The All Island Rail Review promises a well-connected Cork City

Yesterday, the All Island Strategic Rail Review was finally, finally published, after over a year of delay. The publication was continually pushed due to the lack of a government in Northern Ireland – as a crossborder initiative, it was required for relevant departments from both governments to sign off on it. Nonetheless, all of its contents were finally brought to the Cabinet yesterday, and were finally revealed to the public. The report promises never-before-seen investment, but what will it mean for the people of Cork?

Cork is ahead of the curve

Many of the direct rail benefits that Cork will see have already been in the pipeline for some time, namely the upgrades to the Cork suburban rail that were first brought to fore in 2019. The double tracking of the section between Glountaune and Midleton has already progressed to hearing stage, and much has been made of the new stations that will be brought to the region. Service frequency has already doubled along the Cork to Midleton and Cobh routes. As such, there isn’t anything especially juicy in terms of new rail stations or routes in the Cork Metropolitan Region.

West Cork Rail was considered but ‘parked’

Despite our efforts last year in the West Cork Rail Report to provide a comprehensive overview of how rail services can return in an efficient manner to West Cork, the review details that rail will not be returning to West Cork. This is, of course, deeply regrettable. As with the point above, this is not new information, with Minister Ryan having rejected our proposal last year. One thing which is a positive, is that our report was seemingly considered in at least some capacity, in the form of a line connecting West Cork to Cork Airport, and onward to Cork Kent. This was ‘parked’ for two reasons. The first, was that demand was projected to be insufficient. The second was that the rail route was expected to have an adverse effect on an area of outstanding natural beauty. While we disagree with these conclusions, we are grateful for the consideration, and this is something which we will pursue further in the consultation period. 

Carrigaline, however, is mentioned as a large town that will lack any form of rail transportation after the review. This is briefly addressed, in which an extension of the Cork Luas system is mentioned to link both Carrigaline and Cork Airport to the rail system. Similarly to the point above, this is something that we explored in the West Cork Rail Report, and suggest that a combination tram-train system may be most appropriate for such connections. One point of contention from this is that Cork Airport will be the only main airport on the island of Ireland without a direct rail connection, as Shannon, Dublin, and Belfast International will all gain important rail connections.

Non-Cork Benefits

For one brief second, let’s acknowledge there’s a world outside of Cork. Railways will return to Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan after a long absence. Limerick will gain a significant suburban network. A direct connection will return to Wexford and Waterford/Rosslare. Northern Ireland’s western half will see a major new route from Derry to Dublin. And there’s even more. This is incredibly significant, especially given the almost complete stagnancy of the national rail network since the 1960s – nothing of this scale has ever been proposed. This is the work of a great many local activists, campaign groups, and those rare politicos with their ear to the ground. The potential for a renaissance in railway construction is massive, not just over the next decade but stretching long into the future.

Improving the Cork-Dublin rail trunk

The Cork to Dublin route, the most important ‘trunk’ of the mainline rail network, is to be fully electrified, likely using overhead electric wires. This will enable improved reliability, better passenger experience, as well as higher speeds. It is expected to achieve ‘higher speed’ rail of 200km/h, which is likely to be better suited to the national network than full high speed rail – as great as high speed rail would be, it isn’t the right fit at the current time. It will enable the journey to be completed in less than two hours (likely around 1.5 hours with all improvements implemented), reducing the travel time by half an hour to an hour, and improving competitiveness with motor vehicle transport. This will be achieved through a number of measures, including introducing passing loops for slower trains, straightening curved sections of track, and through the aforementioned electrification. One of these will be a new straight section of track between Portarlington and Hazelhatch, bypassing the Kildare and Naas stations and section of track.

Dublin Airport will receive a rail connection, in the form of a spur from the line at Clongriffin. Cork to Dublin Airport services are mentioned as a feasibility, pending the delivery of a ‘cross Dublin solution’ likely in the form of the much-studied underground tunnel between Houston and Connolly. This ‘cross Dublin solution’ would also enable direct Cork to Belfast services. The higher-speed Cork-Dublin route would increase to half-hourly frequency, as one of the country’s busiest routes. 

Cork to Other Cities

These connections are some of the most significant from the report, providing faster, direct, and frequent services between Cork and nearby cities. There is the aim of hourly services from Cork to Galway, Limerick, and Waterford. There will be direct services from Cork to Limerick and Galway. Additional upgrades at Limerick Junction will allow for direct services from Cork to Waterford. These are some of the most significant benefits for regional connectivity, with the need to change trains at Limerick Junction removed, as well as the reduction of the Cork-Waterford train route to less than 2 hours. Services ongoing from Cork to Wexford/Rosslare Europort are not mentioned explicitly, though would theoretically be enabled by the new Waterford-Wexford rail link. It is a similar situation with the new Shannon rail spur which has been progressing over the past two years, where direct Cork-Shannon services will also be feasible.

Line speed increases will be the chosen method to improve services, instead of a new direct line from Foynes to Charleville.

Many more direct destinations will join the departures board

Freight and the Port of Cork

A freight line to Ringaskiddy was considered, but dropped due to being ‘costly and disruptive’ (we prefer the terms ‘significant investment’ and ‘transformative’.). A freight service will connect Marino Point near Cobh with the greater rail network. The Marino Point connection will act as the rail connection for the Port of Cork. An inland freight depot is expected to be built in North Cork, on a site with both rail and road access, possibly between Charleville and Mallow. There are additional investments in freight across the island, with the aim of increasing freight usage from less than 1pc to between 5 to 10pc, roughly in line with that of other island and peninsular rail freight operations in Europe.

The report endorses ‘tunnelled solutions’ in urban areas. Both Dublin’s mentioned east-west link, and areas through Drogheda and Lisburn will utilize tunnels. This approach may have played a part in the rejection of certain railway extensions in and around the Cork City area, such as the Cork Airport and Ringaskiddy connections. There are alternatives to tunnelling which are discussed in the West Cork Rail Report.

Consumer Experience and Journey Times

There is a short section on customer experience, and the need to improve lighting, warmth, and availability of food and other services at stations. Wayfinding and information is also noted as being important as part of ongoing efforts to improve service quality. There is also mention of need for better accessibility at stations, though does not go into great detail on how this will be achieved.

There is much focus on improved journey times. Achieving these is a stepped approach, with improvements often necessitating several different efforts. For instance, improvements at junctions may improve by 10 minutes, new sections of direct track by a further 10, etc. Many of these will be significantly faster than by car. 

• Cork to Dublin will drop from almost 2.5 hours to 1.5 hours (vs over 2.5 hours via car)
• Cork to Dublin Airport will become almost 2 hours (vs just under 3 hours via car)
• Cork to Galway will halve from around 4 hours to around 2 hours (vs 2.5 via car)
• Cork to Waterford will become 1.5 hours

There is no specific mention of improvements along the Cork-Tralee, the Mallow-Tralee track is noted as being approved for on-line upgrades, which will likely be straightening of track, implementation of passing loops, and improved service frequency between Cork and Tralee. 

stations will need to improve lighting, warmth, and catering options

Short Term Upgrades

Within the short-term (by 2030), the report recommends improvements at Limerick Junction to facilitate through services from Cork to Limerick and Galway. Other improvements to improve speed on the Cork-Dublin trunk line are also recommended. There are many other items for the short-term list, such as safeguarding of new route corridors, but no other ones particularly relevant to Cork.

Caveat Emptor

Of course, the report is primarily advisory for the time being, and implementation is subject to the *political guidance and implementation* of both jurisdictions. The (valid) tendency is there to be all suspicious about major projects, but railway projects have been progressing as well as expected over the past few years. Clearing work has begun on new lines around Limerick, and upgrades around Cork have already begun to see a doubling of commuter service frequencies. New carriages for the network have already been ordered. Other parts of the report are already (technically) underway, especially those related to capacity and service frequency. There is much cross-pollination between this and other plans and strategies like the National Development Plan and the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy. The last major project by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Luas Cross City, was completed in 2017 on schedule and on budget. Don’t let your politicians off the hook – contact your TD or councillor and tell them you support this and want to see more trains, better service, and increased connectivity.

If there is anything we have missed, please let us know. There are several hundred pages of additional supporting documents behind this report, which we have made every effort to read as thoroughly as possible.

