Public views sought on five new proposed route-to-school schemes in Cork city

FIVE safe-route-to-school schemes for primary and secondary schools in the city have gone to public consultation.

The schools where works are to be carried out are St Luke’s National School, Glanmire Community College, St Joseph’s National School, Bishopstown Community School, and St Catherine’s National School.

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programme was developed to promote walking, scooting, and cycling to school and to create safer walking and cycling routes.

The programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and is supported by the Department of Education.

An Taisce’s Green-Schools co-ordinate the programme, while funding is made available to local authorities to deliver the infrastructure.

Proposed works in the city that are out for public consultation include the provision of pedestrian crossings, planters and pencil bollards, road markings and road-realignment works.

Asked about the SRTS programme earlier this year, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that invitations to express interest were sent to all schools in 2021 and 931 applications were received. Mr Ryan said 170 schools were notified in June 2021 and that they were selected for inclusion in the first round of the SRTS programme, while a further 108 schools were announced for the second round in December 2022.

He said that schools not selected in the first two rounds “will be selected for forthcoming rounds”. The five SRTS schemes out for public consultation are open to submissions until 4pm on May 13. See consult.corkcity.ie/en.