AFTER vehement opposition, a third round of public consultation on the sustainable transport corridors as part of BusConnects Cork has been published and this latest round runs until Monday, December 18.
Since the first public consultation in June, 2022, the number of properties that may be impacted has almost halved (48%) and the number of on-street parking spaces that may be removed has also been sliced by almost 43%.
Anne Geary, of the National Transport Authority (NTA) said that since the launch of the second round of consultation, extensive engagement has occurred with community and business groups across the city to constructively respond to issues raised.
‘The delivery of the planned programme of improvements under Bus Connects is critical to the ongoing development of Cork city. The improved bus frequencies, journey time reliability and other measures will transform the ease with which people will be able to access and move across our city into the future.’
But the question is not only if the revisions are sufficient to appease public concerns.
Is the plan ambitious enough to transform the city into a hub of efficient public transport and active travel with a main street and city centre that is the envy of every city in Europe?
Irish people love their cars, hopping into them to pick up groceries, drop kids to school or commute to work. The National Household Travel Survey in August reported 69% of trips were made by car last year. A fifth are made by foot and just 5% by bus or coach. These figures have barely budged in recent years.
Such trips are convenient but costly in terms of emissions, pollution and petrol. The resulting dearth of physical activity is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, dementia and mental wellbeing.
One solution to cutting emissions and petrol is the rise of electric cars. A Bloomberg report in September suggested that for short trips an electric bike or moped might be better for both health and planet as electric micro mobility is both cheaper to buy and run. The report quoted evidence that electric micro mobility is reducing the demand for oil four times more than global electric car use, due to their phenomenal uptake in China and other countries.
Last year, there were over 20 million electric cars and 1.3 million commercial EVs including buses, delivery vans and trucks on the roads across the globe. These numbers pale compared to the numbers of electric mopeds, scooters and three wheelers on the road last year. The popularity of these vehicles is already slicing demand for oil by a million barrels of oil a day - about 1% of the world’s total oil demand, according to estimates by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
But electric cars, while cleaner than fossil- fuelled vehicles, are still cars - taking up road space and powered by electricity that may be extracted from fossil fuels. Battery manufacture undermines some of the green gains too.
By contrast, electric mopeds and bikes use a fraction of the energy to transport one or two people, as well as being a fraction of the cost to buy and maintain.
C40 Cities, the global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities united in action to confront the climate crisis, stated in 2019 that “walking and cycling are the cleanest way to get around a city and both can have enormous benefits for health, greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, road safety and equity”.
Paris is leading the charge on moving away from cars towards micro mobility. As it looks to host the 2024 Olympics, plans are afoot to transform the Champs-Élysées from an 8-laned avenue choked with cars to four lanes with more benches, trees and food and drink options, linked with the Tuileries Gardens to create more accessible green space.
Philippe Chiambaretta, architect behind the plan, suggested that fixing the Champs Élysées could serve as a blueprint for other roads around the world. “It’s like case one, patient zero,” he said. “We need to invent a new medicine for the city, a new science.”
Cities are beginning to realise that streets clogged with traffic have serious health as well as climate impacts. New York has closed part of Times Square to traffic since 2009 and is considering reducing car lanes and planting more trees.
Amsterdam has redesigned streets with fun for children and safety for pedestrians prioritised.
The best example of active travel done really well in Cork is the Marina Promenade, a pedestrianised link from Centre Park Road to Blackrock village. The ‘jewel of the city’s pedestrian programme’ will shortly begin the final phase of work to include a 6m wide pedestrian and cycle corridor, with adjoining plazas, riverside balconies, seating areas and environmentally sensitive public and feature lighting. This demonstrates how well-designed public space can be a haven for physical and mental wellbeing for citizens and local communities. Of all the European capitals, Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris has been leading the drive to transform the liveability of the city. A network of bicycle lanes has exploded, green space has expanded and more than 100 streets near schools have closed to cars. The result is a 3% drop in car use in two decades and greenhouse gas emissions plummeting by 25% from 2004 to 2018, according to UN figures.
The changes have resulted in palpable differences in Paris - the centre is still as lively as ever but feels noticeably quieter, the drum of traffic replaced by pedestrians and cyclists.
Could the final round of consultation on the sustainable transport corridors of BusConnects emerge with enough political vision to transform Cork into one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in Europe? It would take a giant leap of faith from its citizens - with a collective vision of a future aligned to public transport and active travel as well as a determination to dispense with our love affair with cars.
Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor in Cork and former director of human health and nutrition, Safefood
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Can Cork be one of the most beautiful cities?
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08.12.2023
AFTER vehement opposition, a third round of public consultation on the sustainable transport corridors as part of BusConnects Cork has been published and this latest round runs until Monday, December 18.
Since the first public consultation in June, 2022, the number of properties that may be impacted has almost halved (48%) and the number of on-street parking spaces that may be removed has also been sliced by almost 43%.
Anne Geary, of the National Transport Authority (NTA) said that since the launch of the second round of consultation, extensive engagement has occurred with community and business groups across the city to constructively respond to issues raised.
‘The delivery of the planned programme of improvements under Bus Connects is critical to the ongoing development of Cork city. The improved bus frequencies, journey time reliability and other measures will transform the ease with which people will be able to access and move across our city into the future.’
But the question is not only if the revisions are sufficient to appease public concerns.
Is the plan ambitious enough to transform the city into a hub of efficient public transport and active travel with a main street and city centre that is the envy of every city in Europe?
Irish people love their cars, hopping into them to pick up groceries, drop kids to school or commute to work. The National Household Travel Survey in August reported 69% of trips were made by car last year. A fifth are made by foot and just 5% by bus........
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