A new Active Travel Centre has officially opened its doors in Derry changing the way people can walk, wheel, and cycle.
Individuals and organisations, throughout the border region, are encouraged to use the Active Travel Centre, bike workshop, and community space at the North West Transport Hub, to walk, wheel, and cycle more to combat climate change and a growing health crisis.
The new facility is in partnership with Life Cycles, a Zero Waste North West initiative to save bikes from landfill and get people cycling through lessons, led rides, and cycle fix sessions.
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Cycling accessories and bike mechanic services will be available from 'The Bike General', while training for those wishing to learn to cycle safely are just some of the activities that will be on offer.
Speaking to MyDerry, Cat Brogan, Sustrans' Active Travel Officer for the North West Greenway Network said: "This is a space where we can support people to walk and to cycle, and make more active journeys to and from public transport or just generally in their daily lives.
"Walking and cycling are really the magic bullets that we need for our society at this moment. When we look at the cost of living crisis, the fuel crisis and mental health crisis and the isolation that many people experience.
"Cycling and walking are really an important way to keep your body healthy, mind healthy, it's good for your pocket and it's also a really great way to meet other people. There are so many benefits to active travel.
"And what we do here is offer various things such an e-bike loan scheme, we've got led rides where you go out and ride with other people and cycle fix and cycle save every Thursday in partnership with Life Cycles and people can bring along their bikes and we can help them fix them.
"We have mechanics on site who can help you out and we also have an amazing range of bikes that have been saved from landfill."
Meanwhile, Sustrans Active Travel Workplace Officer, Kieran Coyle, encouraged more people to "make the leap" if struggling with the current economic crisis.
"My personal experience is that I don't use my car at all," he said. "I set myself my own challenge [for active travel]. Everybody is finding it really hard. £40 would have filled my car, I'm lucky if £10 or £15 gets it halfway mark.
"As soon as I'm filling it, that light is on again, so it's not really beneficial for me to do that. A lot of people that are using e-bikes are finding that most journeys are around three miles. Most people can travel five miles within half an hour and when people make that leap and understand that the journey is easy to do, they are leaving the car behind.
"That's what this project is all about, it's about helping people make those positive steps and lifestyle changes."
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