At the end of February 2025, consultation closed on the Department for Infrastructure’s Active Travel Delivery Plan (ATDP). The ATDP sets out “how the Department for Infrastructure will prioritise and deliver high-quality active travel infrastructure for shorter everyday journeys within urban and rural settlements over the next 10 years and beyond”. The Plan proposes potential active travel routes, prioritising connections to local schools, to public transport and to town centres in 42 settlements across Northern Ireland (not including Belfast).
RTPI NI responded to the consultation via the Citizen Space portal, using feedback from members of the RTPI NI Policy and Research Forum. Answers are set out below.
Prioritisation of Potential Active Travel Routes
Do you agree that we have emphasised the right things?
- Connections to local schools: Neutral
- Connections to public transport: Neutral
- Connections to town centres: Neutral
Are there other types of journey or connections that you think should have more influence on where we focus investment in active travel infrastructure?
Whilst these connections are important, there are some notable omissions, such as connections to blue and green infrastructure including play spaces
and parks, and the approach also seems somewhat flawed. RTPI NI would propose instead that connections are prioritised for active travel where there is
no public transport link. We do not want to be shifting people off public transport to use active travel, so much as shifting car drivers and passengers
from using the private car to using the sustainable options of public transport, walking and cycling. Therefore active travel needs to be considered
holistically along with public transport provision, and areas with a low level of public transport accessibility prioritised for active travel infrastructure.
Are the plans future proofed i.e. have the authors considered growth areas shown in emerging LDP strategies or has existing development alone been
considered? This is a perfect opportunity to start to align land use and transport planning.
Active Travel Network Delivery Plans
Active Travel Network Delivery Plans have been developed for 42 settlements within the following Council Areas:
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Antrim?
Route 1: Castle Way to Stiles Way/B518 via Fountain Street/Fountain Hill: Yes
Route 2: Greystone Roundabout along Greystone Road (B95) to Fountain Hill: Yes
Route 3: High Street along Railway Street to Stiles Way: Yes
Do you have any alternative routes that you feel may bring more benefit to the local community and should be prioritised above those identified?
Comments via RTPI NI from a resident of Antrim and a keen cyclist: The priority routes make sense as they are providing cycle routes in the town centre and then interlinking them to the existing cycle routes. Another suggestion would be to upgrade the 'future route' which runs along the A57/Dublin Road to a priority route as it would provide cycle links to an agricultural college and also to existing local walks where shared walk/cycle space could be encouraged.
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Ballyclare? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Crumlin? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Newtownabbey?
Comments from a chartered town planner who is also a resident: I would say that the links from the Shore Road/Abbeycentre/North Foreshore routes should be developed more and prioritised. There are huge volumes of traffic in this area which could be improved by providing a rail halt (outside this project, I know) and pedestrian and wheeling access to the shopping and employment areas.
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Randalstown? No comment
Ards and North Down Borough Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Bangor?
Route 1: Newtownards Road Roundabout to Newtownards Road: Yes
Route 2: East Circular Road to West Circular Road via South Circular Road: Yes
Route 3: Bloomfield Road Roundabout to Gransha Road: Yes
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Comber?
Route 1: Ballygowan Road to High Street/Killinchy Steet Junction: Yes
Route 2: The Square/Killlinchy Street Junction to Newtownards Road/Cherryvalley Line Roundabout: Yes
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Donaghadee?
Route 1: Killaughey Road to High Street via Northfield Road: Yes
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Holywood?
Route 1: High Street to Belfast Road via Downshire Road, Demesne Road and Jacksons Road: Yes
Route 2: Sullivan Place between High Street and Holywood Bypass (A2): Yes
Route 3: The Esplanade to Airport Road West Bridge: Yes
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Newtownards?
Route 1: New Street/Portaferry Road to Bangor Road: Yes
Route 2: Donaghadee Road/Zion Place Roundabout to Settlement Limits via Movilla Road (B172): Yes
Route 3: South Street/High Street Junction to Settlement Limits via Comber Road: Yes
Route 4: Comber Road Roundabout to Portaferry Road/New Road junction via Castlebawn Road and Portaferry Road: Yes
Route 5: Regent Street to Kempe Stones Road via Church Street and Blair Mayne Road North: Yes
Route 6: Hardford Link/Blair Mayne Road North Junction to Talbot Street/North Road Junction via Hardford Link: Yes
Do you have any additional comments about the proposals?
Comments via RTPI NI from a resident, familiar with all these routes as a commuter and leisure cyclist: The priority routes identified are good - they are common sense routes in the right places. Within each of these settlements, the priority routes identified will allow greater ease of access for the residents to cycle to local schools/shops/doctors' surgeries whilst also making the road routes already taken by cyclists even more cyclist-friendly. The (potential) future development routes will be good in the long term for joining these settlements safely together. The most interesting part would be how to link Bangor and Holywood - the section between these two maps!
