Taoiseach: Greater levels of engagement needed for active travel plans

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the introduction of bus and cycle lanes will require greater levels of community engagement in future, following controversy around active travel plans on Cork city’s northside.

Mr Martin told The Echo there needed to be a review of community buy-in, particularly in communities with older populations, and greater dialogue with residents.

The Taoiseach’s comments come amidst protests against the removal of trees and parking spaces for the construction of a new cycleway in Farranree.

The Knockpogue Avenue and Knockfree Avenue active travel scheme was unanimously approved by Cork City Council in April 2023.

Cautioned 

Mr Martin said he had previously cautioned the National Transport Authority (NTA) regarding local engagement on matters like this proposal.

“I’ve always said to the NTA that they need to be very careful of making sure that they have community buy-in in terms of BusConnects or active travel, and that needs to be reviewed, particularly where you have older populations,” he said.

“We’ve had many cycleways in certain parts of the city we’re now only using, people are losing parking for their cars, there’s a health and safety issue coming out of their houses, elderly people in particular, there’s a perception of insecurity there, and that’s been a complaint from many residents.

“There needs to be a review in the sense of more dialogue on this, in my view, with community groups and with the residents, so we’ll bring people along with the wider agenda.”

Positive aspects 

He said the positive aspects of active travel should not be overlooked, instancing the Marina as a particular success story in Cork.

“The work we’re doing in the greenway, for example, from the Marina down to Passage, that’s a logical one, it’s off-street, we can do a lot from Ballincollig into the city centre as well, and so we should pick the low-hanging fruit and be sensible in terms of significant cycleways that we could create.”

Asked if he felt the Farranree scheme needed to be reconsidered, Mr Martin said he was talking more generally, noting there had also been “uproar” in Mahon around cycle lanes.

“Putting stuff in against people’s wishes without taking on board what people are saying, I think, is a challenge, and I think there needs to be far greater engagement with communities,” he said.

A Cork City Council spokesperson said consultation on the Knockpogue Knockfree active travel scheme had been extensive.

“It led to changes — including the retention of more on-street parking for residents — and engagement is ongoing,” they said.