the car at home[…]” – Minister of State Sean Canney
The SRTS programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and co-ordinated by the Education and Community Action Team at An Taisce. The 105 additional schools which cover every county across the country will now be brought into the SRTS programme to begin delivering safer environments for children as they walk, wheel or cycle to school. These improvements include School Zone features such as pencil shaped bollards, colourful road markings, upgraded footpaths, and enhanced pedestrian crossings, designed to slow traffic and make walking and cycling safer for students. The programme aims include improving safety and public health while reducing car congestion and supporting climate goals.
“We at Safe Routes to School are incredibly proud to announce the acceptance of 105 additional schools onto Round 4 of the programme. Since the launch of the SRTS programme in 2021, schools and local authorities have put in a huge amount of work to make the decision towards active travel easier for staff, students, parents and guardians nationwide. SRTS are delighted to facilitate this movement towards a modal shift and look forward to working with them to make it happen.” – Thomas Connell, Programme Manager of Safe Routes to School
The programme works closely with school communities, parents and local authorities to ensure that proposed measures reflect local needs and gain broad support through community engagement. Almost half of participating schools have reached an advanced stage, with 227 projects either completed, under construction or in the final design phase following public consultation.
“I am delighted to see the Safe Routes to School Programme continuing to advance at pace. This nationwide investment in walking and cycling infrastructure not only strengthens the safety of our students but also encourages lifelong habits of sustainable travel. The benefits—better health, safer journeys, lower emissions, and reduced congestion—are already evident in schools where improvements have been delivered[…]” – Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien
Round 4 also includes schools located on higher-speed rural roads. Similar to the 65 schools in Round 3, the 12 schools in this category will benefit from tailored measures such as prominent signage and road markings to alert motorists and encourage lower speeds. This follows successful trials in Galway, Roscommon and Donegal, which recorded speed reductions near the schools involved.