Belfast is to run its third annual family-friendly Ciclovia in around two months time — now in its third year, the event is described as “becoming part of the city fabric”.
For Ciclovia Belfast a mile of roads between the Botanic Gardens and Belfast City Hall will be closed to motorised traffic from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday September 24, 2017.
“Ciclovia Belfast brings life to the city streets on an otherwise sleepy Sunday morning. People can cycle, walk, wheel, scoot, jog — whatever — in safety and freedom along an iconic corridor in Belfast between Botanic Gardens and City Hall,” said Jonathan Hobbs, editor of Bikefast.org.
He added: “Many choose to sit as well, filling the tills of our cafes and restaurants who have embraced the event and seen takings go up as a result. It’s truly becoming part of the city fabric.”
Find more details at cicloviabelfast.com.
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…..And we’re still waiting on Dublin to catch up on Belfast in this regard! Dublin needs a Ciclovia, and it should be happening every MONTH!…not every YEAR!
We are hoping that we can make it happen during this year’s Mobility Week – http://www.mobilityweek.eu/ – 16th to 22nd September! Lets put the pressure on!!
I’m not sure if you are allowed cycle on it (I suspect not) but the Champs Elysee in Paris is closed to traffic one day a month (can’t remember if it is a Saturday or Sunday). Leaving cycling out of it I think this idea of temporay pedestrianisation is great. It allows people to enjoy the city a bit more and it proves that those who say the city will shrivel up and die if any limit is put on motorised traffic are wrong.
Where would be a good place for Dublin to do this? O’Connell Street is already designed a bit like a plaza but it is disappointingly unappealing with regard to the shops and cafes on it. Dame Street (essentially extending the new plaza up to Parliament Street or Christ Church (if the busses can be rerouted) might be better.
Make O’Connell St, O’Connel Bridge and all the areas around Temple Bar, Dame Steet, and all the streets west of Grafton St to Wicklow St, and all around St Stephen’s Green car-free.
Me and my daughters loved cycling along the main road in the phoenix park when its shut to cars. It’s be great to do in the city proper.
Meanwhile Dublin City is just too scared to have such an event. Really sad state of affairs for our city. O’Connell Street was closed on a number of occasions around 1916 events, so why not for an ongoing event to recognise the simplicity of a low tech means of independent mobility that hasn’t changed very much in the last 100 years.