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Rejoice, lastly!
Unhappy day for the standard Motorist as Belfasts most cherished automotive park is about to shut after 3 years of valiant service offering the arduous working motorist with free parking for the reason that 12 months of our lord 2020. Let’s hope our economic system can survive this monumental blow & tourism isn’t affected https://t.co/jLBg9dsJpH
— Starling3232 (@Starling3232) August 24, 2023
After months and months of motorists utilizing this piece of devoted “separated” biking infrastructure on Hardcastle Road in Belfast, as a playground to retailer their automobiles, a ray of sunshine has lastly sprung from amidst the darkened skies.
Obstacles, albeit solely made out plastic, have lastly been bolted down, to supply a safer, segregated route for cyclists to navigate. Rocket science, I do know.
The irony is, that even within the image posted above, there are vehicles nonetheless parked! I do not know if I ought to snort or be unhappy, that is really distinctive…
I do know Belfastian cyclists are rejoicing although, with Biking UK in Northern Eire becoming a member of in celebration and euphoria, commenting: “Nice turnaround @deptinfra and because of @BBCMarkSimpson for supporting the marketing campaign.”
👏👏🚴♀️ lastly! How arduous has this been…
— Sustrans in Northern Eire (@SustransNI) August 24, 2023
I do know proper, how arduous this been? This avenue, which has been a common function on our dwell blogs, is lastly seeing the sunshine of day as a biking route free from the maddening ranges of automotive parking rampant earlier.
Again in February, Sustrans described the situation on Hardcastle Street as “disgraceful – each single day, no motion”.
“That is certainly one of Belfast’s ONLY ‘separated’ cycle lanes,” the North Belfast Cycle Marketing campaign additionally famous. “That is the ONLY secure route throughout city. How is that this acceptable?”
It featured on our yesterday’s blog as properly, when the information broke that Northern Eire’s Division for Infrastructure ultimately stumbled upon a fantastical, earth-shattering answer to the longstanding difficulty of certainly one of Belfast’s few ‘protected’ cycle lanes being virtually consistently blocked by parked vehicles.
A DfI spokesperson informed Belfast Live: “The Division recognises the frustration brought on by thoughtless parking on cycle lanes throughout town. Whereas the legislative course of to make the pop-up cycle everlasting is ongoing, within the interim the Division now intends to trial new bolt down obstacles which can make the cycle lanes inaccessible to vehicles.
“These will likely be put in as quickly as attainable. We’d encourage highway customers to respect everybody’s journey and suppose earlier than you park.”
Bolted down pic.twitter.com/aRMLSbLGFu
— David McSwiggan Artist (@maxwiggan) August 24, 2023
The admittedly belated resolution follows a gathering of Northern Eire’s All Celebration Biking Group, held to stipulate the group’s imaginative and prescient for a “higher biking future”. The assembly got here simply days after councillors in Belfast launched a scathing assault on Northern Eire’s Stormont authorities and what they describe as its “joke” method to biking infrastructure.
On the All Celebration Biking Group assembly, name had been made for the DfI “to step up and construct infrastructure and preserve the paltry infrastructure that does exist” to make energetic journey safer and extra accessible, whereas Biking UK emphasised the enterprise case for putting in extra cycle lanes.
Biking UK’s Andrew McClean additionally proposed portray double yellow traces on cycle lanes in a bid to cease motorists from parking in them.
“The DfI stated that’s not a foul thought… it’s such an apparent answer however now they’re solely contemplating it,” he stated, earlier than including that the group agreed that “one of the necessary issues we are able to do is implement present legal guidelines”.
Nicely, everybody concerned in campaigning for this seemingly inconceivable act does deserve a pat on their backs!
Nice work Andrew and group! Firstclass campaigning
— Biking UK Cymru (@CyclingUK_Wales) August 24, 2023
And after that prolonged weblog submit, it is time for some social media posts often known as Tweets (do I nonetheless capitalise the T?)…
That is phenominal, and so they’re being BOLTED IN PLACE 😍
Clearly, this is not as safe as a concrete barrier or metal bollards, however it’s a signal that we’re seing some type of constructive course.
Maintain it going!#Belfast #Cycling https://t.co/E9safoHwqO
— Fund The NINE | Develop Northern Eire’s Railways (@FundTheNINE) August 24, 2023
Is {that a} parking meter the place that silver automotive is parked?
— Belfast Bicycle owner (@BelfastCyclist1) August 24, 2023
If this works it might grow to be a shrine for what the house as soon as was…
— Belfast Cycle Marketing campaign (@Bel_Cycle_Camp) August 24, 2023
They’re! going to be some severe manoeuvers come 5pm – might must go watch
— Belfast Cycle Marketing campaign (@Bel_Cycle_Camp) August 24, 2023
Cheers everybody, till subsequent time!
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