Cork City and County councils will be allocated a total of almost €8.3m for the local transport infrastructure and scoping studies for improved traffic management in the city, it has been announced by Minister for Public & Commuter Transport, Alan Kelly.
Cork City has relatively low public transport usage, just 8 percent of commuters in the city and relatively low cycling share with just 2 percent of commuters using bikes to get to and from school and work.
Among the key projects is almost €1m towards a new city centre movement strategy which will re-locate road space on the city centre streets facilitating public transport to decrease journey times and enhance the environment for pedestrians and cyclists. A further €600,000 will be spent on improving access to Kent station as well as half a million to be spent improving the links to the city centre. Additionally, funding will be used to complete projects commenced last year with a new cycle route to connect the city centre to University College Cork and cycle corridors to link both Douglas and the Ballyvolane to the City centre.
The funding will also see the completion of the first phase of the Carrigaline Green Route and commencement of the second phase to improve the bus and cycling provision along Maryborough Hill.