Cork to benefit from a €45m 'game-changing' investment in walking and cycling projects
The NTA intends to invest some €45.39m on 80 projects in Cork alone, including 39 new projects. Among existing proposals is a light rail system, shown here operating alongside a cycle lane on the old Blackrock railway line, now a popular walking and cycling greenway.
A €45m investment in dozens of walking and cycling projects in Cork has been described as the true start of a “game-changing” transport plan for the city region.
Business group Cork Chamber hailed the investment after the National Transport Authority (NTA) announced details of an overall €240m investment in 468 sustainable transport projects in 12 local authority areas.
Some €45.39m will be invested in 80 walking and cycling projects in Cork City and county alone. Many are in planning, but 39 are new projects.
It includes a €3.2m investment to deliver the first phase of the Mahon to Marina Greenway in Cork City, and €1.3m for the Ballinacurra to Midleton cycle route.
Other high-profile schemes to benefit include route design work on the ambitious Lee to Sea greenway, a massive public transport-focused overhaul of MacCurtain St, and the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the South Link Rd linking Grange to Tramore Valley Park.
Other significant allocations include:
- €615,000 for the installation of automatic bollards on 17 newly pedestrianised streets in Cork City;
- €800,000 for the installation of cycle detection technology at traffic lights;
- €350,000 to progress design, planning, and land acquisition for the Mahon to Passage West greenway;
- €240,000 for the detailed design of the Marina promenade project;
- €350,000 for the Bóthar Guidel Road cycle lane in Carrigaline;
- €100,000 to advance the Carrigtwohill to Midleton cycle route.
The package also includes €250,000 for route selection work on the proposed southern orbital route, and €300,000 for similar work on the northern orbital route.
Transport minister Eamon Ryan said the allocation, up some €130m on last year’s announcement, marks a massive step forward in providing green sustainable transport options to Ireland’s cities, suburbs, and hinterlands.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Joe Kavanagh, said the investment will help make cycling, walking, and public transport more accessible.
Cork Chamber said the allocation represents the “true commencement of the game-changing programme of improvements” set out in the Cork Metropolitan Transport Study which was unveiled last year.
However, Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould criticised the focus of investment on the southside of the city.
Of the 66 projects listed in Cork city, just 12 are on the northside, he said, with spending on the southside schemes coming in at almost €16m — almost triple the investment on the northside projects.
Labour TD for Cork East, Seán Sherlock, also criticised the lack of investment in North Cork.
"The Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party coalition appears to have abandoned any hope of securing specific funding for North Cork transport projects like the N73, the North Cork Greenway, cycle lane investment in towns like Mallow, Fermoy and Mitchelstown and the introduction of the Mallow Leap Card for Mallow Train Station,” he said.
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