Revealed: New high-frequency bus service to overhaul Cork's public transport
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A new high-frequency cross-city bus service along the suggested route of Cork’s proposed €1bn light rail system has been announced as part of a major redesign of the city’s bus network.
More bus services with shorter wait times are also promised with a simplified route and fares structure to make interchange seamless - passengers won’t have to pay extra to change between bus, rail or future light rail services within a 90-minute period.
The details are contained in the draft new bus network proposal for Cork which has been published today by the National Transport Authority (NTA).
It represents one of the biggest overhauls of the city’s bus routes, timetables and fares structure in decades, and follows a “blank slate review” which was launched in July with an invitation to the public to get involved in the process.
The new network has been prepared by Jarrett Walker & Associates, a US-based firm which specialises in designing metropolitan public transport systems, in collaboration with Bus Éireann, Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Following a review of the city's existing network, and an analysis over 1,200 public submissions made since July, the consultants have designed a draft new network which:
- increases the level of bus services in Cork by 36%;
- brings 34% more people living close to a frequent service:
- ensures passengers face shorter waits at a bus stop and have more direct routes;
- organises services around high-frequency routes within the city centre with route branches extending out to other areas of the city;
- and introduces new routes to areas in the Cork Metropolitan Area including Little Island, Cobh, Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy, Glanmire, Ballincollig and Blarney.
The NTA said the redesigned network will provide a more coherently planned, higher capacity, and more understandable network while also encouraging patronage on the indicative route of the proposed light rail system.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan described the draft network as a milestone in the BusConnects project which he said will make Cork a cleaner, greener and more liveable city.
Transport network design expert, Michelle Poyourow, from Jarrett Walker & Associates, whose firm has redesigned bus networks in Dublin, Houston, Texas, Moscow and Auckland, said the near 1,200 submissions from the public helped to shape the draft network.
“By simplifying the network and schedules and ensuring shorter waits and more direct routes, we can connect more people across the Cork Metropolitan Area,” she said.
NTA CEO, Anne Graham, said while there has been 50% growth in public transport usage in Cork from 2013 to 2019, there is potential to enhance services with new connections to schools, jobs and public services.
“We’re confident this new network along with the other changes being introduced through BusConnects Cork will make travelling on public transport a convenient and sustainable option for more people across the city," she said.
Bus Éireann CEO, Stephen Kent, said Cork is one of the most challenging operational environments for the company, with congestion causing some journey segments to take 11 times longer than they should.
“The new proposed network will dramatically change the public transport experience in Cork and bus services can be enhanced comparatively quickly,” he said.
The redesign of the bus network is one of the nine key elements of BusConnects Cork that aims to transform the city’s bus system, making public transport more useful to more people.
The draft network has now been opened for public consultation for the next six weeks. It will be finalised in the first quarter of 2022 with a view to implementing the final proposals from 2023.
It's one of the nine key elements of BusConnects Cork - a near €200m plan which aims to transform the city’s bus system.
The infrastructure element of BusConnects Cork, the delivery of over 100kms of bus lanes, is being addressed through a separate process.
* You can comment on the draft network proposals online.
An online interactive map is also available.