Funding secured for feasibility study to explore potential traffic flow changes on Blarney Street

CORK City Council has confirmed it has secured funding from the National Transport Authority (NTA) to carry out a feasibility study on Blarney St to look at issues such as localised traffic, through traffic, and parking.

It follows requests from Blarney Street and Surrounding Areas Community Association for a one-way system to be trialled in a bid to ease traffic gridlock.

In a statement to The Echo, Cork City Council said requests for traffic-flow changes have been considered by the city council and the councillors in the North-West ward.

“In response to request[s] for changes to the street, it was identified that a feasibility study would need to be undertaken to review what changes, if any, would improve the environment and consider the impacts in the surrounding area,” the statement read.

“Cork City Council have secured funding from the NTA to look at the feasibility of improving locations where there is a perceived impediment to active travel where the provision of active travel measures or interventions may improve connectivity and encourage the uptake of active travel modes.

“The study will include a feasibility study on Blarney St to look at localised traffic, through-traffic, and parking issues.”

The local authority said that any potential works are “location-specific” and “subject to feasibility and design consultants’ recommendations as well as further grants from the NTA to undertake the proposed works”.

City council said documents are currently being prepared to appoint consultants to progress the study.

Speaking to The Echo earlier this week, chairman of Blarney Street and Surrounding Areas Community Association, Tom Coleman, made a renewed call for a one-way system to be trialled.

“We’ve asked can we implement this on a trial basis, and review it then,” he said.

“That’s all we’re looking for.

“We’re very passionate about our area … but we’re actually choked with traffic at this stage. It’s a disaster.”