O’Dowd launches consultation on Active Travel Delivery Plan

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd has launched a public consultation on the Active Travel Delivery Plan today.

The Active Travel Delivery Plan sets out how the Department will prioritise and deliver over 200km of high quality active travel infrastructure within our urban and rural settlements over the next 10 years. It focuses on three key connections types for each area which we believe will offer the greatest potential to maximise benefits for people, the environment and society. These are connections to local schools; connections to public transport; and connections to town centres.

Speaking at the launch event at Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre, Minister O'Dowd said: “This Plan showcases the Department's ambitions for increasing active travel options in 42 settlements across the North; delivering a bold transformation for all of our communities. It will complement the existing Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan and the Strategic Plan for Greenways, providing our teams and local councils with a firm basis for the prioritisation and delivery of active travel over the next 10 years.

“Research has shown that over one third of our journeys are less than two miles long and two thirds are less than five miles. These shorter journeys offer an opportunity to choose a different mode of travel to the car and make small changes to our lifestyle, regardless of age or ability, by choosing to walk, wheel, or cycle.

“We want to create high quality and safe active travel infrastructure that will make a positive difference to your lives, so we need to understand how it could help you to choose active travel to make those shorter journeys; whether it be travelling to work or school, maybe to the local shops, to visit family and friends, or just for leisure and exercise.

“Active travel is also a key element of the Climate Change Act. It reduces our carbon footprint, improves air quality, we have less noise pollution,  it reduces traffic congestion by decreasing the numbers of vehicles on our roads and it is also beneficial to our mental and physical wellbeing.  

“I am fully committed to improving active travel opportunities and separate to these proposed schemes today I am pleased to announce that I have just commissioned the design of six signature Active Travel projects across the North and will be sharing the details on these in the coming weeks and months as they are developed.

“By launching this consultation today I am calling on the public to have their say on the future development of infrastructure projects in their local area. It is important that our neighbourhoods, towns and villages are designed to meet the needs of those who live there.

“People are at the heart of this plan because active travel is for everyone. Your journey matters, and by making little changes, and thinking about how we could travel differently, we can all make a big difference.”

The consultation, which contains a number of interactive maps for each area, is available on the Department's website at https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/consultations/active-travel-delivery-plan and will be open until 28 February 2025.

Notes to editors:

1. Photo caption:  Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd has launched a public consultation on the Active Travel Delivery Plan. The Minister is pictured with (left to right) Dermot Devlin, Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee, Shelley Bontje, Dutch Cycling Embassy and Sue Percy, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. 
2. Active Travel Delivery Plans have been identified for 42 settlements across 10 council areas.
3. The consultation is available at Active Travel Delivery Plan | Department for Infrastructure.  Paper copies can be obtained by emailing activetravel@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.
4. The Travel Survey for Northern Ireland In-depth Report 2021 is available at Travel Survey for Northern Ireland In-depth Report 2021
5. The 42 settlements identified within each council area are as follow:

• Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council – Antrim, Ballyclare, Crumlin, Newtownabbey, Randalstown.
• Ards and North Down Borough Council- Bangor, Comber, Donaghadee, Holywood, Newtownards
• Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council – Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Dromore
• Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council- Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady, Portrush, Portstewart
• Derry City and Strabane District Council- Derry/Londonderry, Strabane
• Fermanagh and Omagh District Council- Fermanagh, Omagh
• Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council – Lisburn, Carryduff, Metropolitan Castlereagh, Metropolitan Lisburn
• Mid and East Antrim District Council- Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Greenisland, Larne
• Mid Ulster- Magherafelt, Cookstown, Coalisland, Dungannon
• Newry, Mourne and Down District Council- Downpatrick, Kilkeel, Newcastle, Newry, Warrenpoint, Ballynahinch

  6.  A number of engagement events will be held throughout the period of the consultation. Details will be available on the Department's social media channels.

 7. The six Active Travel Signature Projects are located across the Department's four Divisions. These are: Bellarena to Bishop's Gate;  Coleraine to Portstewart;  Black Paths,         Craigavon to Portadown train station; Newry Inner City Greenway;  Sydenham Greenway; and A2 Maydown to Campsie.