VIDEO: Millions spent but are our streets more cycling friendly?

Hundreds of thousands of euro have been invested in cycle lanes and in Cork another €2m has been invested in the Coca Cola bike scheme. But why do potholes still abound, asks Caroline Delaney.

IF your commute to work involves a sigh of relief that you ‘made it alive’, then you’re probably a cyclist. The list of risks runs the gamut from deep-sunken drain covers to crater-like potholes to getting ‘doored’ to dodging a car that hasn’t indicated before pulling out in front of you. Cork City Council has done great work lately in acknowledging cyclists: they have provided facilities such as bicycle stands, cycle paths, cycle lanes, and, of course, the Coke Zero bicycles. But hopping on a bike is still not the safest option.

This week, I cycled around Cork City and noted a few issues — I headed in towards the city centre on the contra-flow cycle lane on Anglesea Street. Pedestrians and a charity collector walked and stood in the cycle lane even though the footpath was next to it. With all the guff about plans to impose a fine on cyclists who use the footpath, I didn’t hear anything about fines for pedestrians in cycle lanes.