Cork included in ‘impressive’ plan for a major  expansion of Ireland's cycling infrastructure

A COUNTRYWIDE infrastructure plan aimed at increasing a modal shift from private car to cycling has been welcomed as an “impressive” vision which could improve people’s everyday lives in Cork and elsewhere.

The National Cycle Network (NCN) plan, published this week, sets out how the country will be “criss-crossed with 3,500km of safe, high quality and inviting cycle routes, linking over 200 cities, towns and villages and up to 2.8 million people nationally”.

It is composed of 85 corridors, integrating existing and planned greenways and other cycling infrastructure, as well as an “extensive new network of safe cycle routes along existing roads”.

In relation to Cork, the corridors include a Cork to Tralee corridor, a Cork to Waterford corridor, Cork to Fermoy, Port of Cork to Carrigaline and Limerick to Cork corridor.

The NCN will link to destinations such as transport hubs, centres of education, employment, leisure and tourist destinations.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he believes the new plan, when implemented, will prompt a significant shift in how people commute.

Speaking following the publication of the plan, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle echoed that sentiment.

“It’s a very impressive plan for infrastructure and I agree wholeheartedly with what Eamon Ryan saying as minister, that this infrastructure is about everyday use, this is about people going to work, this is about people getting and bringing their children to school, this is about people going to and from shopping.

“This is an alternative infrastructure network to the car based network in our roads and motorways and it’s needed.

His party colleague councillor Oliver Moran also welcomed the plan.

“We've always focused so much on motoring as a way to get from one city to another that for people living in towns and villages in between, walking and cycling have literally been driven off the road.

“It takes a leap now to imagine a time that parents and children outside of towns could cycle to a swimming pool, or teenagers could cycle safely into school or walk to a friend, or that workers would have the option to cycle instead of driving for their commute.

“In practice, that's the basic vision of an inter-urban scheme.

“It's not about supporting someone who wants to cycle from Cork to Killarney, it's about the communities in between,” he said.

The NCN plan will be implemented on a phased basis. It will be funded through existing National Development Plan allocations, specifically from within the €360m allocated for active travel and greenways per annum.

The total expected cost of delivering phases one and two of the overall NCN equates to approximately €677m up to 2030.