On Thursday 20th August the Lord Mayor Naomi Long met representatives from Belfast Friends of the Earth to demonstrate her support behind their new campaign, “Belfast Cycle City”. She received a copy of their cycling vision for Belfast and gave it her backing.
The campaign calls for every Belfast City Councillor to support the vision of Belfast as one of the top 10 cycling cities in the UK by 2020.
To accomplish this, Belfast Friends of the Earth are urging Belfast City Councillors to take three actions:
- create a new ten year Belfast Cycle Strategy from 2010 to 2020
- set a 10% target for all trips by bicycle in the city by 2020
- request increased government spending on cycling to £15 per person, in line with cycle-orientated English cities.
Belfast Friends of the Earth Co-ordinator Andrew McMurray : “ The public response to our campaign so far has been really encouraging; thousands of hits to our website and hundreds of signatures in support of our campaign asks. The Lord Mayor’s public support affirms her commitment to a sustainable Belfast, reducing congestion, combating climate change and improving public health. We hope the rest of the City Council will now so the same and press for a Belfast Cycle City”.
Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long : “I am very pleased to support the Belfast Cycle City campaign. I believe that cycling represents part of a positive, progressive transport solution for Belfast and I would encourage my fellow councillors to get behind the campaign too. As well as infrastructure improvements, we need to engage with communities on this issue and make cycling in Belfast a safe, healthy and enjoyable activity for all.”
For more information on the campaign, please visit belfastcyclecity.org.uk or contact belfastfoe@googlemail.com.
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