The main street of Mallow will be pedestrianised from the bottom of O’Brien Street to the Clock House junction for a six-week period under a council pilot project. The timed pedestrianisation will be in effect from 2pm until 7pm every Saturday from September 25th until October 30th. Under the scheme, vehicular access will be restricted at set times and the street will be made available to pedes-trians and for on-street dining during that time. Cork County Council is introducing the temporary measure following consultation and active engagement with local businesses. Feedback to the council showed that 84% of businesses on Thomas Davis Street (Main Street) and William O’Brien Street were in favour of the pilot pedestrianisation.
Deputy Chief Executive of Cork County Council, James Fogarty said: “We surveyed businesses in the area and found that more than eight out of ten were in favour of the plan. Cork County Council, our elect-ed councillors and Mallow Chamber of Commerce will be assessing the progress of the pedestrian-isation throughout the six-week trial. In particular, we will monitor its impact on the town of Mallow, on businesses and on traffic flow. We also welcome public feedback and encourage locals and visitors to Thomas Davis Street to let us know about their experiences during the pilot pedestrian-isation.”
Speaking about the project, Cllr. Gearóid Murphy said: “Engagement with the local businesses and other stakeholders is the most important thing here and I am glad to see that the officials have approached this idea with that very much in mind. This has the potential to tie in with the parklets and the council’s overall plan to develop our outdoor spaces in light of the Covid pandemic. It’s good to see some innovation in the council’s ideas for Mallow and I hope that the pilot is a success.”
As the pilot pedestriani-sation progresses, the Kanturk Mallow Municipal District team will further engage with coun-cillors, Mallow Chamber of Commerce and other Mallow representative bodies on the pilot project. If members of the public or businesses would like to know more, they are asked to contact Kanturk and Mallow Municipal District at KanturkMallow MD@CorkCoCo.ie