More than 85% of cyclists in Cork city encounter illegal parking in bike lanes, according to survey

A SURVEY conducted by Cork Cycle Campaign has helped to compile a list of recommendations to improve bike infrastructure in the city.

Many of the 1,021 respondents noted recent improvements in cycling infrastructure in Cork, particularly that bollard protection of cycle lanes had addressed some illegal parking issues. However, they also expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of cycling infrastructure in Cork city.

Safety concerns were repeatedly raised about cycling infrastructure with safety concerns the main reason that respondents did not cycle more often, or at all.

The survey found few people have proper cycling infrastructure available to them for more than one-quarter of their journeys and the design of the existing infrastructure and its ongoing maintenance was considered poor. Respondents perceived that cycling is ill-prioritised and that the needs of people cycling are not properly understood by Cork City Council.

A huge 82% of those surveyed have noticed more people cycling in recent months and 99% of respondents were in favour of the Lee to Sea project.

In relation to illegal parking in cycle lanes, more than 85% of people who cycle encounter illegally parked vehicles in cycle lanes frequently, while less than half of non-cycling people notice this as an issue and 85% of people, whether they cycle or not, agreed that 30km/h speed limits are appropriate within Cork city boundaries.

From the results, Cork Cycling Campaign summarised that it is imperative that city councillors, engineers and other decision-makers experience the city on a bicycle themselves, or source qualified inputs from people who do when making decisions on the mobility and accessibility of the city.

The organisation is seeking a number of substantial changes in the council’s approach to decision-making, including taking into account campaigner groups’ views.

The group recommended that safe cycling corridors are installed in all city schools and work with schools to offer cycling classes, bike parking and bike financing.

Cork Cycle Campaign also looked for the Cork bike hire scheme to be expanded and for all traffic lights within city boundaries to be updated to recognise and give priority to people on bicycles and to pedestrians.