Sustainable Transport

The evolution of sustainable transport as a theme occurred due to an over reliance on car use for travelling to the campus. The campus has 4000 staff with only 1010 staff spaces on-site and 300 off–site spaces.

In 2013, Cork University Hospital entered into a formal partnership with the National Transport Authority Smarter Travel Workplaces, to promote and expand sustainable transport initiatives. As part of the Smarter Travel Workplaces programme, Cork University Hospital promotes sustainable transport alternatives through initiatives including; step challenges, campus cycle week and a mix your mode competition. These challenges encourage staff members to use different modes of sustainable transport such as bus, train, walking and cycling to travel to and from the campus. The programmes are generally very popular among staff.

In 2016, Cork University Hospital became a member of the Cork Transport Mobility Forum. Cork TMF is committed to promoting the use of alternatives to cars i.e. public transport, cycling and walking.  It is a forum which comprises of different stakeholders and interested bodies across Cork City and County including CUH, UCC, CIT, Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Bus Éireann, and Iarnród Éireann. The TMF’s primary goal is promoting a Sustainable Travel agenda across Cork City and County.

Cork University Hospital’s main website provides information on all bus and pedestrian routes accessing the campus. The website includes a map of the hospital campus to provide information for service users and visitors. The map provides information on the amenities within the hospital as well as those in close proximity to the campus i.e. pharmacy, banks and restaurants. In 2016, Cork University Hospital installed TFI screens by the entrance to the Emergency Department to provide real time information on buses to all service users commuting to and from the hospital.

Mobility Management Committee

The mobility management committee was set up in summer of 2015. This Committee is concerned with the enhancement of Cork University Hospital as a sustainable smarter travel workplace. The Mobility Management Plan 2015 forms the basis for the work undertaken by the Committee.

The overall aim of the committee is to reduce the volumes of cars accessing the site. The objectives of the committee include;

Short Term Objectives

• Further develop and publicise the existing travel page of the CUH website;

• Enhance facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable users across the campus

• Establish a Bicycle User Group

• Enhance access for disabled users

• Promote public transport incentives including the tax saver scheme

• Oversee mobility management coordination and monitoring including staff, visitor and student surveys

• Assess modal split and revise targets, as appropriate, based on surveys and measures implemented 

Medium and Long Term Objectives

• Reduce car parking spaces to staff/visitor ratio

• Promote carpooling and establish carpooling priority parking spaces

• Coordinate the on-going enhancement of facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable users, including new building and external to CUH

• Provision of electric vehicle charging stations

• Establishment of park/ride facilities

• Oversee mobility management coordination and monitoring including conducting travel surveys every 12 months

• Assess modal split and revise targets as appropriate

The Estates Department will be reviewing and updating the Mobility Management Plan for CUH over the next six months.