Analysis of the #COVID19 Cycling Proposals announced by @corkcitycouncil on Monday 8th June.

The following map was produced with the objective that routes in:

Blue are currently out to tender
Red are currently in the planning stage
Green are temporary solutions

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Let's start with the blue routes:

I was surprised to see this blue route as it's been around for 15 years now.

https://twitter.com/conndonovan9/status/1258843955959119874

Project Description included below: no new crossing at Tennis Village unfortunately

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The second large blue route is the Blackrock/Mahon Greenway.

This is an existing greenway again and a widening project went out for consultation 12 months ago.

Some access ramps voted down by Cllrs.

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https://consult.corkcity.ie/en/consultation/improvement-works-passage-railway-greenway-improvement-scheme

Another blue: Togher Public Realm

This was announced last year and both @PedestrianCork and @CorkCyclingCrew expressed huge concerns with shared paths

https://corkcyclingcampaign.com/projects-campaigns/raise-your-voice-for-the-togher-road-public-realm-enhancement/

Plans were approved, unchanged. It's currently a building site, for culverting works.

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Blue: Ballybrack Cycle Path

Quite a neat project. Good point-to-point (D'las Village to M'B Woods) However, it went out for consultation over 12 months ago. I honestly thought it was started already.

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https://www.corkcoco.ie/sites/default/files/2019-02/Part%208%20Site%20Notice%20Ballybrack%20Phase%204.pdf

The cycling link for some of these schemes is rather weak

Harbour View Rd - cycle lane re-alignment with a start date of Q3 2019(?)

And for other projects, there is no provision of cycle infra at all (Baker's Road)

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In short, the blue projects are just things that have been already committed. Some have started but most have been held up for reasons unknown.

Some are even still with An Bord Pleanala; Morrisons Island

Let's move onto the red projects

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MacCurtain St: no cycle lanes I've heard

Albert Quay: really nice scheme, shame it got held up 12 mths ago

3 of the remaining schemes look like junctions. Doubt there will be much for cycling

Don't know much about Popham's Rd scheme, here's a screenshot of the area

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We move onto the Green Routes, arguably these should have been the only routes on a map about COVID19 mobility plans as the rest was just things going on anyway or planned to go on.

Melbourne Rd and Boreenmanna Rd.

I'd put these both in the category of 'fine wide road'

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But what's the objective? Let's say you live on Melbourne Rd. New cycle lane, great eh? You cycle with the kids down to Model Farm Rd, get on the cycle lane going to town.

Then it ends by Pilz. And you have to cycle on these routes with no protection until you reach Mardyke

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If the objective is to encourage people to cycle or to help people who used to take the bus feel safer cycling, temporary cycle ways need to be point-to-point or at least fed into an existing point-to-point route

That's why Birmingham's plan looks like this..

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One place where there has been a decent effort made to achieve this in Cork in these plans is the Centre Park Rd area. A temporary cycle lane there will finally link the Greenway/Marina almost to the city centre.

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One last scheme worthy of mention is the Grange to TVP Bridge over the South Link. It's going to be an expensive scheme but unless the Half Moon Lane gate is resolved, it's only going to be a way into the park, as opposed to a way into the park and onto town

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Calls from residents, business groups, campaign groups, and civic groups probably put the Council under a bit of pressure to show that there are serious about delivering cycle infra.

For me, this map represents the status quo. Inch by inch, while others move by miles.

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