To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to outline the current delivery status of active travel schemes, including Belfast Cycling Network routes, in South Belfast.

Ms Kimmins

I am committed to increasing investment in active travel across the North and recognise its benefits to the lives of people who want greater choice in how they travel, particularly for shorter, everyday journeys. Since the publication of the Belfast cycling network delivery plan in 2022, significant progress has been made. A number of projects that have already been delivered, with schemes in Lagmore Avenue, west Belfast greenway phase 1 and Island Street currently under construction across Belfast. In South Belfast, the Stranmillis embankment scheme was completed last summer. I had the opportunity to cycle it and was pleased to see the difference that the new red surfacing has made and the linkage improvements between the embankment, Queen's University Physical Education Centre (PEC) and Botanic Gardens through the provision of a new pedestrian crossing. My Department has also provided funding to Belfast City Council to progress the next phase of Lagan Gateway. Within the South Belfast area, design work is substantially complete on the Ravenhill Road scheme as part of the Belfast cycling network, and officials are preparing documentation to commence the traffic regulation order process in the coming months. Prioritisation of future active travel schemes within the Belfast cycling network is currently being considered. That will take account of the emerging eastern transport plan and other significant changes that have occurred in Belfast in recent years, not least the relocation of Ulster University and the increased number of students whom we now see living in the city centre.

Ms Kimmins

I absolutely agree with the Member. Many seem to have the view that it is a nice-to-have, but you are right: it is absolutely essential. It provides people with options not just to make those shorter journeys without having to get into a private car but to do so safely. That is key in all of this. As I mentioned, this will align with the eastern transport plan that covers a wide area outside Belfast city centre, and the Belfast cycling network will complement its overarching principles for all of the reasons that you have outlined. The consideration that I mentioned about the increasing number of students in the city centre and surrounding areas is a key part of that. All of that should be looked at as we go forward with this. We want to give people better options. If we want to encourage them to get out of the private car, we have to make sure that they have the ability to do so, and I am keen to do that.

Mr O'Toole

Minister, I welcome the fact that you are committed, in broad terms, to the Ravenhill cycle network, and it is important that we see urgent prioritisation of it. There are five schools and two parks — Ormeau and Cherryvale — along that route. It is, no pun intended, the Rosetta Stone of active travel in that part of south-east Belfast. Everyone who got that pun enjoyed it. You say that it is coming soon: can we have an actual date? Will we get that order updated and the network shovel-ready before the summer? The Stranmillis embankment was welcome, but it was already a separated, well-used cycle network. Getting the Ravenhill one in place is critical. When will it happen?

Ms Kimmins

I can write to the Member to provide a more detailed update on that, just to be specific in case there are any changes, but I am not aware of that at this stage. You are right in relation to Stranmillis. It helped to highlight the benefit of something like this and encourage more people to come out. It was in dire need of an upgrade, and it is a good example of what we can do and what we can do more of.

Mr McHugh

What is your Department doing to improve active travel around schools?

Ms Kimmins

That is a really important aspect of our active travel work, particularly to ensure that children and young people can get to and from school safely. Prioritisation of active travel improvements on routes to schools was a key consideration in the consultation on the active travel delivery plan. The plan is being finalised, and I hope to approve its publication in the coming months. My Department is also updating design guidance for active travel, including the development of a toolkit for measures that can be implemented around schools to encourage walking, wheeling or cycling for the school run. Some of the measures that designers might consider include the provision of greater pedestrian priority at crossing points in the vicinity of schools, as well as measures to discourage inconsiderate parking that can cause difficulties for people cycling or walking.

Other gateway features to make motorists aware of the presence of schoolchildren walking, wheeling and cycling in the area will also be part of that.

The implementation of 20 mph zones outside schools has been another good example of how we can improve those routes and make them safer. I recently visited St Ita's Primary School in south Belfast and saw its use of pencil bollards. That is a good example of something creative that really highlights the fact that children and young people are coming to and from the area. There are lots of things that we can do to make big changes and to ensure that our children and young people can get to school safely in a way that benefits their health and well-being.

Mr K Buchanan

Minister, on the A29 at Cookstown, you are delivering a £430,000 active travel scheme that is being built as we speak. Like others, no doubt, I could point to loads of areas where that money could be far better spent. I want you to tell the people of Cookstown why we are building a £430,000 active travel scheme to literally nowhere when the state of the roads is absolutely atrocious and there is no money to fix potholes; I hear that day and daily from your engineers. What do you say to the people of Cookstown who ask me, "Why are they building that?"

Ms Kimmins

The Member is fully aware of my responsibilities in relation to active travel spend. It is set in legislation that 10% of the budget is required to go towards active travel. I am working towards that and am committed to it. However, we are still in a very difficult budget situation, so that is a challenge. We should not have to choose one thing over the other: I would like to be able to do both. There are pots of money within the allocation for things that I have to do, and there are other allocations for road maintenance, as the Member will be aware. The area is another one that is extremely important to me, which is why, in the most recent monitoring round, I used the money that I got to target road maintenance, particularly on rural roads, because I know how important that is. It is not feasible to compare like for like, because the two things are not alike: the money comes from separate allocations, as the Member will know, which is set by legislation.

Mr Allen

In several of her answers, the Minister referred to the need to deliver active travel safely. What recent steps has the Department taken to ensure that active travel is delivered in a way that is safe for all members of our society, including those with a disability, so that we do not see a repeat of examples such as the dangerous bus stop boarder on the Dublin Road?

Ms Kimmins

Absolutely. The Member may be aware that one of the seven foundations that I have outlined as part of my Department's plans is about inclusion. We work closely with organisations such as the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) to ensure that everything that we do is inclusive and safe for all users, particularly people with disabilities. That has been extremely important, because it has not only helped to inform and educate my officials but informed what we do going forward. When we look at things such as inconsiderate pavement parking and other safety measures, we ensure that we take that on board. We regularly engage with the likes of IMTAC to hear its perspective and suggestions of how we can make that better. I am alive to the fact that we have to make sure that, whatever the work that we do, we consider all road users, whether motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, parents with buggies — there are so many different ways of looking at it — and that we have to ensure that we do our best to cater for all.