Belfast (United Kingdom)
Belfast is a city of 267,500 inhabitants, located in the province of Ulster, in the United Kingdom. It is the largest city in Northern Ireland and is situated at the western end of Belfast Lough at the mouth of the River Lagan. For a transport expert Belfast is relevant not only becouse Titanic has been built here...
The modal split for Belfast, measured in 2007 in the city center, was as follows: private vehicles 55 percent, buses 20 percent, pedestrians 13 percent, rail 11 percent and cyclists 1 percent.
The local transport plan for Belfast is the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2005-2015. The goals of the plan are to bring significant benefits to users of Belfast’s transport system along with a wide range of other benefits — to the environment; to the economy; to road safety; and to quality of life in both urban and rural areas. In addition, it will support wider policy initiatives for the sustainable economic and social development of the Belfast metropolitan area.
Since the publication of the plan the use of bus and rail has increased, although the modal share for public transport remains relatively low. The share of walking and cycling has also increased, but not as much as planned. In addition, the use of bio-fuels by the main public transport provider has increased, and it has the newest public transport bus fleet in Great Britain and Ireland using the cleanest, lowest-emission Euro 3 and 4 engines. Innovative measures contained in the plan include the introduction of a rapid transit system, which is currently under way.
The plan is being implemented in cooperation with the central and local government, transport providers, Belfast city center traders, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and local community organisations.
The Department for Regional Development’s website contains the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan at http://www.drdni.gov.uk/index/bmtp/reports.htm and the Regional Transportation Strategy at http://www.drdni.gov.uk/rts_main_doc-2.pdf .