Conclusion

The All Ireland Strategic Rail Review is transformative for rail services across the island. This will be the largest investment in the rail network in living memory, and if delivered in full can give Ireland railway services to be proud of. It is, of course, not perfect – there is room for further improvement throughout the consultation period (open until September 29th!). Most of the content isn’t news on the Cork side, with additional connections already underway, or ruled out, but the real good news is in the potential for significantly improved connections to nearby cities and across the region. Higher speed rail will provide a 21st century solution to Cork Dublin connectivity, while Cork Kent will become a major hub for railway services in Ireland.

There are still some ways in which connection can be improved, and we will pursue additional information relating to new stations or rail corridors during the consultation period to inform any campaigns going forward.

BusConnects STC Submission – Cork Commuter Coalition

The Cork Commuter Coalition is an advocacy group representing public transport users in the Cork Metropolitan Area. Since founded in 2020, we have led numerous public campaigns advocating for improved public transport and active mobility across Cork, while also promoting information about transportation projects, and acting as a voice for transport users in local and national media. We are represented on the NTA’s Transport Users Advisory Group by our chairperson, Ciarán Meers, on behalf of transport users in Cork City. We have engaged with the BusConnects process during previous rounds of consultation, and are of course pleased to now be able to give input toward one of the most crucial stages of the project. BusConnects is an incredibly important project for the future of Cork, and will be able to tackle emissions, improve citywide mobility, and create a better city for current residents and future generations. Cork has some of the worst traffic in Europe when compared to cities of a similar size – the status quo is clearly not working. It’s time to implement a properly functioning public transport network in Cork, of which BusConnects and improvements to BusConnects will play a highly significant part. 

We have spent a large amount of time engaging with a number of vital stakeholders in Cork City, including residents groups, TDs and councillors of all parties, businesses, city area groups, and other involved individuals. Across the city, there is massive appetite for a bus system that functions effectively and efficiently, providing sustainable travel options to the residents of Cork City. With that said, we strongly support the aims and objectives of BusConnects Sustainable Corridors plan, with amendment and improvement on a few key approaches.

Stakeholders

Much of the airtime has been eaten up by objectors to the project, which can often tend to be people who rarely use bus services themselves. We strongly urge BusConnects not to give in to objectors. Oftentimes, the most vulnerable people in society are dependent on good, solid, reliable public transport. Many individuals with disabilities do not have the capacity to drive, and others find public transport something that makes mobility far easier. Many working class families, and the ever increasing percentage of people who are being eaten alive by housing and cost of living crises have additional financial burdens unfairly placed upon them by the need to own a car. Many elderly residents are dependent on public transport as their only method of getting around. Those from an immigrant background, single parent families, and those in Direct Provision (amongst other groups) often have additional financial needs that mean car-dependency is a gut-punch to those who are having even more difficulty getting by, and the ability to use affordable and reliable public transport would be an immense source of financial relief. BusConnects is far from a social welfare programme, and will indeed benefit people from all financial and social backgrounds – but especially the most vulnerable. Routine, clockwork bus services increase the mobility of the most vulnerable, and allow them to take part in society at a far greater rate. When evaluating the submissions from interested parties across Cork, please do not forget those who depend on public transport services because it is their only option, and remember those whose lives would be made far easier if given the ability to depend on the bus service in Cork.

Center Running Bus Lanes

BusConnects is intended to be a project for the next generation of Cork, and will be the workhorse of Cork’s public transport system, linking in places with the upgraded Suburban Rail service, as well as the planned Cork light rail system. The main Route 1 is intended to be the predecessor to this light rail system, operating along roughly the same corridor from Ballincollig to Mahon, serving Bishopstown and the City Centre, amongst other critical amenities. It is crucial that every element of the BusConnects process supports the eventual implementation of light rail, something we’re pleased to have seen so far. 

Service benefits – Center running bus lanes are a road design which are increasingly being used in cities across the world, drawing elements from Bus Rapid Transit systems. These are contrasted with side-running bus lanes, which are the traditional type found in Ireland. However, side running lanes often result in bus service being slowed by vehicles turning from adjoining roads, or even from vehicles pulling out of driveways. They are also commonly impacted by illegal parking. Center running bus lanes mitigate these problems significantly by removing much of this conflict. Island platforms (see links below) are provided for faster boarding. The city of Boston recently launched center running bus lanes for several of its most popular routes, and reported time savings of 4 to 7 minutes along an only 3/4 mile (1.2 km) stretch. 74 percent of riders reported their journey being noticeably faster. These service improvements are notable, and prove that replicating this where possible has definite benefits.

Eventual upgrade to light rail – The implementation of such a light rail system will naturally require a lot of construction work, and cause obstruction to residents of Ballincollig, Bishopstown, and other communities along the corridor. This is inevitable and necessary, but can be reduced with the implementation of center running bus lanes, as they are noted for easier upgrading to rapid transit standards, significantly reducing the construction time and upgrading cost. It makes little sense for a round of construction (including CPOs) to occur only for the entire process to be repeated shortly afterward as the corridor becomes light rail. This is ‘measuring twice and cutting once’, reducing duplication of costs down the line. This approach could be implemented at several key sites, such as Ballincollig West and the Docklands, though is suitable for adaptation in a variety of sites across the city, even where there is no planned upgrade to light rail. The current designs for Route 1 are a missed opportunity for ‘joined up thinking’, but thankfully there remains ample opportunity to improve. 

Attached are references explaining the benefits of center running bus lanes, boarding islands, and examples of center running bus lanes in other cities.

Center Transit Lane | National Association of City Transportation Officials

In-Street Boarding Island Stop | National Association of City Transportation Officials

Columbus Avenue Bus Lanes | Projects | MBTA

Columbus Avenue Bus Lanes | Boston.gov

BusConnects and Public Information

Among a wide selection of those we have engaged with, there is a strong concern that BusConnects has fumbled at launch, with a perceived (and sometimes real) lack of quality public information, and the decision to route buses through the Mangala opening the door to further criticism of the project. As a group with an interest in the success of the project, but also an interest in ensuring that the people of Cork have full and complete access to information about the project (positive, negative, impact, and everything in-between), it is clear that there needs to be additional efforts taken about the entire process.

BusConnects Office in Cork : Cork City, unfortunately, is rife with dereliction, including on some of the city’s main streets. One of the very few silver linings of this is that one of these would be relatively easy to establish for the duration of the project in a city center shopfront area as a key information center for the project. This would ensure that people are able to ‘pop in’ to an easily accessible center, and receive full, digestible information from well-informed staff about changes to bus services in their area, sustainable corridors, CPOs, and all other elements of the project. As things stand, many people end up getting their information from a second hand source, such as politicians (who may have a vested interest in mis/representing the facts of the scheme) or volunteer groups (such as us, who are often working voluntarily in our free time, and can’t provide the full-time information and promotion that the project needs to have). The BusConnects office at Horgan’s Quay should also be utilized for Cork-based members of the BusConnects team to work from, instead of only operating from Dublin – a Cork based project deserves a physical presence in Cork. An energy advice kiosk was recently established on Grand Parade, reusing an empty building. This should be a model for BusConnects engagement strategy in Cork. 

New Energy Advice Kiosk Opens on Grand Parade in Cork to Support Energy Communities

Promotion of BusConnects : There also needs to be a significant effort for BusConnects to step up the effort in showcasing the positive aspects of BusConnects. As has been seen (notably in Ballincollig, but also other areas), people may tend to believe the first elements of information that they see. Some residents groups have put up signs designed to be one-sided or omit key elements of information. The BusConnects team needs to increase the outreach efforts significantly – even showcasing the statistics on faster travel times, added routes, number of new trees, and so on. Even a ‘we’ve listened and we made changes’ type approach for the second round of consultation could be a real winner. At times, it feels like we as a transport advocacy group are doing more to push for BusConnects than the BusConnects team themselves. Improved public transport has large support citywide, the public just needs to see that this project will deliver, in real terms, the improvements needed. The scheme should not be reduced or falter because it can’t win the “information war.”

Trees and Greenery

The removal of trees is one of the unavoidable ‘conflict points’ in the project – trees are an objective public good, adding necessary greenery to towns and the city, which reduce heat temperatures and capture CO2. While we do acknowledge BusConnects’ strength in adding trees throughout the project, and that tree-based criticism is sometimes used as a cover for criticism of the project as a whole, it is important that existing public greenery not become a casualty of a desire to ‘keep everyone happy’. Naturally BusConnects needs to plant the new trees before moving and removing any existing trees – which is also an opportunity to create public goodwill toward the project. Creating further green space would also be welcomed – Cork is in need of new parks and green areas, and some of the BusConnects plans for addition of trees to certain areas could be expanded upon further, with the addition of benches and other amenity, to create a series of new ‘pocket parks’ across the city – a move which would be welcomed in neighborhoods across the city. In areas where conflict is unavoidable, BusConnects Cork should instead stick to a ‘move trees’ approach, as opposed to cutting them down, as mature trees cannot simply be replaced to the same effect with juvenile or semi-mature trees. In addition, BusConnects should instead opt to reduce car lanes, on-street parking, or switch to local access only when evaluating conflicts between trees and road space. The NTA ought to work closely with Cork City Council’s Trees Officer to ensure that the project contains a significant increase in greenery in all the right places.

