The 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard from Inrix Research sees Cork listed in 36th place for the most congested city in Europe. There is some solace to be taken in the fact that Dublin and Galway both fared worse in the report, though not by much.

Drivers in Dublin lost 114 hours sitting in traffic, making it the 12th-worst city in the world and fifth worst in Europe, up from 16th and 12th respectively.

Motorists in Galway whiled away 94 hours waiting for the traffic to budge. The city came in at 39th in the global ranking and 18th in the European.

The Covid effect 

With almost three days per year lost staring at the vehicle in front, one would be forgiven for thinking that Cork city traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, while there was a 95% increase on 2021, the report reveals that congestion levels are still down 20% on 2019.

Cork is not alone in this respect, as the Inrix report states that most cities are still lagging behind pre-Covid levels after commuting and work habits shifted considerably during this time.

The lifting of Covid-19 restrictions early in 2021 saw a return to the office for many, or hybrid work. It also meant people were visiting the city socially and to shop, all of which contributed to the surge in congestion on the roads.

Look to the future

Looking to the future on a global level, the report points to an air of uncertainty that still exists around transportation and commuting because of global economic slowdowns and telecommuting preferences.

“Despite higher fuel prices, significant inflationary pressure, and supply-chain problems around most of the world, in addition to a war in Europe, most urban areas experienced more delay in 2022 than in 2021,” it said.

The cost-of-living crisis, including fuel prices, does not appear enough to make motorists ditch their cars in favour of cycling, public transport, or walking. Can they be blamed when, as Green Party councillor Dan Boyle pointed out at a recent Cork City Council meeting, even if people opted for the bus, they would still find themselves stuck in gridlock?

Public transport

Until Cork has a suitable and effective public transport system there can be no hope of ridding the city of its persistent congestion issues.

Will the €600m Bus Connects Cork plan deliver us from gridlock, with its 129km of new bus and bike lanes along 12 strategic transport corridors?

Unlikely, but it could be a big step in the right direction. As the plan has not yet reached its second round of public consultation, it is still a long way off and the city cannot afford to wait.

Unfortunately, it seems that in the short term, things will get worse before they get better. For now, traffic chaos will reign supreme in Cork City as flow changes introduced as part of the MacCurtain St Public Transport Scheme are set to be in place until September.

New arrangements

The new traffic arrangements are vital in delivering the overall transport strategy in the area, according to head of infrastructure, Gerry O’Beirne. 

In the meantime, motorists are fed up and frustrated with sitting in traffic.

Perpetual traffic jams have an impact on businesses in the city, and on the tourism industry. A reputation as a gridlocked city is not something that appeals to visitors — or locals for that matter.

With the MacCurtain St Public Transport Scheme, the City Centre Movement Strategy, the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, and Bus Connects all afoot, it is clear there is much work to be done.

One could argue that these sorts of schemes should have begun long ago and perhaps motorists would have found themselves with three extra days to use as they please. 

But keep in mind that much of the problem is that, when the city was built, people could not have dreamed that its streets would need to accommodate hundreds of thousands of vehicles. 

With problems dating back to the city’s creation, we can only hazard a guess as to when Cork’s infrastructure will be able to meet the needs of the 2020s.