To ask the Minister for Regional Development how often the Roads Service audits the number of cyclists on major routes.

At present, my Department’s Roads Service does not carry out audits of the number of cyclists on major routes. Every two years a Belfast City Centre Cordon Survey is undertaken by officials in Roads Service, to assist in monitoring performance against targets established in the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan (BMTP) 2015. The purpose of this survey is to determine the modes of travel used by people, crossing a predefined city centre cordon, to travel into Belfast City Centre during the morning peak hour (08:00 to 09:00). The most recent cordon survey was completed in 2011.

The Travel Survey for Northern Ireland (TSNI) 2009-2011 provides information on how, over the region as a whole, people use different forms of transport, including bicycles, to meet their travel needs, as individuals or family groups. The TSNI also provides information to inform government policy, assist with setting objectives and monitor performance in relation to transport and travel in Northern Ireland, for example, in the Regional Transportation Strategy.