There are certain areas where the approach of tree alteration needs to be significantly revisited – along STC C, approximately 28pc of street trees will be removed, with scant plans for addition. STC J replaces only 60pc of removed trees. This is not acceptable. On the Boreenmanna Road, trees can be retained through the removal of turn lanes at the intersection with Victoria Avenue, or the alteration of the road to one-way in certain sections.  

School Zones

Cork is incredibly fortunate to have such a young population, with a wide selection of primary and secondary schools across the city seeing ever increasing attendance. However, we have seen the rise of the ‘rat run’ in recent decades, where using the private car to get to school is treated like the only option amongst certain sectors. The arrival of several hundred cars into geographically small areas every morning at 9am, and again at 4pm, is causing extreme traffic and congestion – not to mention stress for students, parents, and local residents. We have also unfortunately seen incidents in which students were seriously injured during the school run. Many parents long for the days when they walked or cycled safely to school or college, it’s important that we relegate the rat run’s perceived necessity to history. We strongly urge the NTA to consider school zones, where there are explicitly delineated safe cycleways, bollards, quiet corridors and walkways from nearby bus stops, incorporation of large bus shelters at nearby bus stops, and full pedestrianization and local access only schemes nearby to schools. 

Case involving girl knocked down on way to school settled for almost €3m

Cycling

While we do applaud the efforts in promoting cycling through the sustainable corridors initiative, there is still a way to go in creating gold standard bike infrastructure across the city. While we could make lofty comparisons to the speed of Paris’ rollout of cycle infrastructure, we instead offer the model city of Carmel, Indiana, which was able to transform itself from a car-dependent suburb to a cycling town by investing rapidly in high quality cycle infrastructure – a feat that Cork absolutely has the capacity to replicate. (A Republican Suburb Designed for Cyclists)

Junction Design : The design needs to switch to the ‘Dutch junction’ design. This is the approach favored in the global cycling capital of The Netherlands, and reduces any conflict between cyclists, pedestrians, and oncoming vehicles. Unfortunately, the proposals for BusConnects Cork favor the ‘Dublin junction’, which has an unfortunately high number of avoidable clash points. There is a small difference, but a big impact to be had for using the Dutch design. We have linked to explainer diagrams from Irish Cycle and Limerick Cycle Design below, who explore this in more depth. 

(Cycle path design: Dutch-style vs Dublin-style protected junctions) 

Orbital Cycle Corridor : We also express concern over the city based nature of the sustainable corridors. There also needs to be orbital cycle infrastructure within this scheme, to enable safe trips that are not solely suburb-to-city. As we aim to reduce car usage across Cork in favor of more sustainable modes, we need to consider that a high proportion of trips are suburban-to-suburban : people working in Douglas and living in Blackrock, kids from Togher going to school in Bishopstown, amongst many, many other trip alignments. While in many places, there are indeed cycle lanes, many are in need of upgrading to a higher standard, including the implementation of proper traffic segregation. In addition, the provision of ‘linking elements’ to ensure that usage of the corridor is unified and easy to use. To this end, we suggest that the NTA properly investigate an orbital sustainable corridor for the next iteration of consultation.

Specific Area Observations and Comments

There are specific areas where the quality of the infrastructure provided could also be improved. BusConnects deals with an immense geographic area, and hasn’t gotten it fully right the first time round, but has the capacity to ‘perfect itself’ by taking on input from the community. While the areas listed below are far from a definitive list, these are the main areas which we have noted, and which other groups and stakeholders have raised when analyzing the project.

The Mangala – As highlighted significantly, both in the press and in other submissions, the bus route through the Mangala is simply a non-starter. As a sustainability project, routing a road through some of Cork’s sparse green space is unacceptable. While attempting to replicate the grass-tracked transport infrastructure seen in other countries is admirable, the approach here is not congruent with the wishes of the city or Ireland’s environmental goals, and ought to be revisited. 

Douglas Road – Douglas Road is the chief bottleneck along the existing 220 route. Full separation is necessary here, and we support the combination of bus lanes and bus priority measures along the stretch of Corridor I that will give priority to public transport along these areas. The opposition of certain Douglas residents is likely to present itself as one of the most ‘bendable’ elements of the proposal. We urge the NTA not to give in to opposition in this area, and to keep in mind that the success of the Park and Ride proposed for Carrs’ Hill under CMATS will depend on this corridor being able to provide reliable service unimpacted by private motor vehicle traffic. We also suggest that Douglas Road become one-way to vehicular traffic inbound if the current iteration of the proposal is found to be unworkable.

Bishopstown Road/Wilton Shopping Centre junction – This is consistently cited by residents, students, and others that this intersection is needlessly complex, prioritizing motor traffic above pedestrian and cyclist experience, both in terms of time to cross and safety experienced. It is to be kept in mind that there are a wide variety of individuals with reduced mobility at the CUH, who often make use of this junction to ‘get out’ of the hospital atmosphere for a while. Though the current proposed design is a step up from the current situation, there is still need for improvement. As a busy junction, this is one of the most important to improve the design of, incorporating the ‘Dutch junction’ style which was mentioned in the above sections.

York Street – Cork is known for its gradients. While this doesn’t rule out cycling as a mode of transport with potential for high adoption, it means that there needs to be additional concerns when dealing with cycle routes on the Northside. York Street is one such street which is projected to be part of the cycle corridor – despite an elevation approaching 15pc. While perhaps suitable for ebikes or escooters, flagging this street for ordinary cyclists will rapidly become a safety issue. This can be rectified through the implementation of bike lifts, or the creation of a new bike path between Summerhill North and Wellington Road on the ground of the Trinity Church parking lot, which would also permit the selection of a more feasible gradient. There are different options on the table, but York Street is not one of them.

Maryborough Hill – In 2019, sections of Maryborough Hill were widened by Broadale, and upgraded to have mature trees and new hedges. The Corridor I proposals could be better approached with respect to these recent upgrades. The width of the northbound lane (which is unusually wide) could be reduced to incorporate the southbound cycle lane, and, along with re-examining ‘ghost islands’ in the area, would reduce and eliminate the need for CPOs and removal of mature trees. 

Non-Corridor Improvements – The decision to use a corridor system for focusing infrastructural improvements is mirroring the utilization of this approach in Dublin, though of course Cork has a differing spatial layout. While the majority of services and population are clustered along the outlined corridors, there also needs to be attention given to areas off of these corridors to ensure that there is a geographic spread of improvements to infrastructure across Cork as a whole.

• Ballyvolane, including the northernmost sections of Ballyhooly Road, which is intended to receive a significant Strategic Housing Development in the coming years – it is imperative that there is reliable public transport in place so that incoming residents are able to fully rely on sustainable public transportation from the very beginning. 
• Maglin, similarly, is an area scheduled for development that will receive a new bus service, but is omitted from the Corridor E. We have concerns that without proper focus for public transport from the get-go, it would be destined to fall into the trap of the development style of Ballincollig, as a long linear townland based mostly in urban sprawl.
• Rochestown also presents bottlenecks for bus services, which serve both Rochestown and beyond. The New Bus Network has bus routes criss-crossing Rochestown, yet the Corridor I ends at Maryborough Hill. We urge the NTA to either extend the remit of Corridor I to Rochestown, or alternatively take a wider look at Rochestown as a whole.

We also wish to place emphasis on the submissions from the Cork Cycling Campaign, who have used their extensive expertise to go into far greater detail on how cycling infrastructure can be improved across the plan as a whole.

Park and Rides

The Cork Commuter Coalition has been pushing for further action on the planned Park and Rides contained in CMATS for several years, as one of the key components designed to cut down on car trips throughout the city, especially for commuters coming from further afield. While we do acknowledge that the BusConnects process is segmented out into a number of different focuses, with P&R being a separate one, we would be remiss not to draw attention to the lack of action on this front. We are calling on the NTA to include the Park and Ride plans within the next round of STC consultation. Park and Rides are one of the easier infrastructural elements to approach, so there is absolute benefit to completing these as soon as possible. 

