NTA publishes first-ever survey of walking, wheeling & cycling in Cork

5 March 2024

The National Transport Authority has today published the findings of the first-ever survey of walking, wheeling and cycling in the Cork Metropolitan Area, which reveals that 52% of residents walk or wheel (meaning the use of a wheelchair or mobility scooter) at least five times a week, while 18% of residents cycle at least once a week.

The Walking and Cycling Index provides the largest-ever assessment of walking, wheeling and cycling in Ireland. Delivered in collaboration with the Cork City and County Councils, the National Transport Authority and sustainable transport charity Sustrans, the Index was expanded last year to include Cork alongside Galway, Limerick/Shannon, Dublin and Waterford Metropolitan Areas. 

The Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index is based on an independent demographically representative survey of nearly 1,100 residents from across the Cork Metropolitan Area, aged 16 and above, not just those who walk, wheel or cycle. The Cork Metropolitan Area covers an area from Midleton to Blarney and south to Carrigaline.

The Index reveals that 71% of residents are in favour of additional investment in walking and wheeling infrastructure, while 63% of residents are in favour of additional investment in cycling infrastructure, contrasting with 40% who want more investment in driving. This comes amid a growing demand for active travel with 52% expressing their desire to walk, wheel more in the future, and 37% expressing a desire to cycle more.

Key findings from the 2023 Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index:

• 52% of adult residents walk 5 or more days a week while 18% of adults cycle at least once a week.
• Nearly 7 in 10 residents, 69%, support building cycle tracks physically separated from traffic and pedestrians even where that means less room for other traffic.
• Every day those who walk and cycle take nearly 69,000 cars off the road in the Cork Metropolitan Area. If all of these cars were in a traffic jam it would tail back 333 kilometres equivalent to the distance from Cork City to Dundalk.
• Residents walking, wheeling and cycling create an annual economic benefit for individuals and the Cork Metropolitan Area of €401.6 million.
• There is a €1.40 net economic benefit for each km cycled instead of driven and €0.93 net economic benefit for each km walked instead of driven.
• Walking, wheeling and cycling improves public health in the Cork Metropolitan Area, preventing 729 long-term health conditions saving the HSE €10.7million, equivalent to the cost of over 190,000 GP appointments.
• Those walking and cycling instead of driving, save greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 227,000 flights from Cork Airport to London Heathrow Airport.

Environmental Benefits

Every day 69,000 return walking and cycling trips are made daily in the Cork Metropolitan Area by people who could have used a car. If these cars were all in a traffic jam it would tail back 333 kilometres equivalent to the distance from Cork City to Dundalk.

The report also found that walking, wheeling and cycling save 18,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in Cork each year, which is equivalent to about 227,000 residents taking flights from Cork Airport to London Heathrow Airport. 

Health Benefits and Inclusivity

The benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling to the Cork Metropolitan Area are outlined in the report, with the physical activity benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling preventing 729 long-term health conditions annually, valued at approx. €10.7 million equivalent to the cost of over 190,000 GP appointments.

The Index showed that residents’ travel choices and their perceptions of walking, wheeling, and cycling vary between different groups. It found that 31% of residents with a disability walk or wheel at least five days a week in Cork, compared to 54% of residents without a disability. 2% of residents with a disability cycle at least once a week compared to 20% without. While 52% of women and 51% of men walk or wheel at least five days a week, there is a gender gap when it comes to cycling, with 25% of men cycling at least once a week, compared with 12% of women.

What Residents Say Will Help Them Walk or Cycle More

When asked what would help them walk or wheel more, Cork Metropolitan Area residents want better footpath surfaces including dropped kerbs at crossing points, more parks and green spaces close to home, and nicer places along streets to stop and rest. When asked what would help them cycle more, residents want infrastructural improvements such as traffic free paths through parks or greenways, signed cycle routes along quieter streets, and cycle tracks along roads physically separated from traffic and pedestrians.

There is evidence too that residents support the development of more protected cycle infrastructure within the Cork Metropolitan Area, with 69% of residents supporting building more cycle tracks physically separated from traffic and pedestrians, even where that means less room for other traffic.

Creating a Better Place to Live

Cork residents also recognise the importance of liveable neighbourhoods. 80% agree that increasing space for residents socialising, walking, wheeling and cycling on their local main street would improve their local area. 82% of residents support creating low-traffic neighbourhoods where groups of streets, bordered by main roads, have ‘through’ motor vehicle traffic greatly reduced. 86% support the creation of 20-minute neighbourhoods – neighbourhoods where it is easy for people to meet most of their everyday needs in a 20-minute return walk.

Economic Benefits of Active Travel

The report also found that walking, wheeling and cycling create an annual economic benefit for individuals and the Cork Metropolitan Area of €401.6 million. This includes €1.40 of a net economic benefit for each km cycled instead of driven and €0.93 benefit of each km walked instead of driven. These costs were determined through an analysis of travel time, vehicle operating costs, health benefits, air quality and taxation.

Speaking on the Walking and Cycling Index, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy, Lord Mayor of Cork said: “As Lord Mayor of Cork, I am delighted to welcome the first Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index. It covers a broad spectrum of opinions, data and evidence and gives us a sense of what type of investment and infrastructure our residents want to help create a vibrant metropolitan area. Cork City Council has been committed through successive Cork City Development Plans to walking and cycling improvements with support from the National Transport Authority. Examples include the Mary Elmes Bridge, Blackrock to Passage West Greenway and MacCurtain Street public realm improvements all of which are great additions to our city.

“It’s encouraging to see that over half of residents walk or wheel at least five days a week, with almost one in five cycling at least once a week. We have several exciting projects coming to fruition, such as the Marina Promenade and the Pathfinder active travel route from Kent Station to meet the greenway at Dunkettle and on to Midelton.

“It is enlightening to know that those choosing to walk and cycle instead of drive, are creating over €400 million per annum economic benefit to the Metropolitan Area, which is saving the equivalent of 227,000 flights from Cork to Heathrow in greenhouse gas emissions.

We will continue in our efforts to make Cork a healthy, sustainable, attractive place for those who live, work and visit the area.”

Anne Graham, CEO of the NTA said: “We’re delighted to roll out the largest survey into walking, wheeling and cycling in Ireland. Over the past few years, the NTA has been working with local authorities across the country, including Cork, to deliver safe pedestrian and cycle infrastructure that encourages more people to engage in active travel.

“It’s clear from the latest Index that more people in Cork want to cycle and walk each day. By encouraging people to make active travel a part of their daily journey, we can all play our part in creating a more sustainable future. The NTA will continue to accelerate our efforts to roll out walking and cycling infrastructure in Cork and other cities across Ireland.”

The Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index can be accessed here.

https://publications.corkcity.ie/view/767740730/