Calls to permanently pedestrianise central Belfast following festival success

Campaigners have called on north of Ireland infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins to ensure Belfast stays a walkable city. The demand comes after pedestrianisation of the city centre has proved a huge success during a major festival.

The north’s largest city is currently hosting the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for the first time. The event is the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture. It is likely that over one million people will visit Belfast throughout the Fleadh, and they have been able to enjoy the festival’s cultural hub unimpeded thanks to the removal of traffic.

As part of a petition addressed to Kimmins, campaigners Act Now said:

With no cars and more public space, it has created a safe and lively environment for all of us to soak up all the music and craic this week. What the Fleadh has proved is that pedestrianisation can work in Belfast City Centre and other places across the North.

However, this is only temporary. When the Fleadh ends on Sunday, so will the temporary pedestrianisation of our streets. But that hasn’t stopped thousands of us asking the same question to friends and family: what if Belfast’s streets were like this all the time?

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We call on Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to pedestrianise more streets in Belfast and other places across the North.

Benefits of walkable cities: cleaner air and more active people

Reducing traffic in cities is hugely popular among Europeans. As City Changers point out:

…a 2020 YouGov survey across 21 European cities, 74% of responses – including drivers – supported the reallocation of space from vehicles to people-centric transport.

Cities jammed with traffic waste people’s time. Belfast is a prime example, as the most congested city across Britain and the north of Ireland. People breathe in toxic fumes as a result. City Changers say:

Emission levels are unsafe for breathing in at least 80% of cities and around 15% of all greenhouse gases are attributed to transport.

Using cars to get everywhere means people are less active by walking or cycling. The result of these factors is a poisoned, sedentary population suffering ill health. This in turn leads to increased costs for health care systems. More walkable areas, served by nearby public transport stops, would address these issues.

The Australian City Renewal Authority, which seeks to improve Canberra’s urban environment, point out that areas formerly filled with traffic can be replaced with trees. This results in more pleasant city spaces, cooler temperatures and cleaner air.

A report from Living Streets showed that there’d even be an economic boost from making cities more walkable. They say:

…pedestrians spend more money than people arriving by car, and pedestrianised town centres have higher sales.

Britain’s National Active Travel Commissioner is Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman. He elaborated, saying:

Making the centres of our towns, cities and villages easier and safer to get about on foot means people are more likely to spend more time there supporting local shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

Belfast Greens: “Pedestrianise the living daylights out of the city centre”

Local politicians approve of the Fleadh’s initiative with Green Party councillor Brian Smyth saying:

Pedestrianise the living daylights out of the city centre.

He acknowledged there could be:

…challenges around transport and those with mobility issues but I believe with consultation and the will we could find a way around this.

This is an issue sometimes raised by opponents of reducing car presence in cities, but Mother Jones point out that:

…disabled people are actually less likely to drive than non-disabled people….

That means they rely more on public transport. Mother Jones also point out that navigating a torrent of traffic is a greater hazard for disabled people, with:

…vehicle-pedestrian deaths among wheelchair users was 36 percent higher than that of the overall population.

For disabled people who do rely on a car, access could be granted for blue badge holders.

Even the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) resisted their reflexive tendency to scream ‘no’ at anything remotely positive. Belfast councillor Sarah Bunting acknowledged that the pedestrianised spaces are:

…creating a welcoming atmosphere and allowing people to enjoy the city in a different way.

However, similarly to Smyth, she caveated her remarks by emphasising the need to plan properly for the needs of “elderly people and those with mobility issues”.

Those with mobility issues might include revellers who are the worse for wear after contributing to the possible 2.5 million pints of booze consumed during the Fleadh. Enabling them to stagger home safely on car-free streets is just one more reason for permanent pedestrianisation in Belfast.

Featured image via NewsLetter

By Robert Freeman

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