Westport Walking Wednesdays is the smarter way to travel

Westport Walking Wednesdays is the smarter way to travel


Áine Ryan

Westport Walking Wednesdays is supported by up to 80 per cent of schoolchildren at some primary schools in the town, The Mayo News has learned. The innovative initiative, in general, has been embraced by all of the primary and secondary schools, as well as by Carrowbeg College.
Green Schools Travel Education Officer, Ms Eva Gannon said yesterday that she was delighted at the level of support for the initiative, which aims to help the town in its ambitious bid in the national Smarter Travel competition.
“The  schools have really embraced the initiative. Many parents are helping this drive towards travelling in a sustainable way by parking and striding. That was clear last week with the car park at the old Portwest premises on the Castlebar Road really busy,” Eva Gannon said.
Ms Gannon also called on businesses throughout the town to support the initiative by, for example, offering small incentives to staff for walking on Wednesdays.
“Walking on Wednesdays will be promoted more widely in the coming weeks. We hope that businesses will also embrace the initiative by offering staff small incentives, even a free coffee,” she continued.
By all accounts, the high-quality upgrade of the town’s scenic old railway line walkway has already proven to be a real incentive for walkers, cyclists, joggers and even skate-boarders.
Having progressed to Stage Two of the Smarter Travel programme, Westport is now competing with ten other areas in the country for a share in the funding of up to €50 million, over five years, to transform the area into a world class Smarter Travel demonstration zone. The winners will be announced in May next. The other areas that Westport is up against are Cork city, Drimnagh in Dublin city, Dundalk, Dungarvan, Galway metropolitan area, Kilkenny city, Limerick city and Castleroy, Loughrea, Navan and Sandyford.
The Smarter Travel competition is being run by the Department of Transport.
The purpose of the competition is to help people to leave their cars at home when feasible and to opt instead to walk, cycle or use other more sustainable forms of transport, particularly for short journeys.

Park and stride locations
To facilitate the initiative, ‘Park and Stride’ locations are situated around the town. The designated ‘Park and Stride’ locations will be sign-posted. This innovative initiative also aims to ease traffic congestion in the town, and thus reduce CO2 emissions.
Both students and parents are advised to adhere to the Safe Cross Code and to keep safe while travelling.
Tesco Carpark – Ballinrobe Road
Mill Street /High Street Carpark (Top Level)
Civic Offices Car Park – Ballinrobe Road
Portwest – Castlebar Road
Carpark beside Westport Fire Station – Leenane Road

Further information
Ms Ann Moore, Town Clerk, Tel: 098 50400
Ms Eva Gannon, Green-Schools Travel Education Officer, tel 087 2471840