Following the tragic death of cyclist Gary McMahon in Belfast on Friday, questions are again being asked about the Department of Infrastructures’ woeful lack of provision for cyclists.
There are less than 5 miles of cycle lanes in Belfast; a bit of green paint on the side of the road does not count.
As a cyclist myself, I know all too well that you take your life in your hands cycling in Northern Ireland. The cities and towns have practically zero provision, and roads outside Belfast are Russian Roulette.
Sam McBride in the BelTel reports:
Huge sums which Stormont claims to be spending on cycling infrastructure are instead being used to resurface a road for lorries and cars, John O’Dowd’s department has admitted.
Two months ago, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) trumpeted that it would be spending £2.6m on an “active travel scheme” in Ballykelly.A press release quoted Mr O’Dowd saying that the “significant investment in active travel infrastructure” was “part of my ongoing commitment to increasing opportunities for walking, wheeling and cycling”.
But there was a tell-tale sign that this wasn’t as it seemed: the project covers a stretch of just 1.6 miles on the A2 Clooney Road, but is going to take 33 weeks at huge cost.
The press release referred to “resurfacing of the carriageway”.
The Belfast Telegraph asked DfI whether the £2.6m related solely to the cycle lane, or to the entire resurfacing of the road.
The department admitted that the sum was “the total cost of the entire project”.
Meanwhile, today’s Irish News reports that Less than one-quarter of Belfast cycle lane funds were spent in the past four years. Only £3.3m of the proposed £16m funding has been spent on developing Belfast’s cycle lane network.
I am also a driver, so I can see both sides of the debate. Some drivers actively hate cyclists (looking at you, taxi drivers), but drivers need to remember that properly separated cycle lanes will get cyclists out of their way. The more people who cycle, the fewer people driving, which means fewer cars and traffic jams so motorists can reach their destination quicker.
Proper cycle lanes are a low-cost way to improve public health and reduce car dependency. Not only are they good for society, but they are also good for cyclists and their families.
I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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