16 July 2020
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Mallow
The Square, Bantry
As a result of Covid 19 and its impact on all aspects of living and working, Cork County Council, under Project ACT and with support from the National Transport Authority (NTA), will be introducing a wide variety of on-street measures designed to assist citizens and businesses in managing the new circumstances arising from social distancing requirements and altered travel patterns.
Almost €1 million in funding has been approved from the NTA to carry out a number of enhancements across Cork County such as additional footpath widening, one-way systems to create space for footpath widening, potential streetpedestrianisation where this supports business activities, additional temporary facilities for cyclists and the altering of traffic signal times to reduce pedestrian waiting/crowding plus the automatic activation of some pedestrian phases in order to aid pedestrian movement. Cork County Council’s Area Engineers are currently preparing the associated design options for various measures across towns and villages.
Commenting on the funding approval, Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, said,
“The crisis brought about by the arrival of COVID-19 has affected all our lives and the way in which we work, socialise and communicate. Cork County Council’s Project ACT aims to create the right environment in our towns and villages that makes people feel safe and allows businesses to trade.We all now realise the ‘value of local’ and should do everything we can to support what is on our doorsteps.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey went on to say,
“Under the Council’s Project ACT, Town Teams have undertaken a number of measures to date such as additional planting, cleaning and general improvements to promote regeneration and business growth across Cork County in the aftermath of Covid 19. With NTA funding now available to county towns and villages, further infrastructure arrangements will be carried outin order to provide the greatest possible support to our local economy.”
As businesses continue to re-open, Cork County Council is encouraging owners to continue to avail of the suite of supports that have been made available to help them. These include the Restart Grant, trading on-line vouchers and expert advice available through the Council’s Local Enterprise Offices.