Park and Ride expansion is Cork’s secret weapon | Cork Commuter Coalition

Practices

Road Design and Conflict : Understandably, some of the areas of the plan will be revisited as a result of submissions. This may include areas where it has emerged that planned removal of trees is deeply unpopular with communities, or places where CPOs cannot go as far as intended. Where there becomes a new conflict, we urge the NTA and the BusConnects team to favor usage of local access only schemes, one-way access for motor traffic, usage of bus gates, reduction of road width, removal of turn lanes where safety allows, and other schemes which prioritize sustainable modes of transport. There’s only so much space in Cork, and modes of transport which move the most people have to be prioritized. 

Parking Census : We support the call for a ‘parking census’, to properly examine the parking habits of people in the city. We believe that this will provide useful information on how to make upgrades to the public realm ‘go down easier’ for local communities, as well as provide information on how surpluses of parking can be reduced in key areas in favor of sustainable mobility.

Bus shelters : While we acknowledge that the deployment of additional bus shelters is part of a separate element of the BusConnects process, we must bring attention to it here. Cork is a rainy city, but no rainer than other cities that have robust transport networks with high usage. Bus shelters need to become ubiquitous across the network in order to increase patronage and user experience. We recommend usage of a multitude of different designs depending on the

Low patronage stops, or those in especially tight corners (such as Bishopstown’s Farranlee Park stop) may make do with simple overhead shelters, whereas those with high ridership need far more robust shelter than those currently existing. We also recommend usage of pro-biodiverse grass topped bus shelters, as discussed in more detail in submission NTA-C9-769 by Green Spaces for Health.

Tax on private parking : Simply put, private parking, including those in out-of-town shopping centers, needs to be taxed as a benefit in kind. There needs to be real financial disincentive to the development of all parking, including private. Parking is an issue of induced demand – if paradise is paved in favor of parking lots, then people will drive more. With private parking being taxed, operators will feel part of the high cost that parking brings to wider society, and many will feel incentivized to opt for more socially favorable usages. To this end, it also gives relevant bodies an additional tool in the power to alter such parking developments to encourage more sustainable land use. 

Urban Realm Redesign

Many cities across Europe – from Portugal to Poland – have invested significantly in placemaking and urban design over the past few decades, creating streets, plazas, parks, and squares that are incredibly pleasant to pass time in, and which contribute strongly to the character of neighborhoods and the city as a whole. This is, unfortunately, decades ahead of Ireland’s approach, as we have just recently begun to approach urban design in the same way as our European counterparts. We would like to highlight designs for Cobh’s Public Realm Upgrades led by senior architect Giulia Vallone. In brief, these are fantastic designs which will positively benefit the town of Cobh, making use of public seating, lighting, and other focal features that promote social interaction, business, and relaxation in our urban spaces. BusConnects is as much a city reimagining as it is a transport plan – we strongly urge the NTA to utilize increased urban design features when implementing changes to urban towns and neighborhood centers. 

Opening Statement – Giulia Vallone, Senior Architect Cork County Council

Conclusion

All in all, BusConnects Cork is a project that will deliver Cork the transport infrastructure it deserves. The improved bus services and cycle infrastructure will be an immense benefit to the fastest growing city in Ireland, and will allow Cork to retain its claim as ‘the Real Capital’. BusConnects will be a major piece of the puzzle in rectifying decades of car-centric planning in Cork, and to that end, we hope that the project succeeds in its aims.

However, there still need to be significant upgrades in a variety of different areas. 

There are elements which can be completed sooner rather than later, such as tree replanting and further movement on the proposed Park and Rides. Certain approaches need to be relooked, such as usage of the Mangala, and the project’s approaches to public information. There are additional opportunities within the plan that need to be seized, such as usage of center running bus lanes, more one-way and local access only schemes, and increased attention to the positive effects on the urban realm which the project can enact. 

The NTA has been responsive to feedback during previous rounds of consultation on the Draft New Network, all while not sacrificing the core of what will make prospective plans a success. We hope that a similar approach will be taken here. We look forward to seeing the constructive ways that the NTA and the BusConnects team will implement feedback from us and from the people of Cork. 

With kind regards and hope for the future,

Cork Commuter Coalition

corkcommuter@gmail.com | www.twitter.com/corkcommuter | corkcommuter.wordpress.com

BusConnects Cork’s Infrastructural Investment Plan, Summarized

Yesterday, BusConnects took its next important step with the publication of its infrastructural report, announcing 75km of new bus lanes and 54km of new cycle lanes. Dubbed as new ‘sustainable corridors’, these important pieces of infrastructure pledge to help create a revitalized transport system for a growing city. But will it create the network of the future, or is it another plan without purpose?

What’s in the plan?

The report aims for 75km of new, continuous bus lanes, supported by a litany of other infrastructure to give buses priority over motor congestion. Many streets will reduce the number of motor traffic lanes to one way traffic in order to accommodate bus lanes, most notably the Douglas Road. Others will become bus-only, such as Main Street Ballincollig, while others will become bus gates with access for local traffic only, such as the Old Youghal Road and large sections of Watercourse Road. Important to note is that the proposed corridors below are NOT the new bus routes, but simply the infrastructure to support them – the new bus routes went to first consultation period in Q4 2021 (which you can read here). 

There’s also the aim of 54km of new bike lanes to either be built or improved upon, to support an increase in cycle as a form of travel in the Cork area. The vast majority of these mirror the proposed bus infrastructure during the transformation of individual streets. In other areas, these differ slightly from the bus infrastructure, owing to geographic factors (such as streets too thin to support both bus and cycle lanes).

The ideal street layout, where space permits.

These routes orient themselves along 12 corridors

• Dunkettle to City 
• Mayfield to City 
• Blackpool to City 
• Hollyhill to City 
• Ballincollig to City 
• Bishopstown to City 
• Togher to City 
• Airport Road to City 
• Maryborough Hill to City 
• Mahon to City 
• Kinsale Road to Douglas 
• Sunday’s Well to Hollyhill 

There’s also a number of smaller bits of information in the document as well. The final new network for bus service patterns will be unveiled in June of 2022, with implementation occurring between 2023 and 2024. Cork’s light rail corridor finally has an official name, and it is the (slightly uncreative) Luas Cork.

Appraisal

Continuous bus lanes are the most important part of any bus network – they ensure that buses arrive on time, and create the reliability needed to ensure the smart growth of such a network (and Cork as a whole). The new network will also place emphasis on making free transfers between buses to help create additional connection for residents, putting more jobs, educational opportunities, and amenities within easy access – and as such, deploying large amounts of bus lanes is key to ensuring that connection occurs, and is not simply making ‘waiting for a disappearing bus’ official policy. As the population grows, congestion will also grow exponentially, so the aims of such a scheme to provide a fast and reliable way of getting from A to B is also to be lauded.

The significant increase in properly separated cycle lanes is also highly welcome. Proper cycling facilities are necessary – while ideally cycle pathways would be far more widespread than in the plan, but twelve core, entirely separated routes are still an incredible welcome assessment, especially in the Northside where there’s a severe deficit in comparison to the rest of the city.

Feasibility

There’s always a ‘but’. This plan will require significant change to the regular traffic flow all over Cork City – something that is absolutely necessary to properly enact this city-changing scheme. Dozens of streets will see changes to their layout in order to accommodate these new bus and cycle lanes. In some areas, this is also going to require use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for acquiring pieces of driveways and gardens along major arteries, and on-street parking spaces are going to be transformed into bus lanes.

Of course, this isn’t always as simple as it should be, as recent history has shown. The Wilton Road bus and bike lane scheme in 2019 saw objection from residents and councillors over what would have been approximately a kilometer of bus lane, and was eventually cancelled – though its seemingly back on the table, albeit with the cycle route displaced to be adjacent to the Pres sports ground. More recently, the Curraheen Road cycle lane was swiss-cheesed with a 120-meter gap hammered in-between segments – if its this difficult to provide one cycle lane without a 120 meter gap, there are of course questions over how they’re going to successfully implement 54km of bike lane without this nitpicking and NIMBYism everywhere, all at once. Of course, with minor alterations the entire scheme is mechanically and engineerically possible, but objectionist politics may well get in the way again.

