Concerns have been raised regarding the cycle lane on the Sydenham Bypass which has been called 'Russian Roulette on two wheels'.
The cycle lane which runs along the busy dual carriageway has been called dangerous due to the lack of separation between cyclists and the other vehicles on the road.
Cars can reach speeds of 50mph while using the Sydenham Bypass, which can be intimidating and unnerving for those cycling beside them in the cycle lane.
Read more: Council to tell Department preferred route for Sydenham to Holywood greenway
East Belfast Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said that he believes the Department for Infrastructure is "out of touch" with the public when it comes to providing cycling facilities in Northern Ireland and believes that more needs to be done to encourage people to do so in a safe way.
"I find it staggering that the Department for Infrastructure have painted white lines alongside a very busy dual carriageway and expect people to cycle on it. When vehicles whizz by at up to 50mph, how can we hope to get people back onto their bikes, this is essentially Russian roulette on two wheels.
"What is this, as it looks like tokenist nonsense and a tick box exercise by the DfI.
"They are so badly out of touch with the mood of the public. We've also had successive ministers go into this department, make big statements and deliver nothing. They are an embarrassment."
The Department for Infrastructure said that work was carried out on the carriageway in October of this year to improve the surface quality.
It has said that following a consultation on active travel routes from Sydenham to Holywood, development of a cycle lane on the Sydenham Bypass has been put on hold as the preferred route was away from the bypass.
The plans for this "Sydenham Greenway" are currently in development.
A Departmental spokesperson said: “A 2km stretch of maintenance work to the Sydenham bypass, including the existing cycle lane, was undertaken in October 2022 to improve the surface quality of the carriageway which was in need of repair.
“The Department had put the scheme on hold while a public consultation on proposed active travel routes from Sydenham to Holywood was undertaken, as one of the consultation options included a fully segregated cycle lane along the bypass. As initial findings from the consultation indicate the preferred route for the greenway would be located away from the bypass it was decided to proceed with the resurfacing on a like for like basis, while plans to develop the Sydenham to Holywood active travel route continues. “
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