Cycling Routes Masterplan for Mid and East Antrim A Summary
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Encouraging Active Travel Active travel refers to making journeys by physically active means, like walking or cycling. These are usually short journeys, like walking to school, the shops, cycling to the train or bus station, or cycling to work.
Cycling Routes Masterplan A Summary
Active Travel has many benefits – it’s good for your health and is a clever way to get you active as part of your daily routine. It’s also good for the environment, reducing congestion, air pollution and noise. It is much cheaper than using fuel, and many journeys can be quicker.
What does this mean for our borough? The demands of everyday life place a heavy dependency on the need to travel, usually by car. Working with the charity Sustrans, who have over 40 years experience in developing cycling and walking strategies, we have created a series of cycling masterplans. With vast experience in • Safe routes to public transport implementing a successful centres initiative enabling people Safe Routes to School Programe, to walk or cycle safely to bus the National Cycle Network and and rail stations. Greenway design, our masterplan • Safe routes to community and uses all this experience to create leisure facilities allowing active new possibilities along some existing travel to these destinations. routes, whilst others show potential • Planning for the future programme cycling networks both within Mid ensuring active travel provision and East Antrim and linking to is included as part of all major further afield. planning applications. Our goal is to create a cycle-friendly As part of our 10-year vision for the borough that encourages and borough, these plans provide us with supports active travel including: a programme for route development • A safe routes to school within our own sites. We can also programme looking at how help inform the statutory planning parents and children access local process and influence cycling schools, identifying improvements provision on our roads. to make the journey safe and achievable on a bike, walking or scooting. • Better links to public transport hubs, encouraging more longer distance commuting by public transport.
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How does this masterplan relate to other current strategies to deliver the benefits of cycling?
Cycling Routes Masterplan A Summary
Our overall aim is to encourage people to ditch the car, get on their bike and make a healthier choice for their commute. Cycling has many benefits, including physical and mental health benefits from getting active. It also improves the local environment with fewer cars on the road and therefore less pollution, noise and congestion. Cycling can also help to boost the local economy, with trips to shops made on bike more likely to benefit the local trader rather than the out of town retailer. Our Cycling Routes Masterplan has synergy with a number of other strategies, including: ‘Putting People First’ The Mid and East Antrim Community Plan The vision
‘Changing Gear’ A Bicycle Strategy for Northern Ireland The Department for Infrastructure’s vision is to develop a bicycle network throughout Northern Ireland so that people travel by bike as an everyday activity. It aims to:
“Mid and East Antrim will be a strong, • Make urban areas more vibrant, safe and inclusive community, accessible for those on bicycles where people work together to improve the quality of life for all.” • Increase opportunities for social interaction This 15-year plan focuses on five themes: • Improve public health • Our Environment • Good Health and Wellbeing • Community Safety and Cohesion • Progress in Education • Sustainable Jobs and Tourism Our proposed cycling networks will play a major part in promoting and facilitating walking and cycling within the borough. Active travel fosters good health and wellbeing and also reduces car dependency so the environment can generate better air quality. Encouraging our residents to get out and enjoy the local environment will help build community cohesion and give a sense of belonging.
• Enhance the safety for all cyclists ‘Exercise Explore and Enjoy’ A Strategy Plan for Greenways The Department for Infrastructure has produced a high level plan for the development of greenways across Northern Ireland. This plan also links in to several of its other strategies encouraging active health, outdoor recreation and other sport and physical recreation.
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So where are these proposed Strategic Cycling Networks?
Cycling Routes Masterplan A Summary
Ballymena Even though Ballymena is home to Slemish mountain, it is still relatively flat. With good potential to develop cycling routes, proposals exist to create a town-wide cycle network by upgrading and linking several existing traffic free paths. Located on the National Cycle Network Route 97 known as the Ecos Trail, cyclists can enjoy a scenic ride from Ballymena through to Glenarm. The priorities for Ballymena area centre around: • Creating a North Ballymena Cycle Loop.
• Providing safe routes to schools.
• Developing the Braid Riverside Path from Galgorm to Broughshane.
• Establishing safe routes to bus and train stations with the benefit of secure cycle parking provision.
