12 May 2024
By Valerie Ryan
valerie@TheCork.ie
Cork City will host a series of “Open Streets” events in the city centre this summer, Members of the public are encouraged to come to town on these days without their car, either by walking, cycling or using public transport to enjoy the some of the city’s streets without traffic and soak up the atmosphere with lively street performance, street play events and public information stands on cycling and public transport.
The first event on Sunday May 19 will take place on Cornmarket Street, North Main Street and St. Patrick’s Street, and will feature performances from big brass and percussion band Boola Boom. Cornmarket Street will become a dance floor from 1pm to 5pm. Live bands and DJs will provide beats and rhythms to as diverse a range of dance genres as Cork has to offer. From salsa to set dance, hip hop to jazz, sean nós to zumba, disco to rave – there will be infectious beats on the streets to get your feet moving. There will also be fun and games on North Main Street with Let Play Cork organising some games for young and old alike. There will be a mini cycle village on St. Patrick’s Street, with various types of bikes on show including adaptive bikes as well as other cycling activities.
This is a kick-off event in a series of 5 planned events, the subsequent events to take place on:
Sunday June 16 – Cork Midsummer Festival Parade on Oliver Plunkett Street along with a performance form street art group Kamchatka
Saturday August 24 – North Main Street Carnival
Sunday September 1 – Autumnfest – Douglas Street
Friday September 20 – Culture Night – Cornmarket Street and North Main Street
The organisers welcome suggestions from other groups in the city and its suburbs who wish to host similar events in their communities.
Cork City Council is hosting these events in collaboration with its partners Cork Chamber, Cork Business Association, Cork Environmental Forum, Transport & Mobility Forum, Cork Cycling Group, Bus Éireann, Irish Rail, and An Garda Síochána.
It comes following research, commissioned by Cork City Council’s Climate Action Unit, that revealed 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in Cork City are caused by road transport. A further study revealed that 64% of Cork people strongly agree “Cork must transform into a more sustainable place to live and work that is climate neutral and resilient’ and that 86% of Cork people want more pedestrianized streets. Further research, as presented by the National Transport Authority/Sustrans Cork Metropolitan Area Walking & Cycling Index, showed that 80% of Cork inhabitants agree that increasing space for residents socialising, walking, wheeling, and cycling on their local main street would improve their local area.
The quays and all car parks will be open to traffic as normal and street closures will be applied to St. Patrick Street, North Main Street, Cornmarket Street, Castle Street and Adelaide Street from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Buses and taxis will be able to access St. Patrick Street as normal. Access for blue badge holders will also be facilitated as normal.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Kieran McCarthy said ‘This is a great opportunity for people to come into town and shop, maybe get a bite to eat or just walk around the city centre and enjoy the calm atmosphere. I am delighted that this first event in the series is taking place as part of National Bike Week. We have seen from our recently published climate report that 29% of the emissions in Cork City are from cars. This is a small step in encouraging people to get out of the car and try a cleaner mode of transport.’
Conor Healy CEO of Cork Chamber commented, “As Cork continues its journey with Open Streets Events, we’re championing a shift towards sustainable transportation to combat emissions and propel us towards our 2030 climate objectives. These events provide a platform for residents to explore sustainable alternatives like public transport, cycling, and walking. By reducing traffic congestion, we are also fostering a more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly urban landscape, increasing footfall and boosting local businesses, enriching the cultural fabric of our city for all to enjoy.”
Aaron Mansworth, President of Cork Business Association said “Open Streets presents a great opportunity to showcase the rapid changes happening in Cork City. At the Cork Business Association, we strongly support the 15-minute model, advocating for a city where residents can live, work, and socialize within a 15-minute radius of the city centre. We believe the future of transportation lies in walking, cycling, and utilizing public transit like buses, with the potential for a light rail system in the future. For the upcoming May 19 event and subsequent summer gatherings, we encourage all patrons of Cork City to leave their cars at home and instead embrace these sustainable modes of transportation.”
Helen Guinan, Cork Cycling Campaign said: “I look forward to a busy but less noisy city centre – lots of footfall and shopping with cleaner air and a friendlier atmosphere. The Cork Cycling Campaign will organise a “spokes-of-the-wheel” cycle event from key suburban areas to the city centre. This will showcase safe routes for cycling into the city which aims to encourage people to cycle to the city on this Open Streets Day, and into the future.”
Darren McAdam O’Connell from Cork Transport & Mobility Forum said “Great to see Cork giving the streets back to the people for a day. Streets were always social spaces for the people of the city to enjoy, to meet and greet their neighbours, until so much space was given over to traffic. I look forward to seeing my friends and neighbours out enjoying all the activities for the day in peace and quiet with space to stroll once again.”
Notes
In March of this year, the National Transport Authority published the findings of the first-ever survey of walking, wheeling and cycling in the Cork Metropolitan Area, which reveals that 52% of residents walk or wheel (meaning the use of a wheelchair or mobility scooter) at least five times a week, while 18% of residents cycle at least once a week.
Key findings from the 2023 Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index:
- Nearly 7 in 10 residents, 69%, support building cycle tracks physically separated from traffic and pedestrians even where that means less room for other traffic.
- Every day those who walk and cycle take nearly 69,000 cars off the road in the Cork Metropolitan Area. If all of these cars were in a traffic jam it would tail back 333 kilometres equivalent to the distance
from Cork City to Dundalk. - Residents walking, wheeling and cycling create an annual economic benefit for individuals and the Cork Metropolitan Area of €401.6 million.
- There is a €1.40 net economic benefit for each km cycled instead of driven and €0.93 net economic benefit for each km walked instead of driven.
- Walking, wheeling and cycling improves public health in the Cork Metropolitan Area, preventing 729 long-term health conditions saving the HSE €10.7million, equivalent to the cost of over 190,000 GP appointments.
- Those walking and cycling instead of driving, save greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 227,000 flights from Cork Airport to London Heathrow Airport.
- Cork residents also recognise the importance of liveable neighbourhoods. 80% agree that increasing space for residents socialising, walking, wheeling and cycling on their local main street would improve their local area. 82% of residents support creating low-traffic neighbourhoods where groups of streets, bordered by main roads, have ‘through’ motor vehicle traffic greatly reduced. 86% support the creation of 20-minute neighbourhoods – neighbourhoods where it is easy for people to meet most of their everyday needs in a 20-minute return walk.