— Public consultation ends tomorrow, people urged to reply to show strong support.
Members of the public in Cork City who support active travel are being asked by the Cork Cycling Campaign to respond to the public consultation on the Curraheen Road Pedestrian and Cycle Safety Improvement Scheme.
The campaign is asking people to respond to the public consultation before 2pm tomorrow, Thursday, December 23.
Conn Donovan, chairperson of the Cork Cycling Campaign said in a submission to Cork City Council that the group supports the projects once improvements are made to it.
Donovan said that the route should help in improving the cycle network for the Curraheen and Bishopstown communities.
He said: “The Curraheen Rd poses significant challenges for people cycling in this community and is likely a major deterrent to more people taking up cycling for short trips in the community, such as going to the shops, cycling to school, or cycling for health and fitness. The three existing cycle routes in the area are not connected and therefore their attractiveness is severely compromised. According to CSO Census Data, approx. 10% of households in the area do not have access to a car.”
One of the main changes that the campaign is calling for is the removal of the bus lane on the road between Curraheen Lawn and Curraheen Church. This would allow for a continuous segregated cycle lane on the north side of the road and a wide cycle lane on the south side of the road.
Donovan said that “it is not without serious consideration that we recommend the removal of a
section of bus corridor”, but that “does not confer a strategic advantage to public transport users given the fact that this section of the Curraheen Rd does not suffer from congestion” and in the “absence of a continuous outbound cycle lane has the potential to severely affect the attractiveness and perceived safety of the route.”
The campaign also said that on-street parking on the route should be placed outside rather than inside the cycle lane, and the various corner radius at junctions could be reduced to help reduce vehicular speeds and lower the risk of collisions.
The campaign’s submission added that where light segregation using plastic bollards is to be used, that consideration is given to the use of hard plastic or concrete kerbing as an alternative.
Donovan said: “This type of solution has been used by several local authorities in the Dublin region and is also recommended on page 4 of the NTA 5 Year Walking and Cycling Delivery Plan. Kerbing offers people cycling additional levels of safety, both perceived and actual.”