Funding of €29.1m for active travel projects in Cork city welcomed

Funding announced for ‘active travel’ projects across Cork has been hailed by local representatives as “welcome investment” and “absolutely amazing”.

€29.1m will be allocated to Cork City Council, while €19m has been made available to Cork County Council, under the Active Travel Investment Programme for 2024.

Among the projects earmarked for funding are the Marina Promenade pedestrian-and-cycle facilities, which received €4.2m; €2m for the development of the Glanmire-to-city cycle route; and €3.3m to a number of projects within the Douglas area.

Commenting on the €2m for the development of the Glanmire-to-city cycle route, Independent councillor Ken O’Flynn said: “It’s a very welcome investment. It’s about connecting our city and giving people another option, rather than using their car or the bus service.

“I see this as a very, very positive thing for Glanmire, and I hope to see further, bigger investment in to our area over the years to come.” Labour local election candidate Peter Horgan said of the €3.3m investment in projects in the Douglas area: “This is a good investment for the area and will, hopefully, lead to more active travel use and less dependency on continuous car travel.”

POPULAR

Meanwhile, Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill said of the €4.2m for the improvement of the Marina Promenade pedestrian-and-cycle facilities: “It’s so well-used now, it’s going to be even more popular when it’s finished. I know the neighbourhood is happy.”

In the county, among the allocations were €1.1m towards the construction of the Bóthar Guidel Bridge and €2m towards the development of the Rafeen-to-Passage greenway, which Independent councillor Marcia D’Alton said is “absolutely amazing”.

“We’re waiting for it for so long. It’ll be the making of the town. It’s been this long-promised dream that we’d be able to cycle safely out to Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy."

Mayor of the County of Cork Frank O’Flynn acknowledged the support of the National Transport Authority (NTA), saying: “The allocation is affirmation of the NTA’s confidence in Cork County Council when delivering sustainable travel infrastructure.”

Overall, 78 projects across Cork City and county received funding.

Nationally, €290m was announced for 2024 as part of a €1bn investment since 2020, by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Minister of State Jack Chambers, alongside NTA deputy CEO, Hugh Creegan, this week.

Commitment

“A key commitment in the programme for government has been the dedication to making walking, cycling, and wheeling safer and much more accessible throughout the country,” Mr Ryan said.

“It’s great that, this year, we will hit the €1bn investment mark. We are seeing the impact of this continued and substantial investment in our towns, villages and cities, transforming where we live, making them much more attractive, safer and healthier.”