The climate crisis is going to be the biggest and most continuous issue for this and future generations. It is important to address this in what way we can in our localities. Carbon emissions due to fossil fuel dependant motor vehicles are a massive contributor to our mayonnaise carbon footprint and the following low-hanging fruit should be considered when planning the direction of our city's growth.
1. 15 Minute City Concept
Cork's perfect size makes getting to between any two points in the city in 15 minutes or less by foot or small personal transport achievable. The city should seek to encourage this by building safe junctions which prioritise these transport methods within the city boundary. Cycle and foot infrastructure should be improved and non-connecting neighbourhood should be opened using filters permeability schemes to make safer routes the norm. Speed limits should be reduced to make 30km/h the default speed within the city boundary outside of national roads.
2. Lee to See Greenway
The Lee to Sea Greenway presents an incredible tourism and transport opportunity for Cork, the implementation of a continuous cycle route around the harbour and through the city should take a priority.
3. Street Cycle Infrastructure
All major routes should be reevaluated to see if they are suitable and safe for cycling. The standard should be 'would you feel safe to let your child cycle here'. Lanes should be physically separated from motor vehicles similar to the good infrastructure on Western Road. Traffic lights should give priority to pedestrians and bicycles. They should sense the presence of bicycles and not require a button push to cross.
4. The CMATS cycling share of 1% is outdated and it is inappropriate to base the target share of 4% on this. This unambitious target will result in the current status quo being maintained. A more appropriate be realistic target would be 15-20%
Thank you.