Cork city councillors approve contraflow bus lane on Anglesea St

Cork city councillors have voted to approve a northbound contraflow bus lane on Anglesea St between South Terrace and Old Station Rd.

It will include the realignment and upgrade of several junctions and lanes, the removal of right turn lane on Copley St, and an upgrading of pedestrian crossings.

The removal of public parking and relocation of loading bays on Anglesea St proved controversial, with the council noting that while there were a large number of supportive submissions about the positive impact on bus frequency and reliability, several concerned submissions were made on the removal of parking spaces.

“To accommodate the proposed new bus lane, 14 public parking spaces on Anglesea St will be removed [nine spaces will be removed on the western side, five spaces on the eastern side],” a council report said.

“The loss of parking on the western side of Anglesea St will be converted to loading bays to offset the loss of the loading bay at the Anglesea St /Copley St junction.”

Independent councillor Paudie Dineen urged councillors to reject the proposal.

He said that the bus lane will not improve the speed of journeys as buses will have to join regular traffic lanes again afterwards.

“What this proposal will do is remove the much needed parking for residents who reside in the area,” he said.

There are also several businesses on the street that “rely on the on-street parking”, he added, cautioning that the removal of it “will lead to business closures”.

Fine Gael councillor Shane O’Callaghan said that the motion was necessary to improve the bus network.

“The reason people don’t get buses at the moment is because they’re not reliable ... but the NTA [National Transport Authority] is trying to create a proper bus service for this city. If lots more people use the bus, then there will be less need for cars,” he said.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said the bus service is currently “at crisis level”, adding that Bus Éireann has done its part in securing more drivers, “and our responsibility is to deliver a road network that works for public transport”.

The motion went to a vote and was passed, with 25 votes in favour and three against — Mr Dineen, Independent councillor Albert Deasy, and Independent Ireland councillor Noel O’Flynn.