660,000 Fewer Cars Trips Each Day As Active Travel Rises

Tuesday, 3 March 2026 10:30

By Emma O'Connor

Kildare residents among those benefiting from cycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Over 660,000 cars have been taken off the roads each day because people are walking, cycling or wheeling instead.

Research from the National Transport Authority (NTA) shows residents in Ireland's five main metropolitan areas support want more investment in cycling, even if it means taking space away from cars.

New figures show a sharp rise in people choosing bikes for everyday journeys.

The NTA says the number of Dublin adults cycling five or more days a week has increased by 50 per cent in the past two years.

Across Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, active travel is now removing an estimated 660,000 cars from the roads each day and cutting 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Meanwhile support for segregated cycle lanes is strongest in Waterford at 86 per cent, followed by Galway at 82 per cent, Cork at 73 per cent and Limerick at 69 per cent although many people still believe cycling feels less safe than other forms of transport.

It's understood, in the Greater Dublin Area - including Kildare, Meath and Wicklow - accounts for over 40% of the population, the NTA said it has spent an average of €127 million a year in the same time period and have delivered nearly 220km of pedestrian infrastructure and 255km of cycle infrastructure.