Audit of Existing Infrastructure
This request is that the written statement Volume 1, Transport chapter , Cycling, would include a commitment from the City Council to conduct Audit of Existing Cycling Infrastructure.
The addition of new interim cycling infrastructure during the Covid-19 pandemic is very much welcomed and has made a significant improvement to safety of cycling in some areas. However there remains many issues with existing legacy infrastructure that need to be remedied. To give one example, the attached document shows many situations where cycling infrastructure directs the cyclist onto footpaths. This would not be considered in accordance with the highest quality design standard in the National Cycle Manual, see snapshots attached. Currently there are no safe segregrated cycle roundabouts or intersections in Cork. There are also many examples of cycles lanes which are in higher speed limit zones of 50-100 km/h which have no segregration for the cyclist.
The Green & Blue Infrastructure Study section 9.14 recommends an audit of the existing cycling infrastructure in the city. Section 9.20 of the GBI study highlights the relatively limited dedicated cycling infrastructure, and that the existing infrastructure is often disjointed and lacks connections to other areas of the city. A key issue identified in table 9.1 of the GBI study is the need for improved connectivity of the cycle network in the city.
An assessment of existing infrastructure would provide input to a targeted approach for the upgrade of existing infrastructure and the installation of new infrastructure. Various sections of the development plan compare Cork with other cities such as Utrecht, Uppsala, Aarhus, Vancouver, Hamburg, Vaxjo, and Stockholm amongst others. A cycling infrastructure assessment could also include such a comparison with best international practice infrastructure in similar size cities. Such an assessment would be in line with Cork City’s Development plan objective 2.16 which states that an evidence-based approach would be used for decision making and city development. The Green & Blue Infrastructure study involved a process of consultation with key stakeholders. An assessment of cycling infrastructure which consulted end users of cycling infrastructure could provide feedback on key issues and opportunities to improve cycling safety and attractiveness for people of all ages and abilities in the city.
Volume 1 written statement, Transport Chapter , Cycling section to include a statement on requirement to audit existing cycling infrastructure in consultation with key stakeholders
Many examples exist of designs that create conflict between pedestrian and cyclists. Cycle lanes which direct cyclists onto footpaths should be redesigned to be in accordance with highest possible design standards in the National Cycle Manual or preferably best international practice. The disjointed nature of cycle lanes and lack of a coherent network is a barrier to cycling for many.
