6.3.6.3 | Transport Priorities for the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport investment will be identified and prioritised through the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS). The following transport investment objectives have been identified for consideration, in the preparation of the transport strategy subject to required appraisal, planning and environmental assessment processes: (A) The development of an enhanced metropolitan area-wide public transport system, including: • A high capacity public transport corridor (potential for a light rail corridor subject to appraisal, planning and design stages) providing for long-term growth of the metropolitan area on an east-west axis. Immediate priority must be given to advance route selection and preliminary design; • Infrastructure for Cork Docklands and Tivoli; • Prioritise buses over car traffic - the delivery of several high-quality bus corridors through the strategic bus network investment programme, connecting the city centre with the city suburbs/ environs and surrounding metropolitan area (see the CMATS for details); • Investment in the existing rail network for intercity and commuter rail movement with consideration to additional stations, higher service frequencies and greater opportunities for interchange with other modes, including bus, car and bicycle; • Targeted improvement of arterial routes within the City and its environs to enable the delivery of higher bus service frequencies and improved journey time reliability; • Development of park-and-ride facilities to enable interchange between car and bus or rail services and bike-and-ride facilities with bicycle stations for overnight storage for public transport commuters; • Orbital public transport services to connect the city hinterlands strategic employment locations.
(B) The improvement of accessibility to the City Centre through a range of traffic management and infrastructure improvements, with an emphasis on improving: • The operation of public transport services into and through the City Centre; • Infrastructure servicing the Cork Docklands and Tivoli; • Local traffic management and the location/ management of destination car parking; • The improvement of walking and cycling accessibility into and within the City Centre; • Implementation of the Cork Citymovement strategy. (C) Themaintenance andenhancement of the strategic roadnetwork (including national roads), catering for transport demand within the Metropolitan Area, for improved inter-urban/ inter-regional connectivity/ reduced journey times, and for the improved access to international gateways (including the Port of Cork and Cork Airport), supported by the RSES for improved connectivity within the Metropolitan Area through the following projects subject to required appraisal, planning and environmental assessment processes: • Delivery of the Government’s current and proposed national road network improvement schemes relating to the Cork Metropolitan Area and associated inter-urban connecting roads; • Advancing orbital traffic management solutions through the implementation of appropriate demand management measures on the N40 and provision of alternative local roads, as necessary. Specific measures should not be introduced in isolation, but only after due consideration of the impacts on access and movement across the city and suburbs and in parallel with the introduction of appropriate alternatives to service affected traffic movements; • Enhanced regional connectivity through improved average journey times by road to Limerick and Waterford via the proposed M20 Limerick to Cork and the targeted enhancement of the N25 between Cork and Waterford; • Cork Northern Ring Road connecting the N22 to the M8, identified by the NDP as a complementary scheme to the M20; • Improved connectivity fromCork City to Cork Airport including N27 dedicated public transport corridor;
Southern Regional Assembly | RSES
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