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Research Matters

In the Community: Engineering a recreational cycling industry

 
 

Engineers in Civil Engineering, NUI Galway, have teamed up with the National Roads Authority (NRA) to develop guidelines for the roll-out of a National Cycling Network (NCN) across Ireland. This has the potential to help rejuvenate the Irish tourism sector while opening up rural Ireland to recreational and activity based holidays.

The main aim of this study is to focus on a major route corridor in the proposed NCN – the N59 Galway to Clifden. Engineering and economic issues, such as route selection, design considerations and cost benefit analyses, will be examined. Best practice guidelines for the development of the NCN will be the end result of this work being carried out by principal investigator Dr. Eoghan Clifford and graduate student Richard Manton.

The benefits of a NCN, as proposed by the NRA, are clear. Jobs would be created in the design and construction of these cycle-ways with ongoing employment generated in maintenance and upgrade works. Local tourism industries would be developed with opportunities for cyclist friendly lodgings along the NCN. Using existing pathways such as disused railway lines (the abandoned Galway-Clifden railway, for example) and canal tow-paths could also provide commuter cyclists close to towns and cities with safe and often shorter travel routes to and from work/college.

 “It is well documented that cycling tourists in some European countries spend at least as much money, if not more, that other tourists while on holiday,” says Dr Clifford. “Ireland is world renowned for her scenery and the NCN presents an ideal opportunity to exploit our natural advantage in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.”

Fáilte Ireland recently found that in 2009, only 2 % of tourists (114,000) cycled while staying in Ireland. This figure is above 20% in Germany and the Netherlands, adding credence to the quote from a famous film: “If you build it, they will come”!

Author: Edmond O'Reilly, Postgraduate Researcher, Civil Engineering

 

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