Two Wicklow primary schools have been added to Ireland’s Safe Routes to School programme, extending a national initiative designed to make journeys to school safer while encouraging more children to walk, cycle and scoot.

St Laurence O’Toole’s National School in Roundwood and Greystones Community National School are among 83 schools selected in the programme’s latest expansion, announced by the National Transport Authority (NTA) on 8 October. The addition brings the total number of participating schools nationwide to 609. The Irish Independent reported the Wicklow developments on 11 October, highlighting both the new selections and the progress of existing schemes across the county.

The Safe Routes to School programme was established in partnership with the NTA and An Taisce’s Green-Schools programme in 2021. It works with local authorities, schools and communities to improve access routes and conditions outside school gates. Measures can include upgraded footpaths, pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming infrastructure, school-zone treatments and improved cycling facilities. The NTA’s programme overview outlines how these interventions are intended to make school journeys safer and more accessible.

For Health & Safety professionals, the initiative highlights the importance of managing risks beyond the boundaries of individual buildings. Congestion, vehicle movements and limited pedestrian space around school entrances can create challenging conditions during busy drop-off and collection periods. Better-designed access routes and clearer separation between vehicles and pedestrians can help reduce these conflicts while making independent and active travel more practical for families.

The Wicklow expansion comes alongside continued work on existing projects. According to the local report, footpath construction is under way at Brittas Bay, serving Scoil Mhuire Realt na Mara, while safety improvements have also commenced at Kilmacanogue National School. Other schemes have experienced delays linked to staffing and resource constraints, illustrating the importance of sufficient delivery capacity as the programme grows.

The wider initiative is already showing encouraging results. Surveys covering almost 1,700 students at schools where improvements have been completed found that cycling increased by almost 49% and walking by 8%, while car use fell by more than 10%. These results are programme-wide and should not be interpreted as outcomes already achieved at the two newly selected Wicklow schools. The NTA’s latest programme update also confirms that almost 200 school zones have been completed nationally.

For the sector, the expansion demonstrates how targeted infrastructure investment can support safer school environments while delivering wider benefits for public health and sustainable transport. As more schools enter the programme, effective coordination between local authorities, schools and delivery partners will be essential to turn selection into completed improvements that protect children on their daily journeys.

Source: Irish Independent / National Transport Authority / Wicklow County Council