Pathfinder Review  Background Following the Minister’s call to Local Authorities (LAs) for pathfinder proposals at end July, the department received 55 applications, including at least one from every LA. These proposals were of varying scale, ambition and alignment with the priorities of the SMP. Many of these proposals fell broadly within the following areas: 10/15 minute towns, public realm enhancement/active travel infrastructure, cycling network development, transport nodes/mobility hubs, community transport/engagement schemes and Safe Route to Schools.  Assessment Process An assessment team was established consisting of officials from this department, D/HLGH and NTA, essentially a sub-group of the Delivery Team.  Each member individually considered all applications (in advance of meeting as a group), from the perspective of delivery timelines, funding status, range/location of proposals, as well as their overall suitability for the programme in terms of policy alignment, level of ambition, and capacity to offer a new approach to addressing shared sustainable mobility challenges.     An initial assessment of the applications were considered on Monday 19 September. Each application was discussed in turn by the sub-group and then categorised, based on information to hand or available to group members, according to a “traffic light” system on the basis of the criteria set out above.  It was agreed by the sub-group that further information was needed on a significant proportion of applications, particularly in relation to costs and funding status. In some instances, more detailed information was sought on timelines for completion. Following engagement with LAs, a further meeting of the sub-group took place on Thursday 22 September.  Arising from the above, Table 1 represents the list of projects that the assessment team considered most suitable (at this point in time) for inclusion in the pathfinder programme.  Table 2 represents projects that were of good quality but warrant further discussion from the perspective of funding, delivery, and alignment to overall objectives.

Table 1: Proposed Pathfinders No. Project Location Funding (Y/N/P) Funding Shortfall Tranche (1,2,3,LA) Planning requirements Cycle Network/Corridor Proposals  1. Cycle Connects GDA Y  1 (already approved) Not specified 2. Wexford Cycle Network Wexford Y  LA Part VIII 3. Longford Cycle Network Longford Y  LA Part VIII (2/3 already approved) 4. AT corridor from Carraroe, Sligo Town and Sligo TU (combination of two proposals) 
Sligo Y  LA Part VIII 
5.  Inter-Urban Demonstrator (NCN Link between Cork and Waterford) 
Cork/Waterford Y  1 (already approved) Not specified 
6. Rural Cycleway Rapid Deployment – Navan to Trim Meath N €2.5m LA s.38 
7. Dundalk Regional Road Cycleway Louth Y   Part VIII Active Travel/Public Realm/10-15 Min Towns  8. 5 Cities A/T Demonstrators, incl D24 Neighbourhood Cycle Network (and Castletymon), Limerick Metropolitan Area/3 University Links, Galway Bus Connects, DLR 10-min town, and DCC Study and College Green 
5 Cities Y  1 (already approved) Varied – likely to mostly be Part VIII  BusConnects - ABP 
9. Pedestrianisation of Capel Street ???????? Dublin Y  LA s.38 
10. Re-allocation of road space for walking and cycling infrastructure - Letterkenny 
Donegal Y  LA Not specified 
11. Lismore Park - Making a city centre residential area more permeable. 
Waterford Y  LA Part VIII 
Servicing Schools/Universities

12. Safe Routes to Schools Programme - Acceleration Nationwide Y  1 (already approved) Not specified 
13. Rathmullan Rd & Marley’s Lane, Drogheda Louth Y  LA Part VIII 
14. Hanover to Tyndall AT Route to TU Carlow Y  LA Part VIII 15. BusIT2School – Working with schools and community to encourage use of town bus services instead of cars 
Meath N €250k LA N/A 
Engagement/Research  16. Smart and Sustainable Mobility Training Workshops (Maintenance Issue) 
Nationwide Y  1 (already approved) N/A 
17. Pilot to integrate locallink service, hackney and community ebike scheme 
Leitrim N €146k LA N/A 
18. Research and pilot to trial carpooling among large employers 
Leitrim N €75k LA N/A 
19. Dingle Integrated Community-Based Sustainable Mobility for Rural Ireland 
Kerry Y  1 (already approved) Not specified 
Electrification  20. Athlone Bus Service Electrification Westmeath Y  1 (already approved) N/A 21. ebike charging docks Sligo N €40k LA Not specified Workplace/Commercial  22. Workplace Mobility Hubs – 4 Dublin LAs Dublin Y  1 (already approved) N/A 23. Smarter Travel Mark/Award  Nationwide Y  1 (already approved) N/A 
24. Last Mile Delivery Dublin Y  1 (already approved) Not specified Public Transport  25. Moyross Train Station Limerick Y   ABP  Table 2: Pathfinders for Further Discussion No. Project Location Funding (Y/N/P) Funding Shortfall Tranche (1,2,3,LA) Planning reqs

1. 10/15 min town, Ennis (Phase 1) Clare N €9.5m LA Many elements, generally Part VIII or s.38 2. Clonmel 10 min town Tipperary N €17.5m LA Approved 3. Athlone Cycle Corridor, linking TU with Centre Westmeath N €5.6m LA Not specified 4. Mullingar Cycle Corridor with links to DG Greenway Westmeath    Not specified 5. Kerry Pathfinders? Kerry N €8.5m (for all four towns) 
LA Not specified 
6. Kildare (Naas Town Centre) Kildare N ? LA Part VIII 7. Abbeyfeale Town Revitalisation??? Limerick N €9.5m LA Part VIII 8.  Portarlington? Laois N ? LA Part VIII 9. Cobh Town Centre (Phase 1) Cork N €7.5m LA Approved 10. Extension of Cavan Greenway into Town Cavan N €5.3m LA Part VIII 11. EuroVelo route enhancements (could be shortened)? Cork  N €16m  LA Part VIII 
12. Castlebar Cycleway Mayo N €9.8m LA Part VIII 13. Waterford Station/AT Bridge  P  ? ABP  Table 3: Proposals that require further Development/Refinement  (not for inclusion in current Pathfinder) No. Project Location Funding (Y/N/P) Funding Shortfall Tranche (1,2,3,LA) 1. AT in Cork/Kerry Higher ed institutions Cork/ Kerry N  3 2. Road maintenance  Nationwide    3. Ennis?     4. Nenagh?     5.      6.      7.      8.       9.      10.        Leadership Group Support As part of the call for proposals, and included in the template for return, was an opportunity to describe how the Leadership Group might support LAs.  There was a good response in this context,

with many seeking assistance on engagement/communications with the general public and interested parties to raise awareness about national and regional policies such as the ‘Climate Action Plan’, ‘Sustainable Mobility Policy’ ‘Town Centre First’ and ’10 Minute City Concept’ so that they can better understand that LA schemes are part of an overall strategy.   LG support was also sought around best practice guidelines, and the provision/sharing of information on similar type of projects within working groups.  One LA called for an exchange of best practice in the pedestrian experience, and another called for guidelines on how Section 38 of the Roads Act 1994 should be used where space is to be reclaimed from traffic.  Other LAs were seeking particular help/support e.g. to define/populate a baseline report for the existing town centre, to explore a shared bike scheme or to establish a local bus service.  One particular LA sought continuous engagement with NTA Active Travel teams to provide immediate instruction/detail relating to the proposed, and speedy determinations on gateway approvals under the Project Approval Guidelines (PAGs). In addition, they asked that TII representatives’ have availability to ensure internal compliance, particularly those relating to traffic safety, along the proposed routes sharing a carriageway with a national road.   Further work is required to distil all the information received in this context.  This will be complied, in full, in the coming weeks and will be available for consideration at workshops.