Public meeting to discuss proposed cycling investment plan for Derry
A public meeting has been arranged next week for anyone with an interest in the future of cycling in Derry.
The Department for Infrastructure is currently holding a public consultation on their proposal for an Active Travel Plan for Derry, which aims to encourage more people to switch from cars to walking, wheeling or cycling for shorter journeys.
In Northern Ireland, one out of every three journeys currently taken are for less than two miles, whilst two out of every three are less than five miles. These shorter journeys are perfect for cycling and other modes of active travel, which can often be quicker and more convenient than driving is for short trips.
The Northern Ireland Executive is now legally required to ensure that a minimum of 10% of its entire transport spending goes on Active Travel, so the Department for Infrastructure (DFI) is developing plans to guide how that funding will be spent in towns across the six counties.
Cycle Derry is a local campaign group that was first established in 2017 but had become dormant in recent years. The proposed Active Travel Plan for the city has provided an impetus for the organisation to be rebooted again, and it is therefore holding a meeting next week to gather views on the Plan.
The aim of the meeting is to develop an agreed group response that can be submitted to the consultation under the banner of Cycle Derry as a voice for local cycling campaigners, and to also encourage as many other people and organisations as possible to submit their own responses.
The meeting is being organised in conjunction with the Northern Ireland branch of Cycling UK – a charitable organisation that was founded in 1878 and which seeks to enable more people to cycle.
Those organising the meeting have identified three initial areas of concern with regards DFI’s proposed Active Travel Plan for Derry.
Firstly – they are concerned that, whilst Belfast has its own fast-tracked Cycle Network Delivery Plan, the development of Derry’s cycling and active travel plan is lumped together with similar plans for 41 other towns across Northern Ireland, some of which have populations of only 5,000 people.
They believe that Northern Ireland’s second city should have a stand-alone cycling and active travel development plan, and that the city’s population means that it should be treated as a higher priority for funding and implementation.
Secondly they are concerned at the timescales involved – with even the sections of Derry’s proposed plan that are considered priorities by DFI still not being due for implementation for up to 10 years.
Finally they have also raised issue with some of the specific route proposals in the plan – which they fear have been chosen out of convenience for DFI, rather than to reflect the reality of where people want to travel here.
Local transport campaigner Steve Bradley is involved in organising the meeting, he commented: “It’s great that Stormont now has a legal obligation to spend 10% of its transport budgets on walking and cycling, and good to see proposals for Derry being developed. But this city really shouldn’t be treated on a par with villages of 5,000 people when it comes to developing and funding Active Travel schemes.
“Derry’s size, population density and traffic levels mean that every pound spent on good quality schemes to promote active travel here will deliver significantly more than spending the same pound in small towns with few people, limited facilities and minimal traffic.
“So we think Derry deserves to have a stand-alone Cycle and Active Travel Network Plan – complete with prioritised funding to deliver it.
“Our status as both NI’s only significant population centre outside of Belfast and as a regional capital must be recognised fully within this process.
“There are also a number of concerns and opportunities around the specific routes which DFI is suggesting should be developed as the key parts of Derry’s cycling network, and we’re keen to hear the views of anyone with an interest in cycling here.”
Andrew McClean, Cycling UK’s Northern Ireland lead, added: “While it is welcome to see a plan for improving cycling across Northern Ireland, there needs to be a much greater focus on urban areas where investment in active travel infrastructure will lead to the greatest gains. Derry-Londonderry should be a signature scheme with a much greater focus on getting people to schools, the town centre and transport hubs.
“We want to support the people living in and using the city to come together and respond to the Department for Infrastructure plans with a focus on what residents and workers think will get more people walking and cycling.”
A full briefing of DFI’s proposed Active Travel Plans for Derry and Strabane will be given at next week’s meeting, with maps also provided to help make visual sense of it all.
The meeting will then seek the views of all who attend on both the wider principles behind DFI’s initiative and the specific routes and proposals contained within it.
The meeting will be held at 7.00pm on Monday, February 17 in New Gate Arts Centre on Hawkin Street.
More information on DFI’s proposed Active Travel Plans for Derry and Strabane can be found at: www.infrastructureni.gov.uk/consultations/active-travel-delivery-plan.
The deadline for submissions to the public consultation is at 5pm on Friday, February 28.