Dear Chamber Member,
I hope you, your families, friends and colleagues are all well.
Bike Week 2020 is upon us, and offers a rich and valuable celebration and promotion of everything bike. The city, county and indeed the country is spinning with cycling activities. Everything from bike workshops and 2-wheeled meet ups to bicycled inspired documentaries means that there really is something for everyone in Bike Week.
There is, however, a proverbial elephant in the cycle lane. Our cycling infrastructure leaves much to be desired. While CMATS plans for 56,000 daily car trips as transferrable to cycling, it is clear that this cannot be achieved without swift rollout of hard cycle infrastructure.
While active travel has obvious gains for our health and well-being, reduced impact on our immediate and wider environment is also essential. Recent analysis by UCC indicates that if 45% of all journeys under 6km were completed by walking and cycling by 2030, this would achieve cumulative emissions reduction of 0.66 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Our own recent Sustainable Cork Programme report ‘Building Economic Resilience', consistently points to the demand for better cycle and pedestrian infrastructure across every sector. Asking the public what they want to see more of in the next 5 years, the answers were clear. No. 1 more connected public transport. No.2 Cycleways, greenways and enhanced walking infrastructure. With CMATS we have the framework to create real options for people, be they car, bike, bus, train or a leisurely stroll.
The writing is on the wall. The people of Cork want to 'mix their mode'. Quite simply, our city region cannot continue to grow sustainably unless we provide sensible, connected mobility infrastructure.
The success of bike week is yet another indicator that Government, the NTA and Local Authorities must continue to push ahead and build a robust bike network for Cork to celebrate at Bike Week 2021.
Take Care,
Conor Healy
CEO
