Richard Manton

Carbon costs and savings of Greenways: creating a balance sheet for the sustainable design and construction of cycling routes

This research was funded by NUI Galway through the College of Engineering & Informatics Postgraduate Fellowship Scheme and by NUI Galway Students’ Union through the Explore Innovation Initiative.

Greenways as a tourism resource: a study of user spending and value

ABSTRACT Cycling is increasingly recognized as a key tool in improving transport sustainability, promoting increased physical activity and improved public health and developing the tourism sector. While the provision of safe and attractive cycling routes is an important part of encouraging uptake of cycling, national and local government budgetary constraints demand that infrastructural investment must demonstrate return on investment. Greenways, fast becoming a feature of the landscape as traffic-free routes for walking and cycling, with an emphasis on recreation and tourism, are receiving significant investment. However, there is a lack of information on the economic impact of greenway investments internationally. This study of international greenway users (n = 1,125) finds that the average spend per greenway user per day is €47, with accommodation and food & drink accounting for the largest proportions. Based on the estimation of a Travel Cost Model, the value of greenway recreation to cyclists is examined. The results indicate that the consumer surplus retained by greenway users is €77 or 83% of the total value. However, opposition to direct payment for greenway use illustrates users’ conceptualization of greenways as a public recreational resource. Drawing on Irish experience, the paper discusses the importance of greenway planning to unlock their full benefits for the economy, environment and society.

Attitudes and approaches of Irish retrofit industry professionals towards achieving nearly zero-energy buildings

The authors gratefully acknowledge all the participants of the survey, workshop and interviews and also Science Foundation Ireland for the funding support through the Career Development Award Programme (Grant No. 13/CDA/2200).

Spokes or strokes? Clientelism and cycling funding in Ireland

ABSTRACT Clientelism, pork-barrel politics and ‘pulling a stroke’ are important topics in Irish political science, and growing evidence demonstrates that Irish government ministers deliver disproportionate capital investments for their constituencies in grant allocations. Smarter Travel, a new policy area in the sustainability agenda, began providing capital funding for cycling projects in 2012 and offers a study of clientelism in a new field. This article shows that in 2012 and 2014, the Minister with responsibility for commuter and public transport overruled civil servant recommendations to fund four cycling-based projects in his own constituency and in another constituency immediately prior to a Dáil by-election. The allocation of €27 million in National Cycle Network and Active Travel Towns funding is examined using Freedom of Information requests and the role of the Minister is highlighted. This study of pork in a new field reveals some of the dynamics between the civil service and a government minister and suggests a process of manipulating funding schemes to deliver largesse. Clientelism and the consequent distortion of funding objectives are shown to be in conflict with the effective implementation of cycling policies.

Use of carbon calculation tools for sustainable cycle network design

This research was commissioned through the National Roads Authority (Ireland) Research Programme and is funded by the National Sustainable Transport Office at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (Ireland) and the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway.