Congratulations are in order for UCD! Ireland’s largest university has achieved gold Cycle-Friendly accreditation from the European Cyclists’ Federation, awarded by Cycling Solutions Ireland. Home to an academic community of over 32,000 staff and students, UCD is acting on its decarbonisation and active travel strategies and is the first Irish third-level institution to be awarded cycle-friendly status.
UCD’s state-of-the-art cycling infrastructure is supported by the National Transport Authority’s Sustainable Transport Measures grants and Smarter Travel Campus programmes. With its new EU accreditation, UCD joins the European community of cycle-friendly universities including Queen’s University Belfast, Stuttgart’s University of Holenheim, and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
Cycling initiatives at UCD range from a special vehicle-free area from the main entrance to UCD Nova and Glenomena Student Residences, free bike repair stations, specialised pedestrian and cyclist entrances to the campus, bike-friendly roundabout configurations, and vehicle speed reductions across the campus. In addition, the university now has over 5,000 secure bike parking spaces across the Belfield and Blackrock campuses and new covered cycling parking throughout the site and student accommodation buildings.
UCD is also committed to building a cycle-friendly culture at the university. Green Week 2022 saw the introduction of a cycle tour of the campus and a Cycle Clinic was made available to students and staff. UCD Bikes, the on-campus bike shop, is part of the national Bike to Work scheme which enables students and staff to make savings on their bike purchases. Further cycling events and education sessions are planned to encourage students and staff to embrace cycling as a safe, healthy, and green travel option.
“We’re truly delighted that UCD has achieved gold Cycle-Friendly certification,’ said Michael O’Boyle of Cycling Solutions Ireland. “To be the first cycle-friendly university in Ireland is a huge achievement and a testament to UCD’s commitment to achieving its green goals and creating a safe, caring, and cycle-friendly culture for its community. Congratulations, UCD!”
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Velo-City Conference 2022
Cycling Solutions Ireland is proud to be joined by UCD at the annual Velo-City conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia from the 14th-17th June. UCD’s John Fahey will join Cycling Solutions Ireland’s presentation with our European ECF colleagues and guests to discuss the impact of the CFE scheme from a university’s perspective.