We-bike Cork

Pictured at the announcement Paula Cogan, President of Cork Chamber; Cork County Mayor, Cllr. Mary Linehan-Foley; Stevie G, Deirdre O’Shaughnessy; Cllr. Joe Kavanagh, Lord Mayor of Cork County and Stephanie Kavanagh, Lady Mayoress of Cork.

Launched as part of Bike-Week this october, We-Bike is the culmination of months of work by a group of likeminded stakeholders from Cork Chamber, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Cork Cycling Campaign, the transport and Mobility Forum, Cork Community Bikes, Cork environmental Forum, Credit Unions, Bike Circus, Hse Healthy Cities, City view Wheels and Green Party Councillor oliver Moran.

In the context of the pandemic and the ongoing shift to active mobility the programme seeks to promote the affordability and fun of e-biking for people of all ages and abilities. E bikes make commutes of all distances comfortable and doable regardless of distance or fitness levels.

In the Netherlands last year, e-bike sales comfortably outpaced the value of traditional bicycle sales representing 70% of turnover and 420,000 units sold. With the Bike to Work threshold increased to €1,500, and competitive interest rates in the market there has never been a better tie to invest in e-mobility.

Through Project ACT in Cork County and the Reimagining Cork City initiative, strides are being made to address the fundamental deficit in cycle infrastructure which has been in place for many decades now. The National Transport Authority are urging local authorities to take a progressive approach and if momentum can be sustained there is real potential for Cork to differentiate itself nationally and catch up with progressive City regions throughout Europe. Regions that distinguish themselves during this pandemic will recover faster and stronger.

Very significantly, Cork was blessed with the framework for this progress before the pandemic ever kicked in. The Cork Metropolitan Transport Strategy sets forth a blueprint for building a transport network based on choice rather than necessity, and only once this is in place can we claim to have a contemporary fit for purpose transport offer. It includes improvements to road, commuter rail, bus, pedestrian, cycle and even light rail in the City.

To recap the significance of CMATS for cycling, it contains:

200km of primary cycle network

150km of secondary cycle network

60km of interurban cycle network

140km of greenway cycle network

What is now essential is that the rollout of this programme is incessantly and relentlessly pursued by our local authorities and the NTA, with complete support from central government.

It is essential that we have a new and invigorated network to celebrate for Bike week 2021. And it is essential that e-bike sales continue to rise, supporting our local suppliers and a better, more complete and competitive environment for Cork businesses to proudly operate in.

Please visit www.We-Bike.ie, and consider an e-bike for you and your family, or as an added mobility option for your team at work.