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ABOUT US
The Cork Cycling Campaign is a volunteer group of >500 members promoting utility and recreational cycling in Cork. Founded in 1999, we advocate for improved conditions for people cycling and strive for recognition and promotion of cycling as an essential and desirable form of transport. We engage regularly with the media and key stakeholders on transport questions.
The Campaign is part of Cyclist.ie, the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network, the European Cyclists’ Federation, and the Cork City PPN. We aim to foster mutual understanding and respect between all road and path users, be they pedestrians, drivers, or other cyclists.
SURVEY BACKGROUND
Cork is a great city with a rich history of place, commerce, independence, and innovation. As the world transitions to a post-pandemic green recovery, Cork has an enormous opportunity to be at the forefront of this change and to capitalise socially, economically, and culturally to benefit its current residents and future generations alike. Transportation is at the heart of urban design and a determining factor of a city's success or failure. Whether to get to work or school, go shopping, visit loved ones, or participate in cultural and economic activities, all people need to get around their city. An effective transportation system prevents wasted time and the associated economic costs. It improves public health by encouraging active movement and reducing air pollution and noise. It reduces a city's climate impact by encouraging efficient low emission travel. And it allows businesses to thrive and to attract talent.
Leading cities have promoted cycling adoption in particular as a crucial element within an effective urban transport strategy. The Cork Cycling Campaign recognises and appreciates the planning, societal, economic, legal, and political framework within which cycling infrastructure is developed in Cork. We believe that such infrastructure must be fit for purpose to address the needs of people living in Cork. Our survey is intended to answer the questions of:
- (A) the degree to which existing infrastructure meets the city's needs
- (B) how the city can meaningfully improve such infrastructure and incentivise people to choose cycling
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Many people took up cycling in 2020 in accordance with government and WHO guidelines. Regardless, four out of five people who cycle also still drive cars and are therefore familiar with the city from both perspectives.
Survey respondents noted recent improvements in cycling infrastructure in Cork, particularly that bollard protection of cycle lanes had addressed some of the illegal parking issues. However, they also expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of cycling infrastructure in Cork City. Safety concerns were repeatedly raised about cycling infrastructure. Few people have proper cycling infrastructure available to them for more than one quarter of their journeys. The design of the existing infrastructure and its ongoing maintenance was considered poor. Respondents perceive that cycling is ill-prioritised and that the needs of people cycling are not properly understood by City Council.
An encouraging finding is that cycling is growing as a transport mode and that proper action by City Council can accelerate this trend: Three of the top four obstacles to greater uptake of cycling as a means of transportation in Cork are mostly or entirely under the council’s control. Respondents regarded road safety concerns as by far the greatest obstacle to cycling; however, the six most cited safety concerns are all addressable through appropriate council action.
Another important finding points to drastically different perceptions between people who cycle and those who do not. In relation to illegal parking in cycle lanes, for example, over 85% of people who cycle encounter illegally parked vehicles in cycle lanes frequently, while less than half of non-cycling people notice this as an issue. Similar contrasts were observed in relation to the perceived effectiveness of high-viz clothing and helmets: Whereas research has proven these measures ineffective, a significant percentage (>20%) of people who do not cycle remain in support of them.
There are also areas of broad agreement. 85% of people, whether they cycle or not, agreed that 30km/h speed limits are appropriate within Cork City boundaries. Both groups overwhelmingly indicated support for the Lee-to-Sea Greenway project. Both groups also indicated that in their voting preferences, they would favour political
candidates who promote and deliver active transportation policies.
This report concludes with a set of key policy recommendations on page 23 and below.
Informed by these survey results, we propose the following actions to improve the adoption and safety of cycling as a major form of transportation in Cork City:
- Prioritise pedestrians, cycling, and public transport ahead of automobiles in all design, planning, and approval decisions.
- Take a comprehensive network approach to design and deliver continuous, uninterrupted cycling transport corridors that connect all parts of the city.
- Address safety concerns by installing and properly maintaining fully segregated fit for purpose bidirectional cycling infrastructure.
- Implement a 30km/h default speed limit and broad traffic calming measures within city boundaries to follow national and international best practices.
- Adopt national (i.e. NTA National Cycling Manual) and international best practices for the design of transportation infrastructure.
- Deliver the strategic Lee-to-Sea Greenway project with a direct cross-city route.
- Update all traffic lights within city boundaries to recognise and give priority to people on bicycles and to pedestrians.
- Install secure, covered, and sufficient bike parking facilities throughout the city.
- Expand the Cork bike hire scheme and properly fund the requisite maintenance.
- Institutionalise an effective illegal parking enforcement program.
- Install bike counters and leverage Strava Metro to learn about usage trends.
- Install safe cycling corridors to all schools within the city. Work with schools to offer cycling classes, install bike parking, and finance bicycles.
- Consult with stakeholders like the Cork Cycling Campaign and Pedestrian Cork to source user inputs before, during, and after infrastructure design and installation.
Cork City has tremendous potential to reinvent itself as a cycling and pedestrian friendly City. Doing so will be the most effective step the city can take to improve its liveability, reduce its carbon emissions, and compete more effectively with other global cities. A liveable and carbon-neutral community is what people demand and what children deserve. We can achieve the tasks at hand through careful, effective stewardship by elected officials, council officials, and community stakeholders.