Indeed, certain TDs have already begun the guerilla warfare against this ambitious investment, deploying the old myth of ‘traffic chaos’ occurring in the Northside. For others, wary of being perceived as being against transport investment in Cork, have hung their hat on a promise of ‘a meaningful consultation’. The Irish Examiner, disappointingly, switched its headline from a positive framing to a negative one. Indeed, Minister for Transport Éamon Ryan has described the forthcoming procedure as ‘a battle’. 

Plan Shortcomings and Challenges

There’s also areas where the overall plan does come up a bit short. The focus on gardens and driveways will undoubtedly be a point of contention – the plan should instead center  around removing cars from streets as much as possible. To be noted, however, is that BusConnects Dublin initially had a higher intent on using CPOs on gardens and driveways, though after a round of consultation on the initial engineering works, this shifted toward greater usage of transitioning to one-way or local access-only motor traffic on streets, and usage of bus gates and bus priority signalling. There is the possibility that there’s an intentional repeat, and that it was deemed a satisfactory cause of events, though this is, of course, speculation.

There’s also no noted split-corridors, where the incoming bus lane travels along one street and the outgoing bus travels back along the other – though whether this is simply awaiting the engineering documents in a few months, or using it as a potential bargaining chip after the later community forums remains to be seen.

As we noted before, all elements of the BusConnects Plan are to be undertaken separately (which is why there’s a separate company devising the new routes, with a separate process for Park and Ride systems) – which could lead to disjointment 

While we’ve been assured that there’s a level of ‘cross-pollination’ of staff on schemes such as these that ensure they jell together effectively, there are (as always) questions remaining about certain elements. 

There is a large difference between the plans for infrastructural corridors and the draft new routes themselves. Large areas of the map are set to recieve little detailed plans for any form of new bus or cycle routes. Notable absences include the entire routes to Blarney and anything further south than about Douglas. While, yes, the corridors outlined are not finalized, its tough to imagine any significant increase or ‘new corridors’ included in the follow-up publication in June.  The 75km of new bus lanes also represents a small tick downward from the ‘approximately 100km’ detailed in the original Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy in 2019.

On some areas, its entirely possible to see where there’s a degree of rationalization – traffic flow for the proposed route between Ballincollig and Blarney is comparatively low enough that a bus could pass with little delay, though there’s of course no telling how motor congestion on such routes may evolve over the next few decades. In other parts, bus priority singalling may serve to successfully fill the gaps – though there is currently little details on these either. These gaps are the largest red flag in the entire plan, though can be addressed in a slightly scaled up version of the following consultation – or at least one with more information about other technical details. Even a follow-up ‘phase two’ of bus and cycle routes would be incredibly welcome.

The ambiguity of the schemes at current also raises questions. Will there be enough space to ensure that sidewalks don’t become clogged with street furniture, causing problems for those in wheelchairs or pushing buggies? Will other elements of best practice, such as center-running bus lanes also be used? How will the integration with the new Park and Ride systems look? These are likely issues whose extent will arise as the engineering plans are published in full in the coming months, though of course it’s good to be thinking about in advance.

Others have pointed out a few other issues with the plan, such as the unrealistic gradients which are expected of cyclists on certain parts of the network. Cycling in hilly cities is absolutely possible – though requires a bit more on the ground knowledge of an ‘offline’ cycling route at a gradient of 13%.

Screenshot from a video about bus priority signalling

Concrete Gains

It’s very easy to lob criticisms at such a plan (and we’ll likely see large quantities of both fair and bad-faith criticism in the coming few months). But, the time savings are immense with the new corridors, and will thoroughly combat congestion as the population grows significantly. The bus times from Mahon to the City go from 30 minutes to 17 minutes, versus an increase to 36 minutes with no new measures. Maryborough-City goes from 33 to 14. Togher to Cork will take just 9 minutes, and Hollyhill and Blackpool to the City are cut by about 15 minutes each. It’s hard to argue with these genuine improvements to commute time. This is also something that needs to be very, very heavily leaned on during consultation processes to ensure NIMBYism is kept at bay, even slightly. Coupled with the 90-minute fare, new bus stop infrastructure, and new electric buses themselves, it will absolutely change the way your ordinary Corkonian gets around the city.

Conclusion

The infrastructural elements of BusConnects, at least as they appear now, are solid, and will be a proactive step to better bus transport – something the city desperately needs, and fast (especially given this is a plan to go into effect by 2024, not 2040). Of course, there can always be more work done, and kilometers added to either the bus and bike lane plan. There is the major, major risk that NIMBYism and objectioneering seriously impact the actual implementation of the scheme, so inroads will really have to be made with rolling out the community consultations in June, and utilize the community to improve any parts that can be improved – though the foot may need to be put down a bit more, to ensure that there’s no derailment by immovable objections.

Cork Commuter Coalition 2nd Birthday + Year Recap

This week, the Cork Commuter Coalition celebrates its second birthday. Since being founded in early 2020, we have fiercely advocated for improved public transport and active mobility throughout the Cork Metropolitan Area and beyond. While early 2020 wasn’t exactly the most opportune time to be setting up an organization, we are of course glad that we have seen such support and embrace from the people of Cork, and transport advocates throughout Ireland. 

As a group, we’ve done a lot in the last year. We’ve provided input for more and better transport in the multitude of consultations this year, including for the National Development Plan and the Cork City Development Plan, as well as for other local and regional schemes. 

It’s been a big year for buses in Cork, with the design phases of BusConnects Cork in full swing. We’ve written analyses and recaps of the Cork BusConnects Draft New Network, and provided coverage of each of the public meetings in a bid to increase public understanding of the draft new network, and the logic and reasoning behind many of the choices. The Connecting Ireland scheme for intercity and regional buses also saw a launch, which we were pleased to provide a recap of, as well as a detailed submission for both plans. 

Just over six weeks ago, we published our West Cork Rail Report, the first in-depth analysis of a potential return of railways to West Cork since their unfortunate removal back in the 1960s. A labor of many months, we were enormously pleased that the report has received support from a wide array of media, politicians, and West Corkonians alike, shifting the frame and public discussion about what is possible for West Cork. While the idea has been well and truly put into the public sphere, there’s a large battle ahead in behind the scenes work. 

Kent to Clon, anyone?

We’re also thrilled that our chairperson, Ciarán Meers, has been selected as a member of the National Transport Authority’s Transport Users Advisory Group, a new advisory group set to provide input on transport policy. We eagerly await the opportunity to push for progressive transport policies both from within this group, while also informing our pushes from the outside. 

Of course, it hasn’t all been roses – there have been a number of setbacks both in Cork and across the country, from haphazard cycle lanes to disappointing delays of transport projects. However, we show no signs of slowing down. There’s lots to come in the next year, including the final New Network for Cork BusConnects in the coming weeks or months. The All Island Strategic Rail Review is expected to publish the results of the initial consultation in the coming months, which we will be watching for the inclusion of rail lines to West Cork. There’ll also be the litany of other consultations, projects, and schemes, which we look forward to seeing and engaging with – and more projects and campaigns from us as well.

We’re also thrilled to welcome the Galway Commuter Coalition to the fray. After a shortsighted decision by the Galway City Council to cancel a cycleway trial, and the disappointing decision to push forward with the Galway Ring Road, its truly excellent that there’s ordinary citizens in Galway (and indeed around the country) standing up against the business-as-usual approach to cars and congestion, and instead focusing on a greener future for transport. If you’re not already, you can follow them on Twitter at @GalwayCommuter, and if you’re from, in, or love Galway and wish to offer assistance, you can reach out at galwaycommutercoalition@gmail.com. 

Of course, there’s a long list of people to thank. To name just a few – JJ and Ellie from Tripe+Drisheen, who on many occasions have given us a platform for informing the people for Cork about the latest transport developments; people at the Cork Cycling Campaign and other groups we’ve worked with; and Caoimhín from the Dublin Commuter Coalition, who has provided us with both nice graphics and guidance – and is now leaving the DCC for a Communications position with the NTA (best of luck!). And of course, a thank you to everyone who has engaged with us, submitted to one of the endless consultation periods, or simply thought that bit more about transportation – we’d be nothing without the Corkonians we represent. 

If you want to get that bit more involved yourself, we’re going to be exploring new ways to expand the Cork Commuter Coalition within the coming months, so be sure to stay tuned!

If you’re involved with a group or organization; are in politics and want to reach out on policy; or are an ordinary Corkonian with a question – our email is corkcommuter@gmail.com, and we can be reached on Twitter at @corkcommuter.  

