South Dublin County Council (SDCC) came into existence on 1 January 1994, as one of three successor counties to County Dublin. The county stretches over dense suburbs and unpopulated mountains, over an area of 222.74 square kilometres. It is the third largest local authority in Ireland with a population of just over 300,000 inhabitants.

Travel data presented in the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028 indicates that the majority of trips are taken by private motorised transport (62%), while cycling accounts for 5% and walking for 13%. The remaining 20% of trips are taken by public transport; 17% by bus and 3% by rail. The plan outlines the target mode share for SDCC as 10% cycling, 15% walking, 25% public transport (20% bus, 5% rail) and a reduction of private motorized transport to 50%.

Source: South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028, Chapter 7 Sustainable Movement

SDCC, through its Active Travel programme, pursues the development and delivery of high-quality walking and cycling facilities for use by people of all ages. The programme is informed by the recent Dublin Metropolitan Walking & Cycling Study 2023, which – among other topics - quantifies the significant health and economic benefits of cycling for residents and the local economy. Notably, cycling in Dublin Metropolitan Area prevents 476 serious long-term health conditions and 42 early deaths annually. Furthermore, the net annual economic benefit from all cycling trips is €311.4 million, of which €162.1 million per year is people with a car choosing to cycle for transport. The cornerstone of SDCC’s commitment to active travel is the Cycle South Dublin programme, co-funded by the Council, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the central government.

Cycle South Dublin is an ambitious programme launched in 2021 to establish cycling as a realistic and integral part of the county’s mobility ecosystem. Through the programme, the Council’s mission is to provide people of all ages and abilities with a well-connected, well-designed, and safe cycle network as a credible alternative to car use while improving the county's cycling identity.

The programme proposes a set of 45 routes, which will deliver approximately 263 kilometres of new and improved cycle lanes over the next ten years. These are divided into cycle infrastructure projects on existing infrastructure (EXISTING – depicted as green in the infographic below), and projects to be progressed over the next 2 (NOW – depicted as red), 5 (SOON – depicted as purple) and 8 (LATER – depicted as orange) years.

Source: Cycle South Dublin Brochure

Projects already completed since the launch of the Cycle South Dublin programme include the:

• D24 Neighbourhood Cycle Network, an interim cycle scheme for quick implementation of a comprehensive and connected network in the D24 area, linking schools, communities, and other amenities. This was the largest neighbourhood cycle scheme in the country, connecting existing cycle facilities and building approximately 11 km of protected lanes. The scheme is estimated to serve 46,000 people living within 500m of the completed network. A short video is available on this project: ​

• Dodder Greenway, which is envisaged to be over 17km long, connecting Dublin City Centre to South County Dublin. It is part of an overall vision to link Dublin City Centre to the Dublin Mountains. The greenway promises to cater to both commuting and social cyclists, representing a new transport and recreational facility for Dublin. Walking and cycling routes, as well as bridges, have already been completed.

Photo source: South Dublin County Council

In addition to the Cycle South Dublin Programme, South Dublin County Council is delivering a significant programme of works on routes to school in partnership with the National Transport Authority of Ireland and the Safe Routes to School Programme, managed through An Taisce. Details of the programme can be found online.