School Zone completed in Rushbrooke

A colourful child friendly traffic calming measure designed to encourage pupils to walk, cycle or scoot to school in Cobh has been officially launched.

It’s Cork county’s 2nd School Zone and has been installed at Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh in Rushbrooke.

To the front of Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh, widened footpaths and a narrowed carriageway have been created to slow traffic speeds on the approach to the school. Greater congregation space, including a new seating area, has been developed for children, parents and guardians to create a safer and more inviting space to the front of the school.

Colourful art has been added to the footpaths and road space and pencil shaped bollards have been placed at the edge of the widened paths, creating a more exciting journey to school for those who choose to walk, cycle or scoot, while also preventing cars from parking on the widened footpaths.

The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton TD, and Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Deirdre O Brien launched the school zone recently.

Minister Naughton said: “The Safe Routes to School programme enables children to reimagine their daily journey to school, reigniting travel to school by means of walking, cycling or scooting. I am very pleased to be returning to Cork to launch the new School Zone at Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh in Rushbrooke, which marks the 2nd School Zone completed in the Cork county in 2022.

“The delivery of this fantastic project has removed barriers to walking, cycling or scooting to school, enabling the daily journey to school in Rushbrooke to be fun, active and safe, making a real difference to the student population. Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this wonderful active travel project through to completion.

“It would not have happened without the support and dedication of the parents, teachers, pupils and entire school community in Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh, the wider community, the Diocese of Cloyne, Cork County Council and the Safe Routes to School team in the National Transport Authority and An Taisce.”

Deputy Mayor O’Brien welcomed the initiative and said: “I am delighted to attend the launch of the School Zone at Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh in Rushbrooke. It is evident that this is a much safer environment for all school users, and I am told that the numbers of pupils walking, cycling or scooting to school has already increased. It is great to see children and adults travelling to and from the school in such a colourful, attractive and safe environment.”

Divisional Manager for South Cork at Cork County Council, Valerie O Sullivan, added: “The Safe Routes to School Programme provides an opportunity to improve safety at the front of school and enables school communities to use more sustainable travel in their daily trips to and from school.

“The works undertaken here as part of this imaginative, colourful and child-centred scheme at Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh demonstrates how the space in front of schools can be managed differently, placing people as the priority with safety, community and environmental benefits. The provision of further Safe Route to School projects across the county will make a real difference to families, schools and our environment.”