Cycling spend dips in west

Roads Service spent a total of 289,367 over the past three years but the overall investment in road safety engineering, traffic calming and the enhancement of the pedestrian and cycling network in the west dipped drastically from 138,532 in 2009/10 to 55,000 in 2010/11.

Transport Minister Conor Murphy outlined the information in response to a query at the Stormont Assembly.

He said Roads Service aims to provide safer roads for the vulnerable road users, including cyclists, utilising a range of measures that include road safety engineering, traffic calming and enhancement of the pedestrian and cycling network.

He said: “There has been a reduction in the 2010/11 budget allocation for cycling measures due to a reduction in the allocation for Local Transport and Safety Measures (LTSM’s). However, this is largely in line with the planned level of expenditure arising from Budget 2008.

“In addition to the capital investment in cycling measures by Roads Service, my Department also promotes the use of sustainable modes of transport, including cycling, through its Travelwise initiative.”