In 2019, with the assistance of parliamentary questions by TDs of all parties as well as independents, Cyclist.ie estimated that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) spent 1.4% of its capital budget on cycling in 2018. This article carries the results of a similar exercise for 2019 funding. Again it focuses on the DTTAS and ignores the funding of cycling by other government departments such as the Departments of Health or Education.
DTTAS funding for cycling is generally provided under the heading of Land Transport but additional funding for cycling (greenways) was also provided under the heading of Tourism.
The principal source of data for Land Transport funding was the National Transport Authority (NTA) 2019 Annual Report Sustainable Transport Measures Grant. The NTA lists all scheme according to the implementing local authority or other recipient. Some of their schemes are cycle only, while others are for more than one mode of transport. The proportion allocated to cycling was estimated on the basis set out in the following table:
The main categories of multi-mode projects were – greenways, shared paths, shared space and BusConnects. Greenways and shared paths were divided on the basis of 50:50 expenditure while shared space was divided on the basis of 331/3 : 331/3 : 331/3 . BusConnects was more problematic as its proportion of cycling can vary significantly. However, it was decided to proportion 10% of funding for cycling for a number of reasons. In particular, the primary objective was the need to reorganise the bus service but It was considered reasonable that a proportion should be allocated to cycling as the project includes segregated cycle facilities. It was decided to proportion 10% for cycling as that was the 2009 government target for cycling. There are grounds for arguing that 10% is too high and other arguments that 10% is too low but as BusConnects is a new project, it was decided that 10% was reasonable until its outcome in terms of provision of quality cycling infrastructure is clearer.
The NTA reported that in 2019 total expenditure on sustainable transport schemes was €39.6 million. Each NTA scheme was considered in turn and the appropriate percentage was applied in accordance with the type of scheme. In this way, NTA expenditure on cycling was estimated at €17.9 million or 45% of NTA STMG grants. Tourism allocated €9.8 million to greenways, of which €4.9 million was deemed to be for cycling. Other cycling related spending by the DTTAS and NTA at €1 million included Cycle Right and Bikeweek, and was assumed to be 100% cycling related. Green Schools spending, with a budget of €2 million, was assumed to be 331/3% cycling related. Combining Land Transport and Tourism funding, total DTTAS expenditure on cycling in 2019 was estimated at €24.48 million.
The total Land Transport capital expenditure for 2019 was €1493 million. In calculating the appropriate amount, this figure was increased to take into account the Tourism expenditure on greenways so the overall total figure for expenditure by the DTTAS was €1,503 million. On this basis, the estimated proportion of DTTAS expenditure on cycling increased in 2019 from approximately 1.3% to 1.6% – a modest increase, which with ex-Minister Ross’s record, should surprise no-one.
APPENDIX 1 ESTIMATE OF CYCLING RELATED NTA GRANT
| Ref | Grant Recipient | NTA Grant | Cycling Related NTA Grant | % Cycling related/NTA Grant |
| CCC/ | Cork City Council | €6,808,976 | €3,048,419 | 44.8% |
| CCO/ | Cork County Council | €1,327,678 | €138,104 | 10.4% |
| DDC | Total | €15,956,908 | €7,929,682 | 49.7% |
| DCU | DCU Cycle Parking | €62,104 | €62,104 | 1 |
| DLRCC | Dun Laoghaire Rathdown | €1,413,278 | €956,874 | 67.7% |
| FCC | Fingal County Council | €2,292,155 | €1,143,944 | 49.9% |
| GCC | Galway County Council | €620,140 | €280,757 | 45.3% |
| KCC | Kildare County Council | €728,138 | €380,136 | 52.2% |
| LCCC | Limerick City & County Council | €3,327,944 | €1,290,217 | 38.8% |
| MCC | Meath Coiunty Council | €2,650,571 | €245,323 | 9.3% |
| NTA Regional Bikes Capital Costs | Capital Costs | €309,854 | €309,854 | |
| SDCC | South Dublin County Council | €1,758,660 | €1,174,077 | 66.8% |
| An Taisce | Greenschools Cycle & scooter parking | €124,617 | €62,309 | 50.0% |
| UCD | Ped Cycle facility | €119,884 | €59,942 | 50.0% |
| WCC | Wicklow County Council | €399,077 | €138,974 | 34.8% |
| WDCC | Waterford City and County Council | €1,722,907 | €701,068 | 40.7% |
| Grand Total | €39,622,891 | €17,921,782 | 45.2% |
APPENDIX 2 SUMMARY OF DTTAS EXPENDITURE ON CYCLING
| Year | 2018 | 2019 |
| Gross Voted Capital* €000s | ||
| DTTAS – Dept Total Gross Voted Capital | €2,005,308 | €2,343,869 |
| DTTAS – Land Transport Total Gross Voted Expenditure | €1,660,507 | €1,934,981 |
| DTTAS – Total Land Transport Gross Voted Capital | €1,242,591 | €1,493,523 |
| DTTAS – Tourism Greenways Gross Voted Capital | €3,255,000 | €9,798,000 |
| DTTAS – Total Land Transport+Greenways Gross Voted Capital | €1,245,846 | €1,503,321 |
| * Source Databank | ||
| NTA Expenditure on Cycling | ||
| NTA Annual Expenditure STMG | €34,700 | €39,622 |
| % Cycling | 45.2% | |
| NTA Cycling Expenditure | €17,921 | |
| Walk/Cycle | €21,600 | (€26,850) |
| Bus | €4,100 | (€2,600) |
| Traffic Management | €6,900 | (€7,480) |
| Alternative Estimate of NTA Expenditure on Cycling* | €13,205 | |
| *Note – NTA expenditure on cycling was calculated differently in 2018 and 2019. | ||
| Other DTTAS/NTA Expenditure | ||
| Cycle Right/Bikeweek | €1,000 | €1,000 |
| Green Schools | €2,000 | €2,000 |
| Greenways | €3,255 | €9,798 |
| Other DTTAS/NTA Expenditure | €3,288 | €6,559 |
| Total DTTAS Expenditure on Cycling | €16,492 | €24,480 |
| % Total DTTAS Expenditure on Cycling* | 1.3% | 1.6% |
Maynooth Cycling Campaign 