The main Bangor to Holywood then to Belfast route was one I cycled daily for several years. The proposal in Holywood (route 3 on Esplanade past the entrance to Kinnegar Army Barracks to Airport Road) was one I took as it cut out the carriageway and Sydenham Bypass. It's really not an openly-accessible or well-known route, but is so much safer than the alternative, so formalising this as a cycle route would be an excellent idea.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Armagh? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Banbridge? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Craigavon? No comment
Do you have any additional comments about the proposals?
Comments from a resident of Dromore, via RTPI NI: The routes for Dromore make sense, but it is disappointing that Dromore does not have any priority routes. Additionally, whilst the routes make sense, the parts that need the most thought are the edge of town areas, where the roads become busiest and potentially most dangerous for cyclists. The Banbridge Road route does offer the promise of connecting to a future Greenway, which is welcomed. The routes go past two of the three schools. St Colman's primary could easily be added with a short cycle route into town. Also, does the Lurgan Road route extend off the map as far as the Community centre? This would be an important cycle link to provide.
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Ballycastle? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Ballymoney? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Coleraine? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Limavady? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Portrush? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Portstewart? No comment
Derry City and Strabane District Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Derry/Londonderry?
Route 1: A515/Glengallagh Road Junction to Fernabbey Junction: Yes
Route 2: Carlin Terrace/A2 King Street via Clooney Terrace: Yes
Route 3: Rock Road/Baronet Street via A2 Strand Road: Yes
Route 4: A514 Crescent Link Link (Altnagelvin Roundabout to Crescent Link Roundabout): Yes
Do you have any alternative routes?
Comments from a resident and keen cyclist, via RTPI NI: These four priority routes are fine. Priority routes 2 and 4 are good ones, but route 4 will be challenging as there are a lot of roads joining that main dual carriageway, which will break up any continuous flow of an active travel route, and the infrastructure will need to ensure that cyclists can travel safely with cars joining and leaving the A514. Priority route 2 is ideal, and if enough people know about it, it could be a game changer to active travel in Derry/Londonderry. Priority route 3 would be positive for the university area, but it is unclear to me exactly where it is, so I can't comment definitively. There is a recent new housing development at the Rosses Gate roundabout (between Clooney Road and Rossdowney Road) that I believe will be developed further over time. The issue active-travel-wise is that there is currently no link at all for pedestrians to get from that housing development to the main thoroughfare of the A514 Crescent Link. I heard that there may be a walking route that joins partly up the Crescent Link. It would be good to prioritise pedestrian and cycle accessibility in this area.
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Strabane?
Route 1: Bridge Street/Market Street via Derry Road to junction with A5: Yes
Route 2: Proposed new footbridge and associated links: Yes
Route 3: Ballycolman Road - Bridge Street to Melmount Road: Yes
Do you have any alternative routes?
Comments from a chartered town planner who is a resident of the area: Bridge Street / Market Street and bridge (Routes 1 and 2) – accept that parts of this route could be improved for active travel however the bridge is a listed structure, and there is limited space for provision of an adequate footway / cycleway on Bridge Street so I am not sure how this proposal could be achieved.
There is reference to the above streets linking to Derry Road and to the A5. The Council has however already provided and constructed an existing greenway on Derry Road and along the A5 towards Strabane town centre. What else could DfI therefore provide in addition on this route? I therefore would suggest the future route north of Strabane should be a priority, which could provide a better connection towards Ballymagorry and then eventually connect to Council-owned Strabane Canal and the greenway route. This would bring more benefit to the community as residents in north Strabane don’t even currently have access to a play park or any form of recreational space to enjoy.
I welcome consideration of a new bridge connection in Strabane. This is a necessity to link the town centre to the existing bus station on Bradley Way. There is currently no direct route from the station to the town centre. A previous planning application for the bridge was brought forward possibly 10+ years ago however there were 3rd party land issues at that time.
Do you have any additional comments about the proposals?
Could DfI provide a better active travel connection to Donegal, as in Lifford they have now constructed and provided a 3m cycle/footway the entire length of the road to Castlefin? It would be great if we could connect north and south of the border, as well as linking in the Councils' cross-border Strabane /Lifford ‘Riverine Park’ approval, to better improve active travel links for leisure, recreation and tourism.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Lisburn City? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Carryduff? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Metropolitan Castlereagh? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Metropolitan Lisburn? No comment
Do you have any additional comments about the proposals?
Only populations over 5,000 are counted in the strategy, but Moira is a remarkable omission. Moira has a population of just under 5,000 but has severe traffic congestion issues all days of the week and the train station is remote from the town centre. Active travel infrastructure to connect the town centre to the train station would be expected to reduce traffic congestion by shifting trips from the private car to active travel/train. Including Moira in the strategy would also provide active travel connectivity between Lisburn and Lurgan.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Ballymena? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Carrickfergus? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Greenisland? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Larne? No comment
Mid Ulster District Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Coalisland? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Cookstown? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Dungannon? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Magherafelt? No comment
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council ATDP
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Downpatrick? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Kilkeel? No comment
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Newcastle?
Route 1: Castlewellan Road from Dundrum Road to Settlement Limit: No
Do you have any alternative routes?
