The government’s Smarter Travel initiative has a number of sub-programmes. The Active Travel Towns initiative is one of these, and it is rolled out through the local authorities.

In 2012, The Dept of Transport, Tourism & Sport invited local authorities to avail of funding to develop Walking & Cycling Strategies for their towns. In Co. Monaghan, the towns of Monaghan and Castleblayney availed of this funding, and produced strategies in November 2012.

The actions identified in these strategies have become the framework for the towns’ Active Travel Towns work programmes. Steering Committees are in place to drive the initiative in the two towns.