In pursuance of the Committee’s decision of 16th September, to receive a presentation from Friends of the Earth regarding its Belfast Cycle City Vision 2020.
Minutes:
The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 16th September, it had agreed to receive from Friends of the Earth a presentation regarding its Belfast Cycle City Vision for 2020. It was reported that Mr. Andrew McMurray, Belfast Friends of the Earth, Mr. Steven Patterson, Sustrans, and Mr. Roy White, Northern Ireland Cycling Initiative, were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting and welcomed by the Chairman.
Mr. McMurray indicated that in the recent years there had been a visible increase in the number of cyclists in Belfast. However, the growth in cycling was being hampered by the limited size and inadequate quality of the cycle network, insufficient promotion and the lack of an agreed strategic vision. Accordingly, Belfast Friends of the Earth, together with Sustrans and the Northern Ireland Cycling Initiative, had produced the Belfast Cycle City Vision for 2020. This aimed to ensure that cycle use in Belfast was equivalent to a number of cities in the United Kingdom, with an ambitious but realisable target of 10% of all trips in the City being undertaken by bicycle, to increase funding for cycling projects and to ensure the production of a comprehensive Cycling Strategy for Belfast.
He reminded the Members of the environmental and health benefits of cycling and pointed out that the Comber Greenway had received international recognition the previous week when it had been awarded first prize in the European Greenway Awards, which promoted routes in Europe which were designed for non-motorised traffic. He pointed out further that in Belfast the quality of cycle routes varied, there was a disjointed cycle infrastructure, cars were permitted to park in cycle routes and the Streets Ahead Project, involving the planned pedestrianisation of more areas within the City centre and the introduction of a number of one-way streets, might make cycling more difficult. He advised the Committee that the Travel Survey for Northern Ireland had indicated that during the period 2005-2007 3% of people had commuted to work by bike, compared to 1% in 2003-2005, and that the high quality National Cycle Network route along the River Lagan had resulted in an increase in usage of 166% since 2000.
Mr. Patterson informed the Committee that Sustrans was operating currently a Bike It Campaign in ten schools in Belfast. This aimed to give children the skills and information which they needed in order to cycle to school and to create a positive cycling culture which would, hopefully, continue for many years. He pointed out that, following the introduction of Bike It Campaigns in other parts of the United Kingdom, there had been an increase in the number of children showing an interest in cycling to school.
At the conclusion of the presentation, Mr. McMurray requested that the Council endorse the Belfast Cycle City Vision for 2020, which set a target of 10% of all trips in the City being undertaken by bicycle, requested that at least £15 per person per year be invested in cycling initiatives and that a Cycle Strategy for Belfast be delivered between 2010 and 2020.
The deputation then answered a wide range of questions from the Members, following which Messrs. McMurray, Patterson and White thanked the Committee for receiving them and retired from the meeting.
Following discussion, the Committee noted the information which had been provided by the deputation regarding the Belfast Cycle City Vision for 2020.