Belfast Cycle City - Mass Bike Ride to Stormont, Tue 15th September 4pm.

[andybelfast]

Belfast Cycle City - Mass Bike Ride to Stormont, Tue 15th September 4pm.

On Tuesday 15th September there will be a mass bike ride to Stormont.
This is the FINAL BIG PUSH of the campaign to deliver our vision of
Belfast as one of the top ten cycling cities in the UK. This is your
BIGGEST and BEST opportunity to influence cycling in N. Ireland for
the next ten years. We need YOU to join us, cycling up the road to
Stormont to show public support for the campaign.

At the event on Tuesday, the organisers will meet the Minister for
Regional Development, Conor Murphy to present him with our vision for
cycling in Belfast and ask him for his support. The campaign aims to
increase the amount of cycling in Belfast to 10% of all journeys by
2020. In order to do this, the group has identified the need for an
annual spend of £15 per person on cycling infrastructure and the need
for a cycling strategy from 2010 to 2020.

In August we staged a well-attended bike ride from Belfast city centre
to Comber. Later in the same month we delivered our paper, "Belfast
Cycle City - 2020 Vision", to Belfast's Lord Mayor, Naomi Long. We now
also have the full support of approximately half of Belfast City
Councillors.

We plan to “paint” a massive cycling symbol on the road up to
Stormont, symbolically turning the government’s own road into a cycle
path for a day. (Don’t worry, we won’t be leaving a permanent cycling
symbol on the road to Stormont, it will only be there for a few
minutes for a photo shoot.)

We need your support in this final action –

Meet at the main Newtownards Road entrance to Stormont at 4pm, Tuesday
15th Sept with your bicycle. Please pass this invitation to all your
friends; we want to make as big an impact on Stormont as possible.

For more information about the event, or any other aspect of the
campaign, please contact Andrew McMurray, Belfast Friends of the Earth
Co-ordinator, 0790 99 00 883, belfastfoe@googlemail.com,
www.belfastcyclecity.org.uk

[barry_kellett99]

If you had have arranged it for 5 instead of 4 you could have encouraged a lot of commuting cyclists to reroute on their way home to attend.

I would do so, but couldnt make it by 4pm unfortunately

[tankslapper]

Dam! I'm in Wales that day...........

[enthused]

FFS - was this organised with the intention of promoting a low turn out - 4pm on a Tuesday afternoon - what's that all about?

[Kel]

why does it not surprise me that they have organised it for 4pm on a Tuesday. Why not a saturday or Sunday morning? No, that would make too much sense and actually help their cause by encouraging more people to attend. Bloody useless!

[tankslapper]

Not bad for a country where the best way to get action is to wrap yourself in a blanket and daub **** on your walls..............................

[Zig]

At the event on Tuesday, the organisers will meet the Minister for
Regional Development, Conor Murphy to present him with our vision for
cycling in Belfast and ask him for his support.


Id guess Conor doesnt do weekends

[ryan]

why does it not surprise me that they have organised it for 4pm on a Tuesday. Why not a saturday or Sunday morning? No, that would make too much sense and actually help their cause by encouraging more people to attend. Bloody useless!

I think that's a trifle harsh Kel. I don't remember seeing you on the last run out (and that was on a Sunday)

People are putting in serious time and effort to making this work. To starting baraging them as "useless" is perhaps a tad unfair?

[Draytek]

Brains/ink?

[Bowdie]

Stormont is empty at weekends, you need to do it when the 'legislators' are on site to notice. Block the gates with cyclists one weekday afternoon so the overpaid 'legislators', bean counters and public reps can't slope off home as early as they'd hoped.

[Michael]

They'll go earlier or take the whole day of anyway - would any of us notice?

[Bowdie]

TV cameras are reluctant to come out at the weekend

[AndyL]

4pm though? At least if it was lunchtime those of us who work could make it.

[tankslapper]

Lunch time would never work Andy as the hard working politicians would be in the bar. 4 pm suits perfectly well as the fat, lazy work shy money grabbing gits would be half way between Stormont and the car park - unless of course they have golf buggies or Segways. (show them a bike and they'll cross themselves, point their arses to Mecca and fart!)

Politicians - Your future in our hands! FFS!

As Billy Connolly says 'If you wouldn't buy them a drink in a bar don't vote for them!'

[MrNuts]

Its 4pm cos by the time you get to stormont it'll be after 5 just in time for the telly at 6, any later than 4 and you'll miss the oppo to highlight it.

[AndyHa]

Keep up the good work Andy

[benmtbrider]

Despite the conjecture on day/time etc to which i do agree to a point, i'll be there, i'll echo andyha, well done andybelfast,

[tankslapper]

Yeah well done Andy - the comments are only aimed at the apathy of others ;-)

[papasmurf]

About 50 riders turned up today, however I think it was more a publicity exercise for Bike Dock and the ladies who are touring around Ireland from tomorrow. Alot if not all the focus was on them from the gate to the steps at the entrance to Stormont, they where in most (if not all of the photo shoots).
Personally I think it was badly organised and at too short a notice, as I was speaking to one guy who called into Dave Kane's and they didn't even know it was happening.
I left after an hour with a few others of standing about waiting for C Murphy to show up. IMO it will be a long long time before we see any developments for encouraging cyclist to ride on the roads around Belfast and the greater area.

PS if you have any photo's of interest of poor cycle lanes or blockages ie skips, bus lanes, bus stops, disabled parking spaces etc etc send them to Andybelfast as he is composing a video presentation to forward to C Murphy..

[Bowdie]

You have to keep chip chip chipping away at the apathy. I’m pleased with the uptake of the 'Bike to Work Scheme' where I work, seeing Managers and Ass. Directors coming in on their shinny new bikes, even if they don't ride everyday makes them sympathic to cyclists and better drivers. One manager told me he was talking to his Belfast City Councilor in the golf club and was pointing out the bad state of the roads and lack of cycle lanes. That’s how it’s done.