We do not agree with the proposed ATDP Priority Route for the town and would instead recommend prioritising the A2 Dundrum Road over the Castlewellan Road. This is based on feedback from an RTPI Member who is also a resident of Newcastle. The A2 Dundrum Road is a key route used by a significant number of tourists and local residents, including those from Dundrum, Clough, Loughinisland, and larger settlements such as Ballynahinch, Carryduff, Lisburn, and Belfast. Furthermore, it serves as a primary public transport corridor, accommodating bus services such as the 520 and 237 to Belfast, among many others. Given its higher level of usage (and therefore the need to protect cyclists using this route) and strategic importance in connecting the community to key destinations, I believe the A2 Dundrum Road should be prioritised over the Castlewellan Road in the ATDP.
Do you agree with the Priority Routes for Newry? No comment
Designing the Network
Design Principles
Design will be people-centred, with the aim of creating places that are welcoming and accessible to all: Yes agree
Design will focus on the provision of high-quality infrastructure, appropriate to the situation, with safety at its heart: Yes agree
Do you have any comments on these overarching design principles?
These two principles could follow the Healthy Streets toolkit, using 10 indicators: 1. Pedestrians from all walks of life 2. Easy to cross 3. Shade and shelter 4. Places to stop and rest 5. Not too noisy 6. People choose to walk, cycle and use public transport 7. People feel safe 8. Things to see and do 9. People feel relaxed 10. Clean air.
In addition to the design of new routes, the communication around them is essential, and how they connect, to help people make informed travel choices and plan their journey. Digitised maps of NI (with clear ownership so that the information is up to date) that show all active travel routes would help to promote uptake. This would also show the important gaps in development.
Behaviour change is also required - not just design of infrastructure. This should start at a young age, with school children receiving education about the benefits and receiving incentives to use active travel as their option for school travel.
Road Space Allocation and Traffic Management
To what extent do you agree with these principles –
Rebalancing the Street: Disagree
Rethinking Traffic Management: Disagree
Do you have any additional comments on the principles for Designing the Network?
Again, public transport must not be pitted against walking and cycling. Public transport is also sustainable travel. In our climate, we need to be encouraging people to take the bus instead of the car, when the weather is inclement and they do not wish to walk or cycle. Public transport is also incredibly important for elderly people and those with severe mobility difficulties. Therefore any traffic management measures and moving of bus stops, for instance, should ensure that public transport modes do not become less attractive with bus stops away from desire lines or longer journey times due to one-way systems. In addition, research shows that one-way systems are actually more dangerous for cyclists as motorists raise their average speed, compared with two-way systems. For this reason, organisations such as Transport for London are removing one-way road systems and making them two-way, such as with Camden Council on the Tottenham Court Road scheme.
In terms of key design elements:
Pavement parking will also need to be considered - how can this be designed out, and enforced? Removing street clutter can help with the general flow of pedestrians, but seating is important to allow elderly people to take regular rests while walking. How will the hierarchy of needs be considered? Using colours to delineate the space is not helpful for visually impaired road users. How will the needs of this group be taken into consideration? How will routes be maintained, including elements such as lighting? Will it be the Council's responsibility or DfI's? Maintenance is crucial to success. Capital funding for route provision is great but it needs to be accompanied by revenue for future maintenance including things like sweeping loose gravel. What planning tools will be utilised to deliver the revised network? Planning conditions might be appropriate, but these need enforcement. We may also need to consider Compulsory Purchase Orders to deliver some schemes.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
No comment
Section 75 (Equality)
Thinking about the Section 75 categories, do you believe this plan will have any positive or negative impact on people in these groups?
RTPI NI agrees with the comments in the Screening Assessment that the plan will overall have a positive impact on all persons, regardless of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, marital status or sexual orientation, due to the health and wellbeing benefits of encouraging walking and cycling through improved infrastructure. Creating an accessible, inclusive built environment that enables everyone to play an equal role in society is important in protecting and enhancing the well-being of all communities.
The recognition of the different needs of parents/carers and persons with disabilities in terms of active travel should result in positive changes through the Plan. The plan should have a positive impact on the elderly, so long as the needs of this group are taken into consideration throughout all stages of the planning process - including consideration of the location of frequent seating to allow for breaks while walking.
What action you think could be taken to reduce or eliminate any adverse impacts?
The planning system presents a crucial opportunity to ensure that our public spaces and transport options are futureproofed and resilient against the threat of violence towards women and girls. The planning system is intrinsic to embedding gender sensitive design. However, focusing only on safety in urban design further perpetuates limiting views on the experience of women and girls. Feeling safe is important, but, perpetuating the narrative that women and girls are potential victims and limiting discussions about gender inclusivity to safety, is missing an opportunity to think about the big picture changes that can happen when places are designed by and for everyone. Gender mainstreaming is an approach to policy-making that takes into account both women's and men's interests and concerns. Gender mainstreaming at policy level through design guidance can, over time, help to shift the culture of a place, the aspiration being to create something new that is of benefit to all people of all backgrounds and genders. Therefore RTPI NI encourages DfI to take this approach in the Active Travel Delivery Plan.
