Bike lanes help take 680,000 cars off roads in Ireland's cities

The National Transport Authority index was carried out in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick/Shannon and Waterford metropolitan areas

The National Transport Authority’s index found that cycle tracks along roads physically separated from traffic and pedestrians would encourage people to cycle more. File picture: Larry Cummins

There is strong support in Ireland's five largest cities for more segregated bike lanes even where that means less room for other traffic, a major new survey has found.

In what's been described as the biggest assessment of cycling, walking and wheeling (the use of wheeled mobility aids) ever undertaken in Ireland, the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) index published on Tuesday also shows more people would like to walk or cycle more, and shows much stronger support for more government investment in active travel infrastructure rather than on driving.