Updated proposals for BusConnects released
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has released updated plans for eleven sustainable transport routes as part of the BusConnects Cork programme. These plans are now open for a third round of public consultation.
The latest round of public consultation on the sustainable transport corridors centres on the updated preferred route options for eleven corridors. This comes following two rounds of public consultation between June and October 2022 and between March and May of this year.
BusConnects Cork is a €600 million initiative aimed at transforming the city's bus network. Its goal is to enhance public transportation accessibility by introducing around 91 kilometers of new bus lanes and bus priority areas, along with 98 kilometers of cycling facilities.
Approximately 4,400 submissions were made by the public during the second round of consultation and the NTA undertook approximately 30 meetings with residents, business and special interest groups over the past summer.
A spokesperson for the NTA said: “Following the second round of public consultation, the NTA has been making refinements along each corridor to take into consideration both the submissions received by the public and ongoing local community engagement.
“In addition, there has been further technical design work and urban realm improvements along each corridor.”
In earlier proposals there had been controversy surrounding the removal of tress and the acquisition of land.
Speaking about the updated proposals, the spokesperson said: “Since the first public consultation in June 2022, there has been an approximate 48% reduction in the number of properties that may be impacted by the proposed development of the sustainable transport corridors as well as nearly 43% reduction in the number of on-street parking spaces that may be removed and approximately 37% reduction in the number of roadside trees that may be removed.”
Some of the latest changes include the Mayfield to City route, where proposed cycle tracks on Colmcille Avenue have been removed and replaced by a quiet street cycle route on nearby streets. In the Ballincollig to City route, a right turn pocket for westbound traffic has been added to minimise queuing along Main Street for cars wishing to turn into Tesco and Castle West shopping centre car park. The bus gate previously proposed on Clarke’s Bridge in the Togher to City route has been omitted, and for a portion of the Maryborough Hill to City route, a 30km/h speed limit is to be introduced.
The public consultation on the updated proposals will continue until Monday 18 December. Throughout November, there will be public information events held in various locations across Cork city, and details can be found at busconnects.ie/cork.
The NTA plans to distribute leaflets to 100,000 addresses in Cork in the coming days to provide consultation information. All feedback received in this third round will be reviewed by the NTA, and they will then finalise the Preferred Route Options for all eleven corridors.
Subsequently, the scheme designs will be further developed, and applications for statutory consent will be prepared, including assessments of transport and environmental impacts. During the formal planning application to An Bord Pleanála (ABP), there will also be a statutory public consultation process.