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UCC E-Bike Trial

19 May 2020

Following on from a successful pilot in 2019, our UCC Green Campus “Building Back Better”  E-bike trial starts on Monday 29th June 2020.  The initiative is a collaboration between UCC Green Campus and our friends at The Bike Shed, Dennehy’s Cross.

Following on from a successful pilot in 2019, our UCC Green Campus “Building Back Better”  E-bike trial starts on Monday 29th June 2020.  The initiative is a collaboration between UCC Green Campus and our friends at The Bike Shed, Dennehy’s Cross. The objective is to provide UCC staff with E- bikes for a trial period, allowing the individual staff member to determine if an E-bike is a suitable method for commuting to/ from work. With COVID-19 lockdown measures gradually being lifted, and with many of us now cycling more, we have experienced the cleaner air and freedom that a reduction in traffic levels over the last few months has brought.

Many city authorities are looking at building back better cities post lockdown. Cork City Council announced plans to deliver new bike lanes and an extension Westwards over the coming months as part of its Covid-19 recovery and overall plan to improve mobility in and around the city. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/plan-for-new-bike-lanes-in-cork-given-a-cautious-welcome-1004284.html

In addition, our Medical colleagues at CUH are calling for better infrastructure to enable them to commute to and from work. They have launched a campaign calling for the set-up of a safe and segregated cycle route connecting CUH, the BonSecours and Mercy hospitals via UCC to the City Centre, also extending to CIT. This route would provide a safe travel option to, from and between the hospitals, but also to UCC (not only for our medical staff and students).

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Medics-seek-cycleway-linking-Corks-hospitals-82f9c3a1-0420-4992-bfaa-57da6bdba106-ds .

For UCC it is estimated that 21% of our annual carbon emissions can be attributed to staff and students commuting to/ from the University and it is predicted that the reduced commuting levels will result in a knock-on reduction in our carbon footprint 8% for 2020. UCC Green Campus want to ensure that these environmental improvements are maintained beyond the duration of the COVID restrictions, where possible.  E-bikes are ideal for UCC commuters, allowing more significant distances to be covered and helping with the hilly areas around Cork.   Trial participants can avail of the government’s “bike to work” scheme, administered through UCC, should they determine that E-bikes would be a viable alternative for them.

Please email greencampus@ucc.ie if you wish to participate in the UCC E-bike trial.

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