Release – Publication of the West Cork Rail Report

The Cork Commuter Coalition is tremendously pleased to publish our most recent project, the West Cork Rail Report. This document is an analysis of many of the opportunities, difficulties, and solutions that bringing railways back to West Cork will entail. This is not a hard-and-fast proposal, but rather an examination of the different options and choices that are available to ensure the efficient and effective return of rail to the towns and villages of West Cork.

Since the last passenger train journey in West Cork occurred in 1961, these historic rail corridors have been written off as a lost cause. There have been zero reports and zero studies by any government authorities into how to approach rail in West Cork. As such, the West Cork Rail Report is highly significant, as it is the first major examination into the reopening of the West Cork railways.

This report examines three main corridors – Cork-Macroom, Cork-Bandon-Clonakilty-Skibbereen-Bantry, and Cork-Passage West-Kinsale. We also analyze different rail types, issues in connecting to Cork City, and the legacy of past rail corridors.

This report is written in the lead up to the All Island Strategic Rail Review, a re-examination of the rail networks in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with the aim of potentially re-opening many regional and intercity corridors. We strongly urge all readers to give their input to the consultation period before Jan. 21 at https://strategicrailreview.com/feedback/ .

The Cork Commuter Coalition can be contacted for additional comment, questions, or queries at corkcommuter@gmail.com, or on Twitter at @corkcommuter.

West Cork Rail Report.pdf
View Report

Cork Commuter Coalition Submission to the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042

The below submission is on the behalf of the Cork Commuter Coalition, an advocacy group pushing for better public transport and sustainable mobility in the Cork Metropolitan Area. We are a Cork based group, and as such, our attention is focused mainly on projects and schemes in the Cork Metropolitan Area. However, sometimes there are plans elsewhere in the country that have significant repercussions on transport in Cork. The GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042 is one such plan.

Our main objection focuses around the rail aspect of the plan, and specifically the Dart+ Tunnel, formerly known as the Interconnector, between Heuston and Connolly Stations. These two main termini are the endpoints of the Cork to Dublin and Dublin to Belfast routes respectively. The distance between them makes any connection between these stations difficult, and makes a direct Cork to Belfast route almost impossible. It is with disappointment that we note the Dart+ Tunnel has been omitted from the remit of this plan, and simply delayed until the post-2042 period. Of the three major cities on this island, Cork and Belfast are the only pair without a direct rail connection. The lengthy travel gap between Connolly and Heuston significantly increases the travel time between these two cities – from between 4 and 5 hours by car, compared to 6 hours by train (including cross-Dublin interchange) – making travel by car comparatively more attractive to travel by train. There are also notable economic implications from this, as with less connectivity comes less integration, and reduces any chance of taking opportunity from Northern Ireland’s unique post-Brexit constitutional position, and creating a more unified coastal economy between Cork, Dublin, and Belfast. 

At a time when the Europe-wide trend is more rail connection between major cities, it is disappointing to see that rail connection between these major cities is being abandoned to a future generation. While there are other issues with the GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042, such as similarly stretched timeframes for many planned Luas routes, we feel that our friends and colleagues at the Dublin Commuter Coalition will be best placed to comment on these. 

Yours,

Members of the Cork Commuter Coalition

The BusConnects Cork Draft New Network – a lot to be happy (and sceptical) about

The Cork Commuter Coalition position on BusConnects Cork’s Draft New Network : a very promising and forward-facing new network, albeit with underlying process issues.

Introduction

By now, BusConnects Cork’s Draft New Network has run through all of its public consultation meetings, has published all relevant documents, and as such it’s time to give a thorough evaluation of the proposed service upgrades to the Cork Metropolitan Area.

Thankfully, there is a lot to love in the proposal document. Through the level of detail given, it’s clear that there’s been a lot of time and consideration put into creating a bus network that is fit for Cork’s future, as it grows to be a city of half a million people (with 800,000 in the Metropolitan Area) by the middle of the century. The proposal doesn’t shy away from using new service types, and from embracing and adapting patterns of service that are found in transport systems in larger cities, and often draws on the best practice seen in European cities known for having excellent public transport networks.

A map of BusConnects Cork’s Draft New Network

Welcome Alterations

First and foremost, it is best to discuss the general shape that the new network takes. A lot of bus routes which haven’t been significantly updated since their inception receive new service patterns, better suiting the area and the city which they are designed to serve. For instance, the 220, a route of over 30 kilometers (and hence often subject to more delays), has been split into routes of more manageable distances.

There has also been great consideration given to experimenting with patterns of services drawing on best practice from elsewhere in Ireland and in Europe: in particular Cobh, an area in the metropolitan region connected by rail with a population of about 13,000 people that is zoned for densification and future growth, will receive its own dedicated Cobh Town Bus service. The area around Kinsale, Carrigaline, and Ringaskiddy will receive increased service throughout the region deviating from previous ‘traditional commuter’ patterns which focused on bringing people to Cork and back.

The new Cobh Town Bus Service

Frequent service plans contained in this scheme are also to be lauded. As the slogan goes, frequency is freedom – when service is so frequent that you don’t need to check the bus timetable, you can be assured that more people are going to use the service. Many of the statistics speak for themselves – the number of residents near a frequent bus route will increase by 34%. 

Excuse the low image quality – but the difference is plain to see

There are almost across-the-board increases in accessibility to jobs, educational institutions, and shopping areas, with almost all areas in the metropolitan area seeing increases in geographic distance travelable within an hour. The expansion of geographic access is also positive, with many more areas seeing bus routes for the first time. There are other bits that can be given focus on looking closer at the details of the plan for instance the orbital route, which will connect more existing bus routes, allowing for interchange and suburb-to-suburb connections, seems to have been drawn with particular care, given the issues that frequently arise with the planning and execution of orbital routes in many cities.

A map showing the changes in access to jobs within 60 minutes – increased access is in purple

There are however some questions remaining about individual aspects of this scheme. For instance there are areas in Ballyvolane which are zoned as a strategic housing development zone – encompassing a massive 700 houses – which actually sees bus service reduced from the existing frequency period, at a time when the population of the area will correspondingly increase significantly.  However these issues seem to be the exception, not the rule. Any new proposal will of course have its issues, and BusConnects Draft New Network thankfully doesn’t proclaim to be perfect. Of course the consultation period remains open until Friday the 10th, so if you see issues like this in your community, by all means please give your input! As evidenced by the impact the open consultation period this summer had on this Draft Network, your concerns really are listened to, so be sure to make your voice heard. 

Project Issues

Despite the many good and notable aspects of this plan there are however some underlying issues to the project which have become more evident a problem with the publication of the draft new network.

While from the outset of the plan there has been mention of the separation of the infrastructure procurement from the route design process, the issues with this are becoming more evident with the current plan. One of the key barriers to regular use of the bus for many Corkonians is the fact that it simply does not run on time enough to be reliable. As has been seen in many cities, and in many systems, fully connected bus lane networks are the main and the key component to ensuring buses run on time, are reliable, and are therefore used by the citizens of Cork. As concerningly mentioned in one of the consultation meetings, not only will there not be bus lanes and bus infrastructure on every part of the road that routes will go down. Most concerningly, the route design process openly labels that the success of this new network is dependent on ‘assumption’ of ‘faster, more reliable bus service’. 

There are also fears expressed by us that the disconnect between the route design and the infrastructure procurement will be sufficiently large enough to impact the success of the plan. As well as basing this concern off the fact that it is only obvious that these two elements of design are joined together, there are also concerns that every element of this plan (nine in total) are being dealt with separately. For instance, areas such as bus shelters and park and ride systems are further considered separately areas of the plan – designed and implemented separately – is of course of concern to us. 

Each of the 9 separate areas of the scheme – it is only natural that such a large project is dealt with in more manageable chunks, but is total separation the most effective way to go?

There is also an unfortunate mention that there will likely be a phased implementation of these new routes – a process in Dublin that is noted as creating unnecessary confusion among public transport users.

Nightmare Scenario?

This disjointment sounds bad, but it does get slightly worse when put into a real life scenario. While most journeys will continue to utilize one singular route, a new focus to the system is interchange, where it is free of cost to transfer from one bus route to another, with additional network elements planned such as greater coordination of public transport timetables to ensure that people can make maximum usage of the transfer systems. 

