Second 'School Zone' for County Cork Completed in Cobh

Cork’s second ‘School Zone’ has been officially launched at Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh in Rushbrooke, Cobh by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD, and Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Deirdre O Brien.

The newly developed ‘School Zone’ includes colourful child friendly traffic calming measures which are designed to encourage pupils to walk, cycle or scoot to school.

To the front of the Cobh primary school, widened footpaths and a narrowed carriageway have been created to slow traffic speeds on the approach to the school.

Greater congregation space, including a new seating area, has been developed for children, parents and guardians to create a safer and more inviting space to the front of the school.

Colourful art has been added to the footpaths and road space and pencil shaped bollards have been placed at the edge of the widened paths, creating a more exciting journey to school for those who choose to walk, cycle or scoot, while also preventing cars from parking on the widened footpaths.

In addition to the works to the front of school, and with the support of the Diocese of Cloyne, a new entrance and pathway has also been developed to the side of Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh to facilitate shorter and more direct journeys to the school from neighbouring residential areas.

Launching the ‘School Zone’ Minister Naughton commented, “The Safe Routes to School programme enables children to reimagine their daily journey to school, reigniting travel to school by means of walking, cycling or scooting. I am very pleased to be returning to Cork to launch the new ‘School Zone’ at Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh in Rushbrooke, which marks the second ‘School Zone’ completed in the Cork County in 2022.”

Ten schools across County Cork have been successful in securing funding during the first round of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme, with the first School Zone being launched in Scoil Phádraig Naofa in Bandon in February 2022.

The Safe Routes to School programme was launched by the Department of Transport with the support of the Department of Education and is administered by the National Transport Authority and An Taisce Green Schools. It aims to accelerate the delivery of walking / scooting and cycling infrastructure on key access routes to schools and to provide ‘front of school’ treatments to enhance access to school grounds.