Department for Infrastructure ‘not delivering’ on active travel targets

According to a report by the active travel charity Sustrans, the whole of Belfast city has only two miles of protected bike lanes.

Protected bike lanes separate cyclists from other traffic by using physical barriers like curbs or bollards.

On Monday, the DfI announced a £580,000 scheme, external to improve pedestrian and cycling access to Stranmillis Embankment in Belfast.

Sustrans questioned why, external DfI decided to spend this improving existing infrastructure rather than developing new bike lanes elsewhere.

Stephen McNally from the campaign group Cycul said Belfast is 15 or 20 years behind Dublin in terms of active travel, and further behind other European cities.

He pointed to the planned Belfast Bicycle Network 2017, the delivery plan for which was not launched until 2022.

He said “there hasn’t been one metre delivered” since.

The department maintains that a “number of schemes on the Belfast Cycling Network have been completed since its publication in March 2022, with more schemes progressing this financial year”.

This includes “progressing the £23-28m Lagan Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge project”.