There is also to be a function known as pulsing – where a number of buses arrive at a stop, and wait briefly to allow passengers to interchange. Altogether, these form a part of a highly functional system – though you might have noticed it requires all buses involved to be on time. One can imagine the scenario if routes change, and many Corkonians see their regular journey now has shorter total travel time because it requires an interchange. Though without sufficient bus infrastructure, many of the timing and reliability issues will likely persist, resulting in buses continuing to be late – though now with the added downside of a higher number of people missing connections. Coupled with the shock to the system that will be the switch to the new routes, the nightmare scenario would be where the ineffectiveness of interchanges means that the bad publicity about the new network seriously impacts  – going from a reputation of “always late’’ to one of ‘’always late and leaves you standing in the cold’’, and seriously impacting what should be an incredibly effective launch.

Joined Up Thinking

This goes on to show a greater lack of “joined up thinking“ within a lot of government transportation plans. While this goes beyond BusConnects as a whole, it is undeniable that it is a key element within it. For example, there has been no mention of the expanded Park and Ride system, which was first announced within the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy in 2019. In the recent Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility scheme where there was the curious omission of any mention of the new Limerick rail lines, which were soft announced in the National Development Plan 2042. One must also wonder what the scenario will be with the All Island Strategic Rail Review – if (by some miracle) we see new rail corridors connecting West Cork to the national rail network from Cork City, will there be a second reconfiguration of certain bus routes to accommodate station transfers? Or will there be a period where certain infrastructure remains disconnected once more?

Just some of the many different schemes, strategies, and plans relating to transport in Cork
Affecting one leads to a knock on effect for the others – a sign of disjointed planning.

Naturally (and we can’t stress this enough) this is something we hope that we are wrong about. We hope that there is “joined up thinking” and that there is sufficient co-ordination between infrastructure and route design, and all the other bells and whistles that go into making it an efficient and unified transport system.

And as we mentioned above, there are of course the (comparatively minor) issues with night service. Cork City has pioneered Ireland’s first 24/7 bus route – the 220 – which has been a boon to clubbers and late-night workers alike. While the Ballincollig-Carrigaline service will continue from midnight to 5am, there has been a missed opportunity to create a night bus network, by making a number of major routes run 24/7. This could also be a key part to ensuring the revival of the city’s nightlife industry in the post-Covid period.

A night bus network could help stimulate and grow Cork’s nighttime economy, and provide essential service to those working non-traditional hours

Conclusion

Overall, this plan can be considered a coup for transport in Cork. It focuses on the future of Cork in a way that will facilitate both the city’s and the region’s economic growth and social development, while also considering key goals such as spatial balance and climate targets. While no plan will be perfect, and there are minor issues with a lot of different aspects of this, these are generally things that can be teased out and improved upon with additional consultation from the public – this plan draws heavily on the input of Corkonians as expressed in the previous consultation period (in case you’re harboring any doubts over whether your opinion will be listened to!) . However – there are lingering questions about a number of different elements of this plan and how they intersect with necessary here to objectives such as the delivery of protected infrastructure and other parts of the scheme that or no less important in ensuring a large integrated and outward looking for transport future for quarter the city and the surrounding region.

The submission period lasts until this Friday, the 10th of December. Detailed information about the project as a whole, your individual area, and the submission form is visible online here at https://busconnects.ie/busconnects-cork/.

Killarney to Skibbereen direct? The Connecting Ireland bus scheme, explained

This Friday, the National Transit Authority announced the ‘Connecting Ireland’ scheme, which will see a significant investment in rural transportation across Ireland, with a specific focus on expanding existing service, while also providing additional new routes. This is to take the form of increased bus services, as well as increased functionality of LocalLink services. There is also focus on improving the connectivity between services, and greater coordination of bus timetables. According to the NTA publication, over 70 percent of the population will now have a connection that provides at least 3 weekday return trips every weekday to the nearest town. There is a public consultation survey currently ongoing, and will last until early 2022, when the feedback is analyzed and used to inform further changes to the proposals. Implementation will occur on a phased basis from 2022 to 2025. The project will cost €10 million per year for the duration of the plan (2021 to 2025).
Cork in particular will receive additional bus services. With the plans coming fully into effect in 2025, it will align with the delivery of Cork Metropolitan Area’s BusConnects scheme. The full document on service changes, including maps and full route descriptions, can be found here.

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Under this proposal, there are three different delineations for routes – regional corridors, which are the main routes between different regions, cities, and other major hubs across a significant geographic distance. For all of the main routes, there will be an increase of service. There will also be two new services, the 2A, running from Killarney to Skibbereen, and the 9 from Mallow to Dungarvan. 

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The second tier of service is the local routes. These primarily connect different second tier towns and economic hubs. There is significant restructuring along many parts of existing routes. All of these have at least three return trips per day, the minimum that the scheme deems frequent enough to constitute reasonable access. Many of these restructured routes expand access to towns not currently served by bus routes.

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There is also a set of routes that will receive no change to their setup, though it is noted that these are not set in stone, and there is room for future alteration, especially if there is increased usage. These are primarily bus routes between Cork City and second-tier towns in Cork County and elsewhere in Munster. Though of course, if you’re not happy about your route not getting increased frequency, you’re highly encouraged to mention this in your survey submission!

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Overall, most (if not the vast majority) of the major settlements will be connected with bus routes as a result of the scheme, including the expansion of access to towns and villages currently without it, including
– Dromina
– Freemount
– Churchtown
– Liscarroll
– Shanballymore
– Castletownroche
– Ballyhooly
– Bweeng
– Ladysbridge
– Dromahane
– Boherbue
– Knocknagree
– Union Hall
– Castletownsend
– Durrus
– Kilcrohane
– Dursey Island (via Cable Car)

One of the more important changes to the setup as well is that scheduling will be more co-ordinated with local industry, weekend routines, and tourist seasons – basically that times will be tailored to ensure no one is left with no options after a night out or late finishes in the summer. It also means that if there’s a major employment center nearby, there will be a bus arriving before 9 in the morning, and a bus departing after 5 in the evening. There will also be more co-ordination between bus and train timetables, allowing bus routes to ‘feed’ into train services. It is also foreseeable that the city-bound parts of these routes will also benefit from increased reliability because of protected bus lanes during Cork BusConnects. 

There has also been a commitment to keep prices the same for passengers, and new services will continue to accept Free Travel Scheme passes. The entire scheme will cost €10 million per year of the plan (2021-2025), for a total of €50 million – for comparison, BusConnects Cork will cost €545 million (though, naturally has a significantly higher scope over a longer period of time), and Dublin’s white water rafting facility will cost €25 million.

The survey submission period will last until early 2022, and everyone is highly encouraged to provide their input here, especially if your area is omitted from the scheme!

Cork City Development Plan Submission

The Cork Commuter Coalition is a group advocating for improved public transport infrastructure and services in the Cork Metropolitan Area. Below is our submission to the Cork City Development Plan 2022-28. Our submission encompasses five different areas (bus, Luas, rail, other transport, and other), and provides input on what we believe would make Cork City a better place to live, work, do business, learn, and enjoy oneself. By no means an exhaustive list, it outlines what we believe the City Council can do to improve transport from 2022-28 and beyond, including working with various groups to achieve vital improvements for the people of Cork.

Bus

BusConnects

Cork’s major bus network redesign project, BusConnects, is due for completion within the timeline of the City Development Plan, with the first publication of the expected routes coming in the next few weeks. This is an incredibly important aspect of Cork’s public transport strategy, as it provides the largest medium-term benefit to transport in the city. An improved bus service will make using and relying on public transport a lot more feasible for many Corkonians. As such, there are a number of key points which it is important for Cork City Council to support within the City Development Plan.

Infrastructure and Routes

• BusConnects must aim to be at the maximum possible scope in terms of delivery of separated lane infrastructure. One of the key obstacles to reliability at current is buses that get stuck in traffic, causing delays and frustration amongst commuters – making public transport reliable is key to creating a strong public transport system, and will increase its usage as a whole.  
• The delivery of such infrastructure should include, insofar as possible, removal of two-way traffic on streets if it impacts the ability to deliver continuous, connected bus lanes throughout the entire network. 
• BusConnects also needs to see increased usage of different forms of priority measures to ensure bus lanes remain free of cars, including significantly increased usage of bus gates (including on Patrick’s Street), and the usage of bus priority signalling. 
• Taxis should no longer be permitted to use bus lanes, and Cork City Council should lobby the NTA to end the decades-long ‘trial’ of private taxis using bus lanes.
• The strategy should also support the usage of center running platforms wherever possible, which ensure that buses are not delayed by cars at turning points and intersections. 
• The strategy would also benefit from the fast tracking of Park and Ride services at key sites outlined in CMATS, which would replicate the successes of the Black Ash Park and Ride at drawing cars away from the city center. 

