Dublin will collaborate with children to create new cycling routes

The routes will go between schools, residential areas and Trinity College

Today, Dublin City Council announced a new project, where kids in the city will help design new cycling routes. The Bicycle Heroes Project, as it is called, is the result of joint efforts between the city and Trinity College and is under the coordination of Councillor Donna Cooney, Dublin’s Bicycle Mayor.

It will focus on children from DIES schools, special schools for economically disadvantaged children. The new bicycle lanes will track children’s routes to school and to Trinity College.

Emulating good practices from cycling cities

The first Bicycle Heroes Project was launched in the Netherlands by an organisation called BYCS over the last five years. Now, according to a statement by the city, professor Brian Caulfield from Trinity College said that Dublin has a chance to emulate some of the best examples of cycling habits from other cities.

He also explained that cycling with children has been a common practice for decades and these early interventions in mobility habits can have a decisive effect in the long run.

Involving children in reshaping the city

According to the city, over 10,000 children have taken part in the initial phase of the project, as well as the problem-solving phase, which led to the selection of 150 Bicycle Heroes. Councillor Donna Cooney explained that authorities will be working primarily with children between the ages of 10 and 15.

She also pointed out that part of the idea behind the project is to give children the tools to reshape their city to meet their needs. Furthermore, authorities have said that they want to honour children’s unique perspective on their surroundings, which otherwise often goes unheard.

Councillor Cooney added: “Children will be empowered by designing, exhibiting and presenting to transport engineers, planners and decision-makers to influence the design of Dublin City spaces for their own future active transport needs."