The Cork City South East Strategic Transport Corridors scheme aims to deliver enhanced strategic transportation routes in the South-East quarter of Cork City, with designs and options to provide improved facilities and increased priorities for smarter travel users. The objective of this is to promote the modal shift among the local population to walking, cycling, and public transport as safe and convenient means of making local trips to work, school and recreational facilities.
The study area is home to a population of 28,312 people, two of Cork's major employment hubs Mahon and the Docklands, several schools, and a large retail centre Mahon Point Shopping Centre. The 2011 census data indicates that a large proportion of short commuting trips to, from, and within the study area are made predominantly by private car. As such, there is good potential for modal shift to sustainable transport modes.
The overriding objective of this scheme is to identify strategic transport corridors for sustainable travel modes, and to identify the size and timescale of investments required to on these strategic corridors.
At present, a number of schemes to improve walking/cycling/public transport facilities along established routes have been completed or have been planned by Cork City Council. In identifying primary routes and recommending a package of measures for sustainable transport modes, this scheme will take into cognisance the improvements that have been put in place or have been planned.
Designs and proposals for this scheme will focus on:
- Improving facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users along identified strategic transport corridors;
- Reducing journey times for buses servicing routes between Cork city centre and the South- East zone, taking into cognisance the possibility of future upgrades or conversion of bus routes to Bus Rapid Transit corridors;
- Upgrading/ improving traffic signals and providing bus priority measures at critical locations along bus routes; and
- Balancing the impact of the Scheme on other road users, adjoining communities, and the environment along the routes.
The proposed solutions should achieve the scheme's objectives at the least cost, providing Cork City Council and the NTA with the best value-for-money design for the medium to long term.