Transport Insights Supports Ulster Canal Greenway Development

Transport Insights is delighted to have supported Waterways Ireland in successfully securing European Union INTERREG VA Programme funding for development of the Ulster Canal Greenway. The proposed scheme, along the alignment of the Ulster Canal, will link Smithborough in County Monaghan with Middletown in County Armagh, via Monaghan Town.

Transport Insights, with support from with Systra as sub-consultants, developed a Sustainable Transport Case for the scheme. The Sustainable Transport Case built upon a series of data sources including Irish and Northern Irish Census data, and roadside interview and traffic count data to determine current commuting patterns along the corridor. Informed by international research sources on the impacts of greenway schemes elsewhere, cross-border commuter demand forecasts were then generated for the scheme, alongside estimates of carbon benefits.

The Sustainable Transport Case supported the successful shortlisting of the scheme following a stage 1 application, and also provided key inputs to a Business Case for the scheme as part of the stage 2 application. Further design, planning and environmental assessment of the scheme is ongoing.