Councillors in Belfast – a city often ridiculed by its cyclists for its poor or non-existent implementation of active travel initiatives in recent years – have launched a scathing criticism of Northern Ireland’s Stormont government and what they describe as its “joke” approach to cycling infrastructure.
As regular live blog readers will know, Northern Ireland – not helped by the lack of a sitting, functioning executive in recent years – has lagged behind the rest of the UK when it comes to protecting vulnerable road users with proper infrastructure (while even those protected cycle lanes that have been installed, such as on Belfast’s Hardcastle Street, tend to be blocked by parked cars and bins).
> No change in cycling casualties over 10 years in Northern Ireland called “shameful” by Cycling UK and should be “wake-up call” for decision makers
This glaring disparity has prompted an increasing number of cyclists and campaign groups to criticise the inaction of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and Belfast City Council when it comes to dealing with the problems faced by people on bikes on a seemingly daily basis.
However, this week it has been the turn of the council to point the finger at the Stormont government for its “frustrating” attitude towards active travel, as councillors in Belfast called on more powers to be devolved locally to ensure bike lanes can be, you know, built sometime soon.
Speaking at Belfast City Council’s Growth and Regeneration Committee, Alliance Party councillors Mickey Murray said: “There is quite a lot going to DfI but not a lot coming back from DfI, especially with cycling network plans.
“As a major stakeholder/deliverer of cycling infrastructure, we are doing our bit in terms of cycling enabling infrastructure. But the information DfI is coming back with on their plan is a bit of a joke. The information just isn’t adequate.”
Murray then called, with cross-party support, for a workshop on cycling at City Hall to present the need for the urgent delivery of cycling infrastructure to the department.
> Sinn Féin minister “neglecting Northern Ireland’s future” and “locking us all into a fossil-fuelled dark age”, says Cycling UK
Green councillor Anthony Flynn was equally scathing about the lack of delivery stemming from the government’s grand cycle network plans, which he described as “incredibly frustrating” and “ridiculous”.
“With £700,000 they have delivered 2.8 kilometres in the last two years. And on another project £245,000 on an active travel funding upgrade.
“I am exasperated with that, to be honest. We had the Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan two years ago – there was an £11 million budget, and again we are left with little to no delivery, which is incredibly frustrating.
“When we have that round table with DfI I will want more information on the lack of delivery. They say in the letter response there are various reasons – but I want to know what the various reasons are.
“We are talking about a landowner here – they cannot come back and tell us there are issues of ownership.
“Where are the roadblocks? What are the roadblocks? And if they cannot do it, devolve bloody powers to us and we will do it.”
> “This is the reality of cycling in Belfast”: Cyclists blast ‘protected’ bike lane packed with parked cars and bins
The Green politician continued: “We are talking about an active travel spend per capita in Northern Ireland of £7.20, while in Scotland it is £20 per head. We are a significant outlier in the United Kingdom.
“DfI is the department that should be coming up with results when it comes to active travel spend per head, and they are not doing it. 2.8 kilometres in the last two years – ridiculous.
“We need answers from them because there is an underspend here also. And most of the budget was spent on the signalling upgrade. So, where are the cycling lanes?”
Where are the cycle lanes, indeed…
