Services

Cycling is a healthy and sustainable way of travelling around the city and can often be quicker than driving a car over shorter distances in the congested inner city streets! As Cork is luckily a compact city, many local, daily journeys are easily made by bicycle.

However, encouraging cycling in Cork requires a range of measures including the introduction of physical improvements to the local road network for cyclists (in parallel to car restraint measures), the development of cycling facilities and the increase of driver and cyclist awareness.

Cork City Cycling Strategy

As Cork City Council recognises the importance of cycling in the development of an Integrated Transport System, it commissioned transportation consultants in order to develop a safe and comprehensive cycle network in Cork City and its environs. Consequently, the Cork City Cycling Strategy was formally adopted in 2004 to increase bike use while reducing accidents involving cyclists. Substantial investment is underway in the city's cycle network and facilities.

This report can be downloaded by selecting the link below.

Cycling Strategy (PDF) (36KB)

Cycling Strategy (HTML) (21KB)

Cycle Audit

Cycle Audit is a systematic process, applied to planned changes to the transport network, which is designed to ensure that opportunities to encourage cycling are considered comprehensively and that cycling conditions are not inadvertently made worse.

In short, Cycle Audit is used to examine new road schemes for cycle-friendliness. It involves the auditing of schemes at various stages of design and implementation.  

Cycle Parking Policy

The introduction of good quality cycle parking is a key element in favor of a cycling-friendly environment. Cycle parking spaces are provided at all major destinations, including schools and other educational sites, hospitals, large employment sites, public transport interchanges, leisure attractions and many others.

Cork City Council continues to install new bicycle stands for any new developments and existing built-up areas.

The Cycling Policy Guidance Note is available hereunder: 

Cycle Policy Guidance Note (191KB)

Recommended Cycling Routes

The recommended cycling routes make the best use of existing cycling lanes and roads as well as facilities (bicycle racks, etc.), while sharing roads with cars when the cycling network is interrupted.

The recommended cycling routes link the main areas / key institutions of Cork (third level education sits, hospitals, business parks, outlets, neighbourhoods, etc.) to the city centre and allow a pleasant, fast and safe commuting trip by bike.

The map of recommended cycling routes in Cork is actually in preparation with an expected issue on this website in 2008.

Cycling Events in 2009

Cork City Council is promoting cycling awareness and bicycle use and by developing a vast range of activities and shows with local partners:

• Back on my Bike (28^th February/1^st March 2009): Free “cycle in the city” training courses dedicated to adults who wish to cycle more often but do not feel confident in traffic.
• Bike Flea Market (21^st March 2009): the not-to-be-missed opportunity to buy or sell a second-hand bicycle and bicycle accessories.
• Joy of Cycling Story Telling Competition (1^stApril - 31^st May 2009) Story telling competition for adults and children on the joy of cycling.   See below for details.
•  “Bike to Work” Week (14^th-21^st June 2009): one week to promote commuting on two-wheels and improve cycling to and from the work place in association with Ireland’s first ‘Bike to Work’ week.
• Cork Cycling Arts Festival (20^th-26^th July 2009): Cork’s second arts festival to celebrate the bicycle culture in Cork: cycles, art exhibition, public meeting, movie nights and much more.
• Cycling Advocacy Meeting (20^th July 2009): this public meeting is organised by University College Cork and Cork Cycling Campaign as part of Cork Cycling Arts Festival and will offer a two-hour session of talks by local and international speakers followed by a public debate; 
• European Mobility Week (16^th -22^nd September 2009): European Mobility Week is an international event to highlight how you travel and what impact that has on your health, your finances and the Environment. People are invited to use sustainable transport options, including cycling, for their daily trips.
• Rebel Pedal! (19^th September 2009): Cork Environmental Forum’s enticing and joyful bike parade in the city of Cork, as part of European Mobility Week. See below for details.
• Bike Fashion Show (7 November 2009): a celebratory show and exhibition of the latest trends in innovative bikes, raingear, winter clothes and lights. Refer to http://www.cyclechic.org/ for details.
• Warm Drinks for Cyclists (December 2009): warm drinks will be offered to the brave commuters riding their bicycles in winter.

Rebel Pedal 2009

Cork Environmental Forum and Cork City Council are delighted to report that the 2009 Rebel Pedal bicycle parade which took place on Saturday morning the 19th of September was once again a great success. 

The event was the main event of Cork’s European Mobility Week activities and attracted a group of 400 riders to dress up, ring their bells and toot their horns for cycling in the city. 

Lord Mayor Dara Murphy and Senator Dan Boyle were on hand to launch the parade this year on the eve of the Rebel County’s clash with Kerry in the All-Ireland final.

This annual procession, now in its 9th year since it began as a small Cork Environmental Forum bike ride around the city, is aimed at promoting the cycling community and culture.  A crowd of onlookers were drawn to the start line on Oliver Plunkett St.  where they saw a huge throng of colour and noise as experienced and occasional cyclists and their families came out in large numbers for a fun and high-spirited ride around the city centre.  The 45 minute parade ended at the Atlantic Pond where a picnic party and entertainment awaited and endured long into the evening. 

European Mobility Week took place simultaneously in hundreds of cities around the continent this week where millions of Europeans took part in a wide range of activities coordinated by local authorities dedicated to the promotion of sustainable mobility. 

For more information about the Rebel Pedal or Cork Environmental Forum please contact:

Patrick Treacy

Development Coordinator
Cork Environmental Forum

Telephone:  021 465 1734 / 086 361 9139
Email: patrick@cef.ie 

Joy of Cycling Story Telling Competition 2009

Many stories were submitted for the Joy of Cycling Story Telling Competition. The winning adult and children stories can be viewed below -

Adult Winners Joy of Cycling

Childrens Winners Joy of Cycling 

Various organisations in Cork are working in favor of cycling.

Cork Cycling Campaign is working to encourage cycling and to represent the interests of Corkonian cyclists day after day:

http://corkcyclingcampaign.com/index.htm

Cork Community Bikes is developing a do-it-yourself bike workshop for the community to use; their work aims to salvage unwanted bicycles from the waste stream, repair them and resell them as well as to promote the use of bicycles:

http://www.corkcommunitybikes.com/

The local branch of “An Óige” organises free-of-charge group cycles on a regular basis in Cork and its surroundings:

http://www.anoige.ie/

The An Óige Cork - Kerry Regional Group Programme 2008 - 2009 can be downloaded by selecting the link below:

An Óige Cork - Kerry Regional Group Programme 2008 - 2009

Contact

Please contact us for more information:

Transportation Planning and Management Division,
Cork City Council
City Hall ,

Anglesea Street,

Cork.
Tel: 021 492 4657
Fax: 021 492 4782
E-mail: traffic@corkcity.ie