The National Transport Authority (NTA) has published a new report prepared by our Economics team, with support from Arup, looking at the benefits of the Active Travel Investment Programme. Between 2021 and 2025, the NTA and local authorities delivered almost 1,000 km of active travel infrastructure, hundreds of new pedestrian crossings and junction upgrades and more than a dozen pedestrian and cycling bridges nationwide.
The ‘Benefits of Active Travel Investment’ report highlights how almost all investment in active travel infrastructure is converted into benefits for Ireland’s economy, supporting domestic economic development and job creation. Between 2021 and 2030, the NTA’s Active Travel Investment Programme, with funding from the Department of Transport, will have invested approximately €2.9 billion in the delivery of active travel infrastructure.
Key findings from the report include:
- The wider economic benefits over a 30-year appraisal period are estimated to be €7.73 billion;
- This means, every €1 invested in Active Travel infrastructure between 2021 and 2030 generates almost €4 in benefits to society when assessed over a 30-year appraisal period;
- Between 2021 and 2030, capital expenditure on active travel has generated and is projected to generate a total of €1.45 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) through direct and indirect effects, amounting to €2.04 billion when adding induced effects;
- The programme has supported and is expected to support 17,690 FTE jobs over the 10-year period, with an overall of 26,640 when induced effects are also considered. On average, this amounts to over 2,650 FTE jobs per year over the 10-year period of 2021 and 2030; and
- It is estimated that the cost of one year’s investment is fully recovered by the sixth year of the infrastructure being operational.
One of the main benefits that we can see today is the large number of jobs supported by active travel investment. Right across the country, active travel schemes are being designed, planned and constructed by many Irish based companies (design and construction) that help support local economies. As part of this report, interviews and surveys were conducted with companies working in the delivery of active travel infrastructure with the findings highlighting very low leakage rates. (Please note: Leakage rate refers to the proportion of investment spending that flows out of the domestic economy).
The report also confirms how choosing walking or cycling over driving puts more money back into people’s pockets and the wider economy. Annual commuter savings are estimated at €620 for pedestrians and €3,480 for those cycling. The savings from cycling are made up of savings for the individual (vehicle running costs, health, taxation etc) and savings for wider society (road maintenance costs, journey time, noise, air quality etc).
The report also highlights how the Department of Transport has committed to guaranteeing funding for the NTA's Active Travel Investment Programme for the remainder of this decade with approximately €290 million in funding annually up to 2030. As part of its analysis, the report points to the impact that inflation is likely to have on the real value of this funding and how that might affect the level of delivery up to 2030.
Director, Head of Ireland, Catherine Murray, said:
“Working on this report reinforced something that I've felt for a long time: investment in active travel pays for itself many times over, through health, emissions and household savings, among other benefits. I'm proud of the depth of analysis behind these figures, and I hope they help make the case for building a connected network, kilometre by kilometre.”
Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, added:
“The Benefits of Active Travel Investment report shows the positive financial impact of the significant increase in Government funding for walking and cycling since the start of this decade. Choosing active transport modes over private car journeys results in savings for commuters as well as creating and maintaining jobs across various sectors around the country.
“Active Travel investment supports local economies and that is just one of the reasons, along with various social, health and climate benefits, why we will continue to invest in walking and cycling at a high level out to 2030, as committed in the National Development Plan and the Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan 2026-2030.”
CEO of National Transport Authority, Anne Shaw, said:
“This report is yet further confirmation that the work the NTA is doing with our Local Authorities is having a real benefit, not just for the people who are using our enhanced active travel networks, but for the wider economy too. From job creation to the knock-on positive effects for other businesses, there are many reasons why continued investment in this area is good for all of us.
“The NTA is working closely with the Department of Transport with regards ongoing funding and we are constantly exploring ways in which we can continue to support and grow our active travel networks nationwide, improving our public realms and creating more liveable communities for everyone.”
To find out more about the Benefits of Active Travel Investment report, please visit: https://www.nationaltransport.ie/publications/the-benefits-of-active-travel-investment/.
8 September 2026
