Sustainable streets will boost footfall and improve economic activity across Cork city
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The litany of objections to BusConnects proposals continue unabated as business owners and traders claim that National Transport Authority’s (NTA) plans for strategic corridors across Cork city threaten the commercial viability of their businesses.
The latest objections come from business owners in Douglas village, who say the village relies on people being able to drive their car, park, shop, eat, and move in and out alongside people who travel by other means.
The NTA said the investment is intended to enhance the accessibility and attractiveness of the village.
“Similar schemes, both nationally and internationally, demonstrate that improved accessibility and street enhancements created by these projects generate increased footfall and economic activity.”
Previous much publicised objections to BusConnects include residents in Blackpool in April 2023, some of whom claimed that cycle lanes are bad for business and concerns about how older people would manage.
Plans for segregated cycle lanes along Curaheen Road and Tory Top road also met with objections including potential impact on access to homes and having a drastic effect on local businesses.
Are the objections justified? What is the evidence that restricting movement of cars in cities affect local businesses and their ability to trade?
There is also mounting evidence that it can unlock millions in economic benefits for cities and enhance local business.
The NTA Walking and Cycling Index for the Dublin Metropolitan Area 2021 highlighted €311m in economic benefits from cycling.
This includes travel time, vehicle operating costs, medical costs, work absenteeism, congestion, infrastructure, local air quality, noise, greenhouse gases, and taxation.
A recent study of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London ( , 2024) specifically looked at the impact of walking and cycling on high streets, town centres, and other shopping areas.
The research found that street improvements return substantial benefits to the users of the streets, including local businesses.
For example, the study found a significant decline in retail vacancy between improved and unimproved streets.
Former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), Janette Sadik-Khan, stated in a DOT report ‘The Economic Benefits of Sustainable Streets’ (2013) that “better streets mean better business”.
‘For example, Brooklyn’s Vanderbilt Avenue saw a doubling in retail sales in the three years following installation of bike lanes and a tree-lined median, significantly outperforming borough-wide and city-wide trends.
‘At the intersection of Amsterdam and St Nicholas Avenues in Harlem, where DOT simplified a difficult intersection with new public space and traffic pattern changes, stores in the area saw sales rise 48%, beating the Manhattan average for the same period and substantially outpacing performance on nearby streets.’
Ms Sadik-Khan stated that the report represented a major step forward in establishing the link between city streets and their myriad impacts on urban life and economics.
Transport for London published ‘Walking and Cycling: the economic benefits’ in 2019, aimed at policy makers, local communities, local and national government, business networks, and everyone else interested in how walking and cycling can create more prosperous cities.
The report highlighted how businesses see walking and cycling as key to attracting and retaining staff they need to thrive.
Wider economic benefits include the prevention of billions of pounds worth of health and environmental damage as well as active travel being accessible and inclusive — making it easier to walk and cycle means that more city dwellers can enjoy the benefits.
The fine detail of the report makes for interesting reading. Bicycle parking delivers five times the retail spend per square metre than the same area of car parking.
Over a month, people who walk the high street spend up to 40% more than people who drive through the high street.
Improving London high streets for walking and cycling led to a 216% increase in people stopping, sitting, and socialising.
Retail vacancy was 17% lower after high street and town centre improvements and retail rental values rose by 7.5%.
People who walk and cycle regularly have been shown to take less sick days, be more productive at work, and enjoy their job more.
In Los Angeles sales tax revenue rose by two thirds after cycle lanes were built — 14% higher than unimproved areas.
People who cycle to shops and supermarkets in Copenhagen spend more each year than those who drive.
A study of businesses in Portland found people walking and cycling spent more in a month than drivers.
People who walk and cycle in San Francisco visit shops more often and spend more in a month than drivers.
Is the business community listening? Sustainable streets are not something to fear — they are the future.
- Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor and former director of human health and nutrition, safefood