At a recent meeting of Athlone Area Committee Cllr Frankie Keena raised a motion for the council to provide dedicated cycling routes in Athlone plus bicycles for the public to rent.
In moving his motion Cllr Keena said that this initiative was at an advanced stage in Mullingar where Westmeath County Council sourced money from the Department of Transport to provide dedicated cycling routes throughout the town and also by the canal.
“I now want the council to move on this cycling project for Athlone. Not only will it encourage a more healthier lifestyle but it will also entice people to leave their cars at home and cycle instead,” he said.
Cllr Keena also suggested that the council should provide a number of bicycles for rent similar to the initiative by Dublin City Council. “This will be a major extra for tourists and locals in Athlone where they can rent a bicycle and use a dedicated cycling route around the town and its environs,” he explained.
The council agreed to undertake works to map the best cycling route for the town so that they would be ready to apply for any funding through the Smarter Travel Project under the Department of Transport.
