Portlaoise Schools Lead the Way in Sustainable School Travel

Portlaoise cluster project celebrates two years of student-led climate action

Students, teachers and community leaders gathered at Holy Family Senior School for the Portlaoise Schools Cluster Project Awards, marking the successful completion of a pioneering two-year initiative that has transformed how young people travel to school across the town.

Delivered as part of the Portlaoise Low Carbon Town Initiative, the project brought together 10 primary and secondary schools in collaboration with Laois County Council and An Taisce’s Green-Schools Programme. Through a shared effort, the initiative aimed to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and enhance road safety by encouraging more students to walk, cycle, scoot, park and stride and use public transport.

Survey data collected as part of the Green Flag application process showed that over 1,226 students regularly walked or participated in Park & Stride, while the 10 participating schools recorded a 14% reduction in car-based school journeys. Active travel modes increased by 12%, alongside a 2% rise in sustainable transport options such as bus, train and carpooling.

Over the 2 years project students walked over 143,442 kilometres (including return journeys). The equivalent to walking 400 times the length of the River Shannon or travelling 3.5 times around the Earth. That is more than 94 million steps.
Participating schools reduced emissions by approximately 8,614 kilograms of CO₂. That’s a whole year of carbon consumption for 400 trees or nearly 2 million charges for your average smartphone.

The project also provided students with a platform to shape local initiatives through Travel Forums held in the Council Chamber, where their ideas helped inform campaigns such as the “Keep Your Distance” cycle safety initiative and improvements to local infrastructure.

“Over the past two years, this project has shown what can be achieved through collaboration and partnership” Pat Delaney Director of Services Community, Enterprise & Integration, Laois County Council. “What began as a pilot has now evolved into a proven model of best practice.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Leas-Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Cllr Paschal McEvoy praised the students’ role in driving change: “It is clear that you are not just learning, you are leading … You bring energy, great ideas and creativity. You’re showing us that positive change really is possible.”

Participants were presented with Green-Schools Travel and Global Citizenship Travel Flags, recognising their achievements and commitment to sustainable lifestyles. The Portlaoise Schools Cluster Project represents a first-of-its-kind initiative in Ireland, demonstrating the impact of a coordinated, town-wide approach to sustainable school travel.

The programme aligns with wider investments in active travel infrastructure, including new cycle routes, expanded bus services and community-focused initiatives such as the Play Way.

By combining behavioural change with infrastructure development, the project has
positioned Portlaoise as a national leader in active travel and created a model that can be replicated in towns across the country.