More children should walk to town schools

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN SEVEN out of every ten primary school children in Co Galway are driven to school, according to the latest Census figures. The statistics highlight the increasing reliance on motor transport in the county and the reduction in numbers walking, cycling and using public transport for commuting to work or travelling to school. However a plan to encourage more children to walk to school aims to have nearly half of all students attending national and secondary schools in Tuam town walking to school, within a few years. Figures show that in Tuam more than 80 per cent of children aged between five and 12 years live within four km of school, yet fewer than one in three children attending national schools in Tuam go on foot. Despite so many children living close to their schools the majority are driven to school. In Tuam, 90 per cent of second-level students live within nine km of their school. While there are more secondary school students walking to school in Tuam (51 per cent) there are still similar numbers being driven in cars, with less than one per cent choosing the option of cycling to school. Less than nine per cent of secondary students in Tuam travel to school by bus. Significantly fewer children walk to school in Co Galway or city than they do nationally and more children are driven to school in Co Galway than is the case nationally. Census figures reveal that in 1986 nearly half of all national school pupils walked or cycled to school and this dropped to 25 per cent by 2006.[/private] Efforts to boost the numbers walking to school in Tuam and other towns around the county is part of Galway Co Council's â€ËœWalking and Cycling Strategy Report' which has reviewed the current walking and cycling facilities within the county and examines the possible options for improving them. It aims to encourage a shift from cars to sustainable travel and to improve walking and cycling facilities for local people. The Council notes that the increase in car ownership, better roads and increased car speeds have led to a view that our roads network is unsafe for students and workers to cycle and walk to school/work. Specific targets have been developed for Tuam and Ballinasloe and in Tuam the aim is to have about half of all children walking to school and to increase the number who cycle to school to ten per cent. 30 kph limit proposed for town centre One of the improvement measures suggested in the plan is making the Square in Tuam more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists by introducing raised speed bumps with controlled crossings or zebra crossings. More trees should be planted and extra bike-parking facilities should be introduced. Among the traffic calming suggestions for the town centre in the report is the implementation of a 30 kph speed limit in areas such as Bishop Street, Shop Street, High Street and Vicar Street, which are too narrow to have dedicated cycle paths. Further pedestrian crossings and speed ramps could be put in place as part of an overall town enhancement scheme. The draft report also looks at the possibility of developing cycle and walking tracks around the town such as on the Bobby Burke Road (N83), Kilcloghans and the Ballygaddy Road loop that is already used as a popular walking route. The proposed works would involve localised widening, increased public lighting and footpath construction. Also existing hard shoulders could be re-marked as dedicated walking/cycling lanes. An inner town cycling-walking loop is also suggested in the report, which would involved the creation of a cycling and walking loop incorporating Dublin Road, High Street and around the banks of the Nanny River. The path would then potentially come through Church lands to link back up with the Dublin Road. This proposal has been partially identified in the Tuam Local Area Plan. This is a key proposal, which would pick up all the town's schools and, in tandem with other cycle and walking tracks, would encourage more national and secondary students to cycle and walk to school. Most of this loop would utilise existing public roads and walkways. However the section from Bishop Street along the banks of the river Nanny and through Church lands to connect woth the Dublin Road would involve the purchase and development of private lands. Submissions on the preliminary draft report can be made to the Council until January 17.[private]