The installation of a Belfast Bikes halt at the Kennedy Centre in the coming weeks will give more options for people to travel in a sustainable way when coming into West Belfast.
The halt, which will be home to nine bikes is set to be installed at the entrance near to Danske Bank and will see the Belfast Bikes scheme extended further into the West with the previously installed halts being located at the Broadway entrance to the Royal Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Twin Spires and Millfield.
Welcoming the news, Kennedy Centre’s Centre Manager John Jones said that he hopes the move will lead to an increase in people using sustainable transport to visit the centre.
“The Belfast Bikes halt will be a welcome addition to the centre infrastructure, and we hope that it will lead to an increase in people choosing sustainable transport to travel around West Belfast,” he said.
“This has been a long time coming and we are thankful to the work of Paul Maskey as the MP for the area who has been phenomenal in helping secure the halt for the centre.
“We hope that this will attract more people into the West of the city and we are delighted that we can play our part in extending the scheme further into West Belfast so that more people have access to greener transport options on their doorstep.”
Belfast Bikes is sponsored by Just Eat with the sponsorship deal playing an important role in further developing the success of the scheme, ensuring it is affordable for users and the ongoing promotion of cycling across the city.
The Just Eat Belfast Bikes scheme has continued to grow in popularity since its inception in 2015 and currently boasts over 400 bikes with 49 docking stations.
Funding has been provided for the scheme through the DfI Sustainable and Active Travel elements of the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme Fund.
Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, said: “The installation of new docking stations at the Kennedy Centre and other locations in the city this month is great news for our residents, visitors and businesses – actively promoting cycling as a safe, healthy and environmentally sustainable form of transport.
“Since its introduction, the Belfast Bikes scheme has not only grown in size but also in popularity with rentals and users consistently increasing.
“It is so encouraging to see more people choosing a bike as their method of transport which clearly signifies that Belfast Bikes is an integral part of city life and in turn helps to create a better connected, low carbon, climate resilient city.
“I am really looking forward to Belfast Bikes continuing to achieve more success in the years to come.”
