To make cycling a real alternative in Cork city, we need to focus on infrastructure

Cycle lanes often send cyclists directly onto footpaths, shared space paths or crossings

For a less confident or novice cyclist, it is uncomfortable and can be intimidating to have to weave through pedestrians in order to get onto the cycle lane. Picture: Larry Cummins

Two questions you often hear asked about cycling in Cork are: "Why are they always cycling on footpaths?" and "the cycle lane is there, why don’t they use it?"

However, if you look at the cycle lanes around the city, in a lot of cases, they actually send the cyclist directly onto the footpaths, shared space paths, and, in some cases, straight into pedestrian crossings.