Following the success of Westport Walks Wednesdays, all eight schools in Castlebar are collaborating to encourage pupils, parents, and teachers to travel to school in a sustainable manner. Parents, pupils, teachers and staff may walk, cycle, carpool, or take the bus or train. The launch of CWW will take place on No Emissions Day, Wednesday September 21, European Mobility Week.
Traffic congestion around Castlebar has been an issue for all commuters on a daily basis for many years now. The majority of this congestion is due to the large number of parents, buses, and taxis dropping and collecting children at peak times during school opening and closing hours causing traffic problems throughout the town.
Research from one Castlebar school highlighted that 60 per cent of its population live less than a 10 minute walk from school.
Green-Schools Travel, Smart Travel Castlebar, and Mayo County Council are working with several schools to rectify this issue. The aim of this project is to encourage students to get to school in ways other than via the private car (ie, walking, cycling, etc ). One aspect is to establish Park ‘n’ Stride facilities throughout the town. This initiative entails parents parking their cars in nominated car parks away from the school for a short period of time while they walk to and from the school with their children. This also involves independent walking whereby children are dropped off at the parking location and then walk independently of their parents/guardians to school. This will relieve traffic directly in front of school gates and ease congestion.
Park ‘n’ Stride locations are Aldi carpark, the Sacred Heart Home carpark, Mayo Movie World carpark, Fire Station carpark - access via John Moore Road only, EPA carpark, Castle Street carpark.
Castlebar Walks Wednesdays will take place once a month as follows: Wednesday, September 21; Wednesday, October 12; Wednesday, November 16; and Wednesday, December 14.