Unified Delivery

• BusConnects should aim for a unified delivery of the updated network – namely that all redesigned routes should go into effect on a single date. The process should not be a piecemeal implementation, with different routes becoming active from different dates. This gradual implementation has seen difficulties in Dublin, creating avoidable  confusion among city residents. 

Map Redesign and Branding

• Maps should possess a greater relevance in the wayfinding of the network, especially as the network aims for greater use of transfers between bus routes. As well as the need for creating familiarity among Corkonians with the new network, it is also the fact that the current map is significantly underused, not appearing on bus stops or other public information spaces. A new map should be sought from among Cork’s many skilled graphic designers, potentially in a public competition of some sort.
• Useful for those who may not be as well-versed in using the network, as well as other groups such as tourists, students, and the elderly. 

Luas

In light of the delay of Metrolink, the Cork City Development plan has to strongly reaffirm its commitment not just to the delivery of the Cork light rail corridor, but also to its delivery ahead of the initial timeframe. 

Cork has the opportunity to be a national leader in the delivery of rapid transit, and the speeding up of the Cork Luas timeframe would be a massive vote of confidence in public transport in Cork. We would like to see that the Luas is in a position for delivery by the early 2030s, which provides a massively improved rapid transit system for public use, while also enabling growth and the delivery of housing to occur in and around rapid transit stations. 

Naturally, in line with this advanced timeline, construction would have to begin around the middle of this decade, or about 2025. While this is a significantly sped up affair, we believe that, taking into account existing engineering and planning works on the emerging preferred route, with political will, that initial construction would be ready to begin by 2025.

We would also like to see more information published in the meantime – information publicly available has been incredibly sparse – even the names of stops or details of vehicles have not been made available. 

With the intent that Cork is a metropolitan area of 500,000 people by 2040, it is critical that this vital piece of transportation infrastructure is delivered so that major population centers can grow and develop around the corridor.

Rail

As per the recent National Recovery and Resilience Plan, electrification of the Cork suburban rail is one of major projects set for delivery within the timeframe of this Development Plan. Naturally, we are in support of such developments, and are looking forward to their delivery. Nonetheless, there are a number of other suggestions which can be used to improve both the service quality and the quality of usage overall.

• There is currently no information available on the expected service pattern for the electrified service. It is expected to have a 10-minute frequency to all points of the system. The through-running at Kent Station will enable these trains to travel directly from one end to the other. As such, we believe that immediate publication of the service pattern will help inform greater public understanding of the project as a whole.

• The Cork suburban rail currently lacks any major commitment to improved branding, such as DART-style branding. The ‘Cork suburban rail’ identifier is not sufficient in creating an identity for the service, and does not successfully draw together the services offered as part of the Cork suburban rail system. Creation of a single service type would improve wayfinding and establish the services as distinct from other trains. One suggestion would be the use of COMET – COrk METtropolitan Rail – though an equally satisfactory name would be sought through public consultation; as long as it is more modern sounding than ‘the CART’. 
• The City Development Plan should also strongly enunciate its support for both a West Cork and an East Cork Rail Feasibility Study. It is the simple fact that Cork City is highly reliant on a strong Cork County to support its own growth, and some systems are or have the potential to be intrinsically linked, such as farming and secondary industry in West Cork, major county towns, city suburbs, and the city itself. 
• This also would provide major connectivity benefits for western suburbs and city area itself – extension of the eastern commuter line to Youghal and Waterford would create greater links within Munster and southeastern Ireland as a whole, moving away from a network that is entirely Dublin centric. 
• While, naturally, it is highly unlikely that such projects could see delivery within the time of the Cork City Development Plan, we instead urge the city council to pursue feasibility studies as part of the All-Island Rail Review. There are many different forms, positives, cautions, and impacts which the return of rail would bring, and an investigation into doing so would be incredibly beneficial to resident populations, and to our understanding of the expansion of rail in Ireland as a whole.

Other Transport

While reimagining what Cork can truly be, we also see the opportunity to reimagine what types of transport that we could see in Cork. This is an opportunity to investigate new modes of transportation that help bring transport access to new people, and create a more integrated and expansive transportation network.

A water taxi or ferry service would be a boon to a city which is as much defined by the sea as it is the land. Many of Cork’s major population centers are located in proximity to waterways or Cork Harbour, so a form of transportation linking water-based communities would nicely compliment road and rail based public transport, especially in linking communities separated by the Cork Harbour, such as Cobh, Ringaskiddy, Crosshaven, and Passage West. Many other European and American cities operate water transport as part of their regular transport network, which provides a useful template in trialling such a service. 

Public transport usage is, at times, difficult to use for those with significant mobility difficulties. While work has been made at improving access at stations and on buses for those who need mobility aids, this may not be sufficient for all who rely on public transport. We would support the introduction of a paratransit system, which provides public transport usage to those with disabilities who are unable to rely on the mainline bus or train network. This is roughly comparable to an on-demand LocalLink service, which provides direct services for those with such disabilities. A trial of this service would be easily accomplishable, and would help make Cork a city that truly aims to be inclusive of those with disabilities. 

Other

There are also a number of other important issues which can be tackled to make Cork and transport in Cork better. These include :

• Car free weekends, to show that the city center is at its best when it is open for people, not for cars. In future years, the Jazz Weekend would be an excellent candidate.
• Continue pedestrianization of streets, especially outside of the city center. The much publicized pedestrianization of 17 city center streets was an excellent step forward for rejuvenating Cork City, and it would be excellent to see similar schemes in Cork’s urban towns and suburban areas.
• Schemes to tackle dereliction in Cork, such as the acquisition and refurbishment of derelict properties.
• The creation of more urban parks. For a green country, Cork has a surprising dearth of green areas and public plazas. However, useful steps to tackling these absences include acquisition of parking lots or other brownfield sites.
• The pursuing of other ‘quick win’ policies in the meantime, encompassing everything from building painting schemes, to free transport weekends, and everything in between.
• Other infrastructure to support both cycling and walking as methods of sustainable transport, including major investment in segregated cycle lanes, and schemes to improve permeability (especially in boom-era estates).
• Support of the Lee2Sea greenway, which would create an essential urban greenway spine for both commuting, tourism, and leisure.

The Cork Commuter Coalition welcomes announcement of investment in the Cork suburban rail

The Cork Commuter Coalition is very pleased to hear of the announcement of investment in the Cork suburban rail line as part of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan announced on June 1st, 2021. We have been advocating for fast-tracking of aspects of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy for several months, so are of course pleased that elements of CMATS plans for the commuter rail system are to be expedited; especially insofar as to be included with the Covid recovery schemes. The construction of new aspects of this line will provide employment, while also making Cork a more attractive destination for tourism, foreign investment, and enabling more flexible commuting for people in Cork and Cork’s metropolitan area.

The aspects of this announced scheme include the double-tracking of the Glountane to Midleton railway infrastructure, the construction of a new through running platform at Kent Station, and improved signalling operations. Greater movements towards the opening of new stations at Blarney/Stoneview, Blackpool/Kilbarry, and Tivoli are also welcome, especially with the focus on transit-oriented development around these stations, which will make using the rail system easier for existing and future residents of these areas. This is also necessary for improving transportation links on Cork’s Northside, which has seen little of the investment in active travel and public transport provided to the Southside throughout the past year and a half. Paving the way for systemwide electrification is also welcome, both from an environmental perspective, as well as the increased reliability which electrified services can bring.

While this investment remains very positive news, there are of course additional, low-effort works that can be done to further improve the Cork suburban rail. We call on the government to investigate improved system branding (similar to the DART system branding), publish information relating to the expected service pattern owing to the construction of the through-running platform at Kent Station, and to introduce free or flat-rate system transfers between bus and rail to create a truly integrated public transport network. While yesterday’s announcement is welcomed, the lack of specific published timeframe, beyond defining it as ‘before Budget 2022’ is a puzzling omission. Despite the dedication to improving capacity on the line, there also has been no mention of the deployment of additional rolling stock on the line. We have also contacted the Department of Transportation for further information about the itemized budget for this investment project, as well as a more detailed timeline.

Nonetheless, this has been a very appreciated announcement, and will make public transport usage easier, cheaper, and more feasible for tens of thousands of Corkonians. We look forward to the implementation of this, and hope to see similar expedited schemes for Cork’s light rail network and BusConnects Cork.

Ciarán Meers,

Chairperson of the Cork Commuter Coalition