The Southern Regional Assembly welcomes the launch by the Department of Transport of transformative “Pathfinder” sustainable transport projects across the Southern Region, a key initiative under the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP). The Assembly is an active stakeholder in the SMP Leadership Team and Delivery Team. Launched on the 17th of October 2022, Pathfinder projects will demonstrate sustainable travel actions which can be replicated and scaled up under national, regional and local goals for Sustainable Mobility under the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES). The 35 Pathfinder projects will deliver on the SMP principles for Safe and Green Mobility, People Focused Mobility and Better Integrated Mobility. The projects will demonstrate actions in cities, towns and rural areas that will increase daily active travel, to create healthier communities, improve quality of life and lower carbon emissions from vehicular transport.
As part of Pathfinder No. 30 “Smart and Sustainable Mobility Training Workshops”, the three Regional Assemblies – Southern Regional Assembly, Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and North Western Regional Assembly are leading in example to deliver a training, education and capacity building workshop programme to assist local authorities and their stakeholders to design and implement smart and sustainable mobility projects. The activity will build a consortium of smart and sustainable mobility specialists with experience across research, training, education, behaviour change initiatives, active travel data analysis and project delivery.
The training will enable our local authorities and local communities to collaborate on delivering successful smart and sustainable mobility projects at local level in each Region, communicate the benefits of sustainable mobility projects and change our approach to sustainable travel. The initiative will significantly advance implementation of objectives under the RSES for the Southern Region on low carbon transport and sustainable mobility, and progress priorities for a Greener, Creative and Innovative, Liveable and Smart Region.Smart and Sustainable Mobility Training Workshops will start in early 2023 and the Regional Assemblies will update our stakeholders on its progress.
The Assembly strongly supports the first wave of Pathfinder projects announced in the Southern Region as regional exemplars, which include:
Cycle Connects, Cork-Waterford Cycle Route, Wexford Cycle Network, Waterford Cycle Backbone, East Cork Sustainability Corridor, Myross Train Station, Waterford North Quays, Dingle Community Based Sustainable Mobility for Rural Ireland, Lismore Park Waterford, Clonmel 10 Minute Town, Killarney 10 Minute Town, Safe Routes to School Acceleration, Carlow Hanover to Tyndall Active Travel Route to SETU, Limerick City University Connectivity.
The Assembly has been leading the increase in active travel across the Southern Region through the 10–15-minute towns and cities concept in which people can live and access most of their daily needs within a short and convenient journey by public transport, cycling and walking.