ANTRIM and Newtownabbey Borough Council is to ask Stormont's Finance and Infrastructure Ministers give further consideration to extending the Glider route to Glengormley and the wider area.
It follows a motion on the plea passed by councillors last week.
A consultation was launched back in August on the different route options available for extending the current Glider route beyond the existing service covering West and East Belfast.
North Belfast parties are divided on the three proposed options for extending the service, with two possible routes centred on the Shore Road and one centred on the Antrim Road.
The two northbound routes stop at O'Neill Road, however there have been calls for the route to be extending further into Glengormley, and even Mallusk.
The motion agreed by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council last week, tabled by Glengormley Sinn Féin Councillor Michael Goodman, said: “This Council welcomes the work undertaken by the minister for infrastructure to better connect communities and make public transport a viable option for more people.
"Council notes that extending the BRT2 (Belfast Rapid Transport Phase 2) route to Glengormley and the wider area would enhance local communities and help connect people to the Belfast area. Council agrees to write to the minister for infrastructure to request that further consideration be given to extending the Glider route to the wider Glengormley area.
"Council further agrees to write to the minister for finance to request that additional resource be allocated to the BRT2 programme to allow for the route to be extended to Glengormley and the wider area based on the current assessment model. Council agrees to respond to the public consultation expressing our support for an extension to Glengormley and the wider area to be submitted before the consultation closure.”
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Billy Webb, said: “This is a fantastic proposal to create a better link between Belfast and the wider Glengormley area.
"While shoppers and commuters will benefit from the proposed extended route, the environment will also benefit from the reduced carbon footprint associated by using public transport instead of cars."
