Dublin's traffic would be much worse without investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, a Green Party MEP has said.
Ciarán Cuffe was responding to a new study which found people walking and cycling is taking some 680,000 cars off roads every day.
It found that more than half of adults in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford walk five or more days a week – while 15% cycle once a week.
It also found that one in two residents want to walk more in the future, while one-third would like to cycle more.
In Dublin City, some 74% of people said Government should spend more on cycling and walking.
Mr Cuffe told The Pat Kenny Show that traffic is increasing with the population.
"We've seen huge economic growth in the last few years," he said.
"There's more people working than ever before; there's a huge amount of people studying as well.
"There's more people moving and there's more people in the country.
"I think if we hadn't invested in the walking and cycling infrastructure the whole place would be a traffic jam.
"If you look at the details in this survey, it says if we hadn't done this there'd be a traffic jam 2,500 kms long".
A woman cycling in Dublin. Image: NTAMr Cuffe denied the reason for traffic jams was because of new measures such as bollards and one-way streets in Dublin city.
"If you look at who's coming into Dublin city centre, 80% are not travelling by car - 40% are coming by bus, for instance," he said.
"A bus can hold almost 100 people and typically does during rush hour, and for far too long we have given too much of the road space to cars.
"Really it's about the equitable allocation of road space – and the other important thing is to give cyclists their fair share of space."
Mr Cuffe said the changes also mean an improvement in air quality.
"One of the things that isn't highlighted as much as I think it could be in this survey is that better air quality is a huge bonus for us all," he said.
"Poor air quality kills about 300,000 people every year in Europe.
"So, if we get more people walking and cycling the improvement in air quality is a real transformation too".
A woman cycling in Galway. Image: NTAAsked how traffic can still be heavy in Galway city as 60% of people say they walk or wheel at least five days a week, Mr Cuffe said more infrastructure is the answer.
"I take the point that people are fitting some walking and cycling into their day but they're not using it as the way to get from A to B in Galway," he said.
"What strikes me about Galway is it is a city of roundabouts and there is almost no decent cycling infrastructure.
"I'm at my wits end to try and work out what the challenge is there.
"Yes it rains a lot in Galway, but it rains a lot in Amsterdam and Copenhagen - but what those cities have is decent cycling infrastructure.
"I think that is what is needed in Galway to make even more of a distance," he added.
Mr Cuffe said there needs to be more joined up thinking around traffic planning between various transport agencies.
