Cork city speed limit reductions pass by unanimous vote

Cork City Council unanimously voted in favour of new bylaws which will reduce the speed limit on several roads across Cork city.

The Cork City Road Traffic (Special Speed Limits) Bye-Laws 2024 will come into operation on February 7, 2025.

Green Party councillor for Cork City North West Oliver Moran told The Echo: “Reducing the speed of motorists is in demand from residents across the whole city area.

“The new speed limits are a nationwide initiative, but being implemented at local level in two phases. This first phase drops the limit on typically rural 80km/h roads in the city to 60km/h.

“The next phase will reduce roads in built-up and residential areas that are now 50km/h to 30km/h. That’s expected to come in around the middle of the year.

“There are a number of areas that I will be particularly interested, like Ballyhooly Rd, Lower Glanmire Rd, New Inn and Burke’s Hill, where residents are calling for reduced speeds.”

He explained: “Last year, 174 people were killed on our roads and thousands more were injured.

“A third of those were on these category of roads, where pedestrians and cyclists are particularly at risk from motorists.

“Reducing the speed of motorists is the single greatest act that we can take to make roads safer for everyone.

“When someone is struck with a car at 30km/h, there’s a 5% chance of them being killed.

“At 50km/h, a third of people will be killed.”

Under the new bylaws, 60 km/h will be the new speed limit for vehicles on roads specified.

58 roads are included in the byelaws; 18 in Douglas, two in Glanmire and Riverstown, 12 in Ballincolly and Kilbarry, six in Rathpeacon, 18 in Blarney and two in Ballincollig.

The new speed limits come following a public consultation process, in which there was no submission against the proposed bylaws.

One submission contained a request for reduced speed limits in urban areas, and Mr Joyce explained: “Reducing the default speed limit in urban areas is the second phase of the implementation of National Speed Limit Review, and Cork City Council will implement phase two in accordance with guidance received from the Department of Transport.”

Speaking at Monday night’s council meeting, Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy said: “I’d like to welcome these bylaws, but say that it is one thing bringing these in, but it’s important that we police them as well.

“The vast majority of people respect the rules of the road, but some people are not even going to look at these new limits and are not going to slow down, so we need more policing and more messaging about these speed limit reductions as well.”