Businesses demand fix as Cork’s Patrick’s St car ban leads to gridlock

It follows almost two hours of rush-hour gridlock in the city centre last night and complaints of a lack of warning signs about the traffic arrangements, which came into effect on the main street yesterday. Private cars are now banned from the area from 3pm to 6.30pm seven days a week. Access is restricted to public transport, taxis, cyclists, and emergency vehicles during those times. The move, part of the 2012 City Centre Movement Strategy, is designed to create a time-regulated bus lane along St Patrick St to ensure the almost 1,000 Bus Éireann movements run more efficiently. While the car ban was introduced smoothly, there was severe traffic congestion on the outskirts of the city-centre island from 4pm.

Read the full article @ The Irish Examiner

City Hall calls for patience on Patrick St car ban

CITY HALL has urged traders to be patient with the Patrick Street car ban after calls have already been made to scrap the scheme. The City Council has come under fire for its partial ban on private cars on Patrick Street, between the hours of 3pm and 6.30pm each day. The ban was introduced two weeks ago to improve public transport but has already been described as damaging to city traders. Cork Business Association chief executive Lawrence Owens said things are only going to get worse when the Easter holidays end and children return to school. The CBA chief said the City Council should be making it easier for customers to come into the city and highlighted the fact that the Gardaí, who are currently manning the roads surrounding Patrick Street between 3-6pm, will not always be there and questioned what would happen when their presence is removed.

Read the full article @ Evening Echo

Cyclists call for patience with city centre car ban

CORK cyclists have welcomed the new traffic restrictions on Patrick Street and have urged concerned traders to give it a chance. Cork Cycling Campaign say they sympathise with the corners of traders and motorists regarding the ban but pointed to the success of the largely pedestrianised Oliver Plunkett Street as a reason for optimism. The changes kicked in just over two weeks ago and restrict access to the city's main shopping street between 3pm and 6.30pm daily. It has been met with vocal concerns from city businesses, who claim that it will deter people from coming into the city centre, in particular in the context of the removal of parking spaces from a number of other areas in the city centre. City Hall has moved to calm fears, pointing to the large volume of available parking in areas such as North Main Street car park. A statement issued by Cork Cycling Campaign said that there is very limited parking on Patrick Street and, therefore, it should make little difference to those coming into the city.

Read the full article @ Evening Echo

Traffic ban causing chaos according to Cork traders

Since opening in 1860, Fitzgerald’s Menswear on Patrick Street in Cork has managed to weather wars, uprisings and recessions. But the store’s managing director fears it is now facing the biggest challenge yet – a daily driving ban on the street from 3pm to 6.30pm. Eddie Mullins said it felt as if Cork City Council was causing “death by a thousand cuts” with the introduction of the scheme, under which traffic on Patrick Street will be limited to buses, taxis, bicycles and emergency vehicles for 3½ hours a day.

Read the full article @ The Irish Times