• Realising a South Ballymena Greenway from Green Pastures in Ballee to the town centre and Ecos Nature Park.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Ballymena Area Map
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
Map Key
Ballymena Town Centre
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
Map Key
Carrickfergus The historic town of Carrickfergus is fairly level on its coastal side, with potential to develop a largely traffic-free network linking through to the greenways of Newtownabbey and Belfast. As one of the oldest towns in Ireland, the centre consists of many narrow streets so cycle growth depends on creating better infrastructure for use by local people and for visitors. The priorities for the Carrickfergus area focus on: • Creating a coastal greenway linking Carrickfergus to Jordanstown and joining the existing popular cycle and walkway (NCN93) to Belfast and further afield. This is also one of several critical linkages which could see the delivery of the Castle to Castle Greenway from Carrickfergus to Bangor.
Cycling Routes Masterplan A Summary
• Establishing a network of traffic free-routes for those new to cycling or wanting to cycle more. • Developing safe routes to train stations with the benefit of secure cycle parking provision. • Delivering safe routes to schools.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Carrickfergus Area Map (including route to Greenisland)
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
Map Key
Carrickfergus Town Centre
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
Map Key
Cycling Routes Masterplan A Summary
Larne Larne benefits from a rural and rugged climb on one side to a more level terrain as it edges along the spectacular Antrim Coast Road. Positioned as the gateway to Northern Ireland, and with cycling holidays more popular than ever, Larne boasts real tourism potential, particularly with the Eurovelo Route starting in Larne. Leisure and touring cyclists are already familiar with the beautiful coastal road network and improved local infrastructure will encourage more new cyclists. The priorities for the Larne area involve: • Completing a cycle route through • Creating a cycle route from Seacliff to Larne Leisure Centre to the town from the A8 corridor passing through Town Parks and dual carriageway to the Antrim linking to the promenade. Coast Road, connecting to the Port of Larne. • Realising safe routes to both train and bus stations including • Development of the Larne to Millbrook ‘Park and Ride’ with Doagh Greenway along the A8 the benefit of secure cycle • Establishing a circular leisure route parking provision. around Larne lagoon with access to Redlands retail and leisure outlets.
• Establishing safe routes to schools.
• Developing a greenway along Linn Glen to join the A8 dual carriageway at Antiville.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Larne Area Map
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
Map Key
Larne Town Centre
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
Map Key
What other cycle plans relate to our area? National Cycle Network (NCN) Part of a UK wide project, Mid and East Antrim currently benefits from three national cycle networks, featuring mostly quiet roads for cyclists to take in their surroundings: 1. NCN 93 which covers the scenic Coast Road north of Larne as well as a short rural route from Larne to Gleno. 2. NCN 96 which encompasses the Lower Bann Cycle Way through the village of Portglenone. 3. NCN 97 which links the Ecos Trail from Ballymena to Glenarm village.
Where can I find out more? Contact our Parks & Open Spaces, Outdoor Recreation on 028 9335 9271 View the Cycling Routes Masterplan for Mid And East Antrim, February 2018 at www. midandeastantrim.gov.uk/parks View the National Cycle Network at www.sustrans.org.uk/northernireland/national-cycle-networknorthern-ireland
Cycling Routes Masterplan A Summary
This national network continues to develop new routes including a route along the A8 dual carriageway connecting Larne to the Newtownabbey Way at Corr’s Corner. Other strategic greenways in our borough being considered include: • Glens of Antrim Greenway, linking Ballymena to the coast at Cushendall. • The Greenisland Greenway, developing an urban greenway linking Greenisland to Monkstown and the Coast Road A2 cycle track. • Doagh to Larne Greenway, partnering Mid and East Antrim Borough Council with Newtownabbey Borough Council, sees cyclists using the A8 route through to the Port of Larne with a second phase incorporating sections of disused railway line. • South Ballymena Greenway, Ballynure to Kells, passing through Ballymena’s Green Pastures development and continuing to Ballynure. • Doagh to Antrim Greenway, although not part of our borough, would link Lough Neagh through to the Port of Larne if connected with our Doagh to Larne Greenway.
www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Mid and East Antrim National Cycle Network & Proposed Greenways
All routes shown in this masterplan are indicative and are subject to consultations and technical assessment.
MAP AREA REF 1
Glens of Antrim Greenway
2
Monkstown to Greenisland Greenway
3
Doagh to Larne Greenway
4
Ballymena to Ballyclare Greenway
3 93
Existing On-Road NCN Existing Traffic-Free NCN Proposed On-Road NCN Proposed Traffic-Free NCN Proposed Greenways NCN Route Number
MEA0143
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Outdoor Recreation Parks and Open Spaces 1-29 Bridge Street Ballymena BT43 5EJ Tel: 028 9335 9271 www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk
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