Getting started – tips and advice for active travel

Substitute one journey you usually make by car or public transport with walking or cycling. If the journey is too long, try combining walking or cycling for part of it. Use Park & Ride facilities or get off the train or bus at an earlier stop.

• If you normally drive your children to school, try to cycle or walk the route together.
• If you’re new to cycling, start with a recreational cycle when you have time and aren’t in a hurry.
• If you’re cycling somewhere for the first time, doing a test run in advance can help take the stress out of the journey. You’ll get a realistic idea of how long the journey will take you and have an opportunity to find the nearest places for bike parking.
• Download a pedometer or use a step counter to keep track of your daily steps. Set yourself a goal or target and build on this each week.
• Walking or cycling as part of your commute to work or to run errands e.g. go to the shop, can help you achieve your recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity – a great option if you struggle to find time during your day to exercise.
• To plan a journey, we recommend using one of two online route planners: Transport for Ireland journey planner and Moovit. The Transport for Ireland planner is provided by the government and is very comprehensive in nature, covering all transport modes. The Moovit planner is a third-party service.
• Use the 2km from home radius tool – places within your 2km radius are walkable. Walking 2km takes about 20 minutes. Pick our 1 or 2 places in your 2km radius to walk to instead of driving.
• Use the 5km from home radius tool as a guide for journeys that are doable by bike – cycling 5km takes 20-30 minutes
• Visit Transport for Irelands website for up to date information on public transport 
• Download Transport for Ireland’s (TFI) Real Time App from the App Store or Google Play which provides real time information services for public transport.
• Buy some good rainproof gear and pack it for your Journey.

Incentives for active travel

• Cycle to Work Scheme: the scheme allows discounts of up to 51% on a bicycle and accessories of up to €1,250 for a pedal push bicycle and €1,500 for an electric bike. Your employer pays the retailer and deducts payments from your wages over 12 months. See the Cycle to Work scheme website for more information.
• Tax saver public transport tickets: the Taxsaver scheme allows workers to save up to 52% on monthly or annual transport tickets. See the Taxsaver website for more information.
• Workplace incentives: some workplaces have their own incentives and supports for encouraging staff to walk or cycle. Find out what supports your workplace offers.  

It doesn't rain as much as you might think! 

Recent Research from An Taisce as part of the Safe Routes to School Programme for the period 2021 to 2023 showed that it didn’t rain at all during 85.1% of the 2730 commute hours.

More Information on Meath's Weather Data collated by An Taisce can be found below.

How to Keep Dry if it Rains

What the Council are doing to promote Active and Sustainable Travel?

Meath County Council is working to build Active Travel into everyday life as part of normal daily routines.

• We are committed to making sustainable travel an attractive, realistic choice for journeys in Meath.
• We promote sustainable transport options, active travel (walking and cycling) and encourage the switch to alternatively fueled vehicles.

This will help to improve air quality, reduce congestion on the roads, and help promote health and wellbeing in the County. 'According to SEAI Transport accounted for 20.4% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2019'. We are investing in infrastructure and initiatives designed to promote Active Travel. According to the CSO’s 2019 National Travel Survey more than 29% of car journeys are less than 2km.

In 2021, Meath County Council established a dedicated Active Travel Office, with funding from the National Transport Authority, who will have responsibility for transforming Meath’s cycling and walking network. Through this partnership with the NTA we will deliver a high-quality, accessible and connected network of cycleways and pedestrian routes in addition to providing for sustainable transport solutions to promote active travel.

An allocation of €13,910,000 was made to Meath County Council in 2022 by the National Transport Authority in relation to sustainable transport projects including Navan 2030, delivery of the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, cycling networks/ greenways, pedestrian schemes, bus stop improvements, safe routes to schools, cycle parking, public realm improvements, accessibility improvements and other works.

A list of the projects funded under the NTA's 2022 Active Travel programme is available below.   The schemes prioritise healthier, more sustainable forms of travel, allowing people to access local services more easily and better enjoy the spaces around them, as well as encouraging people to maintain smarter, healthier travel habits over the long term.  Many of the schemes are at the concept stage and require further assessment, evaluation and study before they can be considered ready for construction, but the list does provide a useful starting point for schemes planned in Meath.  

This page will continue to be updated as these projects progress.

Part 8's

When Meath County Council proposes to carry out certain types of works such as roads, housing or other infrastructure it must publish its proposals (Part 8’s). Please see the Part 8’s below relating to Active Travel.

P8 22023 – Kiosk Building – Kennedy Plaza

P8 22021 – Navan Cycle Scheme R147 – Poolboy to Kells Road

P8 22014 – Traffic Management Scheme – Convent Road, Athlumney

P8 22011 – Navan Cycle Scheme R147 – Marth’s Bridge to Circular Road

P8 22002 – Bus Stop Facility Athboy

P8 21005 – Donacarney Footpath Cycleway Scheme

P8 20015 – N51 Park & Ride Facility

Full details of Part 8's