The National Transport Authority has today published the findings of its latest survey of walking, wheeling and cycling in the Cork Metropolitan Area, which reveals a large 14 point increase in the number of residents who walk or wheel (meaning the use of a wheelchair or mobility scooter) at least five times a week, up from 52% in 2023 to 66% in 2025. The survey also shows that people who walk, wheel or cycle for non-leisure trips when they could have used a car take up to 82,000 cars off Cork roads every day.
The Walking and Cycling Index provides the largest ever assessment of walking, wheeling, and cycling in Ireland and the UK. It is delivered in collaboration with Cork City and County Councils, the National Transport Authority and the sustainable transport charity, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. Alongside the Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index, the Dublin, Limerick Shannon, Galway, and Waterford Metropolitan Areas are also publishing Index reports today.
The Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index is based on an independent demographically representative survey of nearly 1,100 residents from across the Cork Metropolitan Area, aged 16 and above, not just those who walk, wheel or cycle. The Cork Metropolitan Area covers an area from Midleton to Blarney and south to Carrigaline.
The Index reveals that 75% of residents are in favour of additional investment in walking and wheeling up from 71% in 2023, while 67% of residents are in favour of additional investment in cycling, up from 63% in 2023. The survey points to continuing demand for active travel with 52% expressing their desire to walk, wheel more in the future, and 38% expressing a desire to cycle more.
The report found that walking, wheeling and cycling create an annual economic benefit for individuals and the Cork Metropolitan Area of €415.9 million. This includes €1.61 of a net economic benefit for each km cycled instead of driven and €1.13 benefit of each km walked instead of driven. These costs were determined through an analysis of travel time, vehicle operating costs, health benefits, air quality and taxation.
Every day up to 82,000 return non-leisure walking and cycling trips are made in the Cork Metropolitan Area by people who could have used a car. If these cars were all in a traffic jam it would tail back 394 kilometres.
The report also found that walking, wheeling and cycling save 13,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in Cork each year, which is equivalent to about 130,000 residents taking flights from Cork Airport to London Heathrow Airport.
The benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling to the Cork Metropolitan Area are outlined in the report, with the physical activity benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling preventing 775 long-term health conditions annually, valued at approx. €9.8 million equivalent to the cost of over 160,000 GP appointments.
The Index showed that, across many different groups, the number of residents walking or wheeling has risen significantly. It found that 69% of women walk or wheel at least five days a week, up from 52% in 2023. People aged 66 and over walking or wheeling at least five days a week has increased significantly from 40% in 2023 to 59% in 2025. Also, the number of people with disabilities who walk or wheel at least five days a week has gone from 31% to 48%.
Older people are also cycling more with the survey revealing 9% of those aged 66 and over are cycling at least once a week, up from 5% in 2023.
When asked what would help them walk or wheel more, the majority of Cork Metropolitan Area residents point to better footpath accessibility including dropped kerbs at crossing points, nicer places along streets to stop and rest, fewer cars parked on footpaths, and more frequent crossing points with reduced wait times. The report found in the Cork Metropolitan area that 85% of roads meeting at traffic‑light junctions have a dedicated pedestrian crossing.
When asked what would help them cycle more, the majority of residents want infrastructural improvements such as traffic free paths through parks or greenways, signed cycle routes along quieter streets, and cycle tracks along roads physically separated from traffic and pedestrians.
The survey also shows an increase in the number of residents who support building more cycle tracks physically separated from traffic and pedestrians, even where that means less room for other traffic, up from 69% in 2023 to 73% in 2025. The Cork Metropolitan Area now has 40 km of traffic‑free paths away from roads and 18 km of cycle paths along roads physically separated from pedestrians and traffic, plus 10 km of cycle tracks beside the footpath but marked out with a different surface.
Cork residents also recognise the importance of liveable neighbourhoods. 83% of residents support creating ‘low traffic’ neighbourhoods – where groups of streets, bordered by main roads, have ‘through’ motor vehicle traffic greatly reduced. 88% support reducing speed limits, improving crossing points and introducing protected cycle paths in school neighbourhoods. 59% support closing residential streets outside schools to cars during drop-off and pick-up times. The report also confirms Cork residents support walking/wheeling infrastructure to encourage them to use the bus more, 84% want improve crossing facilities near bus stops, and 84% want improved walking and wheeling routes to and from bus stops.
Speaking on the Walking and Cycling Index, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, Lord Mayor of Cork City Council said:
“As Lord Mayor of Cork, I am delighted to welcome the second Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index. Its valuable data and insights will feed into future projects and investment in walking and cycling infrastructure projects for our city. Cork City Council is proud to work with our partner, the National Transport Authority (NTA), to deliver improvements in walking and cycling infrastructure.
The public health impact of choosing to walk or cycle instead of driving is particularly striking, and of course, the environmental benefits of active travel are undeniable, all evident in the data here. We stand firm in our commitment to make active travel a more viable, safer and accessible option for all who live in, work in, and visit our city.”
Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley Mayor of the County of Cork said:
“As Mayor of the County of Cork, I welcome the Walking and Cycling Index 2025 which shows growth in active travel. Cork County Council, in conjunction with the NTA, has spent over €100m on active travel schemes since 2021. These include over 8km of a shared pathway connecting Dunkettle to Carrigtwohill. In Carrigaline, the Bridgemount Link opened in 2025 with an average of 942 daily users.
I am very proud of the work done on our Safe Routes to School Programme.
We have 36 schools across the county being progressed with 8 of these within the Cork Metropolitan Area. To date, 17 schemes have been completed. We are looking forward to using the Index to further progress active travel schemes.”
Anne Shaw, CEO of the NTA said: “This latest edition of the Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index provides valuable insights into how people travel and what is needed to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer, easier and more attractive. Since the last Index in 2023, we have worked closely with Cork City Council and Cork County Council to invest in schemes that reflect our shared commitment to creating safe, connected streets.
The feedback in the report is clear: people in Cork want to walk, wheel and cycle more. We are responding with infrastructure that supports this ambition and helps create a healthier, safer and more liveable Cork Metropolitan Area.”
The Cork Metropolitan Area Walking and Cycling Index can be accessed at Cork Metropolitan Region | Walking and Cycling Index 2025 – National Transport
