Cork City Council has unveiled plans for the creation of 14 new ‘people-friendly’ streets around the city today.
Part of a series of transformative initiatives to make the city more amenable to pedestrians and cyclists, Cork City Council (CCC) has today unveiled new measures that will see the creation of 14 new ‘people-friendly’ streets across Cork. Officials have also announced an investment of up to €2million in the city’s existing cycling infrastructure.
Aptly called the “Re-imagining Cork City” programme, according to authorities, it represents an “immediate response to social distancing requirements resulting from Covid-19 but also an acceleration of the City Council’s vision for a city of sustainable urban growth”.
🚴 Re-imagining Cork City🍽️
🚶♀️The creation of 14 new ‘people friendly’ streets & an investment of up to €2 million in our city’s existing cycling infrastructure forms part of a series of transformative initiatives unveiled today
ℹ️Learn more: https://t.co/uWMXmP6Tsu pic.twitter.com/2fRVF1vog4
— Cork City Council (@corkcitycouncil) July 29, 2020
Going forward, the council’s focus will be on pedestrianising city-centre streets and repairing existing cycle lanes. Other measures detailed in the programme include:
- the installation of bollards on four km of key cycling routes
- new cycle lanes at Centre Park, Monahan Roads, Terence MacSwiney Quay, Horgan’s Quay, Victoria Road and South Mall
- the construction of 43 new bike racks (with the capacity to accommodate approximately 500 bikes)
Speaking of the project, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Joe Kavanagh commented:
“An immediate sense of the re-imagined city can be seen in the expanded city centre pedestrianisation achieved by Cork City Council and local businesses. The changes mean that up to 1,000 residents and visitors to the city can eat and drink alfresco – thereby supporting social distancing and local business”.
A number of city-centre restaurants have turned to outdoor seating as an alternative since reopening last month. Proving to be extremely popular amongst locals, the announcement follows the huge success of the pedestrianisation of Princes Street – one of Cork’s busiest shopping thoroughfares.
Header image via Twitter/Cork County Council
