Historic Cork streets to be pedestrianised to help ease Covid-19 restrictions

Several narrow and historic high-footfall streets in Cork city are to be pedestrianised to help the city reopen as Covid-19 restrictions ease.

Paul Street, Tuckey Street and Pembroke Street will be closed to traffic and pedestrianisation measures will be enhanced to ensure physical distancing can be maintained. It will involve the removal of some car parking, the relocation of disabled parking bays, and the removal of bollards.

The Marina riverside amenity, about 3km downriver of the city centre, will be closed to all vehicular traffic for the summer.

The details are contained in a 22-page discussion document presented to city councillors and some city centre stakeholders by city officials yesterday.

It outlines how the pedestrianisation of Oliver Plunkett St will be reintroduced as soon as possible, subject to a review of car-parking for essential workers in the city centre, and includes:

- plans for additional bike parking stands, and the repair or replacement of damaged bike parking facilities;

- lights at busy pedestrian crossing points will be demand-led;.

- a streamlined process for street furniture licence.

And an intensive ’’deep-clean’’ of streets and pavements in the central business district is planned.

Assistant chief executive, Brian Geaney, said: "The council will continue to work with all other agencies of the state, key stakeholders and the public to re-open the city safely while at the same time complying with public health requirements, particularly social distancing measures," he said.

FF Cllr Terry Shannon, a member of the city’s CORE partnership group, pedestrians will have priority and cycling infrastructure will be enhanced.

Lawrence Owens, chief executive of the Cork Business Association, said the document is a positive start to get the city open again: "It gives us some degree of certainty and we will play our part in what must be a collective approach."