Conflict between people cycling and those on foot is being baked into the design of many cycle routes built with the “majority of cycle lanes” across Cork City now starting and finishing on shared paths which look effectively like footpaths, campaigners have said after a local newspaper columnist complained about cycling on footpaths.
The campaigners highlighted the issue after a columnist for the Cork-based The Echo newspaper, Áilín Quinlan, wrote this week about scooter and bicycle users on footpaths.
Included in the article is a claim from Quinlan that not only is “Cork City Council is prioritising the needs of cars, e-scooters and bicycles above those of pedestrians” but that the “entire workings of Cork city’s infrastructure default to the convenience of cars, bicycles, and e-scooters”.
However, it’s unclear how this claim could stand up in the face of the reality of a very low percentage of main roads in Cork City having cycle paths and there being many issues with cycling in the city, which hardly indicates priority being given to cycling or scooters never mind the “entire workings of Cork city’s infrastructure default” being to cycling and scooters.
In her article, Quinlan — who has a history of focusing on cycling as a danger — also turns to the danger of electric scooters, which are allowed to use cycle paths.
She recounts meeting a scooter user who she says was going too fast, and outlines a dispute over whether the shooter user was allowed to be on the path they were using.
Quinlan says this verbal spat happened at “Opera House Bridge”, the Christy Ring Bridge. She said that her husband told the scooter user in his 20s that he should be on the road, but while she said that the young man claimed it was a “cycleway”, they looked and could see no “No cycle-way markings”.
The north side of the Christy Ring Bridge has a two-way cycle path that ends with footpath-like shared paths on both sides of the bridge with signs but no markings on the ground, while the south side just has a footpath.
Campaigners say that the overuse of these kinds of shared path designs is causing confusion and a blurring of lines.
Kevin Long, a spokesperson for the Cork Cycling Campaign, said: “The article highlights an issue that the campaign has been raising for many years with regards to the over-reliance of shared space at junctions across the city.”
Long pointed to national guidelines that clearly state that shared space should be “avoided as much as possible in urban areas,” that footpaths should be clearly separated from cycle lanes, and that interactions “between pedestrians and cyclists should be minimised, with each having their own space to the greatest extent practicable.”
But, he said: “That is not the case in Cork as the vast majority of cycle lanes across the city start and finish on shared space, or footpaths effectively.”
“This, unfortunately, creates pedestrian-cyclist conflict by design. It is not just the cycling campaign’s viewpoint on this. A Road Safety and Quality audit for a recent scheme in Ballincollig commented that the cycle lanes design actually encourages people to cycle onto the footpath,” he said.
Long added: “Cork City Council has commendable goals to increase cycling mode share to 10% by 2028, and to provide World Class 15-minute city infrastructure, but the over-use of shared space in recently built and upcoming cycle lanes will not help in achieving those goals.”
Dave Tobin, deputy chairperson for the Irish Cycling Campaign, agreed with Long.
“The overuse of shared space, where cyclists and pedestrians are expected to coexist without clear separation, can lead to safety and accessibility concerns for all users,” he said.
Tobin said: “In Cork City, as in many urban areas, the growing volume of cyclists and pedestrians demands better design solutions. Cycling infrastructure must ensure that cyclists have dedicated, safe, and efficient routes to reduce conflict with pedestrians, who should also have spaces designed with their needs in mind.”
He added: “The NTA’s Cycle Design Manual offers better design options for schemes than what is currently being chosen by Cork City Council, which would better address these challenges and improve safety and comfort for all users.”
Ailin Quinlan lost me when she states Cork City council is prioritizing the needs of bicycle’s. She’s having a laugh.
Bicycles & cars are not the problem, it’s the people using the bicycle or car is the problem. Road users need to have mutual respect and patience and as I was told 50 years ago on my first driving lesson the most important person on the road is the person that you cannot see. If one doesn’t understand this regardless of what mode of transport they have they shouldn’t be on the road.
The connectivity of cycle lanes in and around Cork centre is poor, but I appreciate the progress of recent years (better than nothing). Cyclists are either forced onto really busy roads in a dangerous fashion (because cycle lane just disappears) or onto short footpath hops. No cyclist really wants to be on the footpath, but it is the lesser risk. Consult actual cyclists to help design the schemes. North of the Lee, we also badly need connectivity to Glanmire, little island etc.
Ya, cyclists should have input when it comes to designing cycle paths.some look like they have just been put there with little thought for users
City is a mess, so many spots where I have to cut across traffic to use a very short cycle lane just for it to end with me on a foot path cutting back into traffic.
Best thing the city can do for pedestrians is add automated cameras to lights to fine people for running red lights and blocking cross walks.
I just don’t use cycle lanes that operate like this, best example in Dublin is the lane opposite Santry stadium that veers repeatedly between pavement and road. I just stay on the road there, far safer. There’s often parked vans or taxis blocking the footpath cycle lane anyway.
That cycle lane is an excellent example, and bizarrely doesn’t seem to have been updated for at least 17 years when I started cycling and driving home on that route. It doesn’t help that drivers consistently seem to speed on that road in the evenings — when driving (at the speed limit) I’d constantly have people fly up behind me doing 80 km/h.
I stopped using the pavement section of that cycle track when a taxi zoomed up and nearly drove into me *right* when I followed the track back onto the road. He opened the window and said I “shocked” him by making such an abrupt movement towards the traffic lane, which given the generally poor lighting there at night, I can sort of understand (notwithstanding that you should drive to the conditions, including visibility of lanes in front/left of you).
Segregation now please!I’m fed up of arguing with pedestrians