Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again. #Pinks #ProudBlue

“@niauditoffice.bsky.social did in 40 pages what MLAs failed to for 20 years – check whether @infrastructure-ni.gov.uk plans were anything other than wood pulp” sluggerotoole.com/2026/01/31/d... @otoolematthew.bsky.social @seamasbelfast.bsky.social @briansmyth99.bsky.social @erichanvey.bsky.social

A member of the public gallery speaks for all NI’s active travel stakeholders during @infrastructure-ni.gov.uk’s evidence session yesterday, on the damning Active Travel report by @niauditoffice.bsky.social It was one #FacePalm after another for over an hour.

The @infrastructure-ni.gov.uk were at the @NIAInfra committee today answering questions on the @niauditoffice.bsky.social recent report on Active Travel. #ActiveTravelAuditNI You can watch here: t.co/gPasFnfvEQ

Great line on #InducedDemand from @trafficintowns.bsky.social “…any new road cut through a densely developed area will, as a drain cut across a sodden field fills with water, attract enough vehicles to justify its existence in terms of flow.” #TrafficInTowns trafficintowns.uk/index.php/bo...

Pavement parking is ubiquitous in #Belfast (👏 city planners) but the utter selfishness of some drivers still manages to shock me. My 6 year old just about managed to squeeze past this one but if I had a pram? Or a wheelchair? I’d be on the road at rush hour, put in danger so someone can park 😒

By 2030 Paris will have removed 70,000 parking spaces and replaced them with this…

“Google is a highly promising newcomer, with a large database, an intelligent system of ranking hits by relevancy (popularity), and local cache access to pages that have disappeared since it's crawl or are otherwise unavailable. Check it out, as it looks set to become a future champ.”

Good to meet up with other cycle campaigners from across Ireland at the @irishcyclingcmpn.bsky.social “Crossing Borders Conference”in Drogheda - and thanks to Quay Cycles in Drogheda for the bike hire.

Great spin along the Boyne river in Drogheda with @irishcyclingcmpn.bsky.social at the Cycling Across Borders: All Ireland Cycle Campaigners Conference.

Down at the “Cycling Across Borders: All Ireland Cycle Campaigners Conference” in Drogheda, organised by @IrishCycle Hearing about all the new infrastructure projects underway in ROI is going to be a tough listen!

#ShareTheShore just got real! @meabc.bsky.social Mid&East Antrim Council have launched a consultation on opening up long-denied pedestrian access to our beautiful forbidden beach. www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/things-to-do... - please give your views (i.e. YES!!!). Thanks, and please REPOST!

The Shipping Forecast 📷 Sally Castle (linocut) #ott #offtopictuesday

I've been up to something. For many, it's not worth making a big deal of it. But for me, it's been a goal for a long time. I started commuter cycling from #collegeward. I think it makes sense to share this as my entry into the #weekwithoutdriving challenge.

The @niauditoffice.bsky.social has published it's report on @infrastructure-ni.gov.uk progress on Active Travel in Northern Ireland. “There is also no evidence that delivery to date has significantly increased active travel rates.” t.co/sWNbZn3DXm

BOUNCED CHEQUES People want their investment back —— New article up on @SluggerOToole Have a read, leave a comment. sluggerotoole.com/2025/06/20/b...

BOUNCED CHEQUES People want their investment back —— New article up on @SluggerOToole Have a read, leave a comment. sluggerotoole.com/2025/06/20/b...

“Between 1969 and 2001 3,532 people died during the troubles. During the same period 7291 died on the roads.” sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/r...

Worth mentioning - you can’t own a car in Japan unless you have a certificate (Shako Shomeisho) proving you have a designated parking space. You can’t store your car on a public street/street.

I quite enjoyed this fella's style.

Thanks for coming along this morning for a simple, safe and stress free cycle down to city hall for breakfast. Thanks to Dep. Lord Mayor @PaulDoherty___ for the warm welcome and @belfastcc for the continued support.

Ive given up. Just been down Corporation st. and even though there is a belfast bikes stand outside City Quays park, the cycle lane is a road to nowhere onto the footpath. No cycling sign onto it aswell.

WALKING & CYCLING CHAMPION DAY. #WACCday –– It’s 5 years since DFI created the Walking & Cycling Champion. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements & transformations delivered by DFI over that time. Has your life changed forever… for the better? Share your stories…

Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly today, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins gave an update on the pedestrianisation of Hill Street in Belfast.

Congestion in Belfast - Blog Post 5 - How can we achieve modal shift? wesleyjohnston.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/c...

In the 1950s American writer Ray Bradbury predicted earphones, flat screen TVs, self driving cars and ATMs. In his 1951 short story – The Pedestrian – Bradbury also predicted a future where you might be arrested for walking. #Walking #SustainableTransport sluggerotoole.com/2025/04/12/c...

“On this point we have no doubt at all that cyclists should not be admitted to primary networks, for obvious reasons of safety and the free flow of vehicular traffic.” trafficintowns.uk/index.php/bo...

“We also considered the question of pedestrian movements, because clearly in a small town such as Newbury walking plays an important part in the transport system ” trafficintowns.uk/index.php/bo...

COMPARE ➡️ DfI tells Belfast citizens it can’t close Hill St – a tiny cobbled street in Belfast city centre. ➡️ Paris’ citizens tell City Hall to pedestrianise 500 streets across the city. DEVOLVE TRANSPORT POWERS! www.reuters.com/world/europe...

BREAKING! HILL ST. CLOSES TO TRAFFIC -- @infrastructure-ni.gov.uk has confirmed that Hill St. will close from Mon 1st June - for the "installation of automatic rising bollards." The system will be fully operational from July 20th "Taxis will be have dedicated space either side of Hill St" ⬇️

‘A tragedy no parent should ever have to go through’: Mum of Co Derry girl killed in collision says loss of 11-year-old daughter highlights ‘urgent problem’ www.irishnews.com/news/norther...

If only politicians and policy makers were aware of this research showing: “motorists underestimate the full private costs of car ownership, while policy makers and planners underestimate social costs”. Car use means high costs and inactive lives. 🤷‍♀️ -/- www.lunduniversity.lu.se/lup/publicat...

“re­lying on DfI for any­thing means care­fully man­aging your ex­pect­a­tions… visions of the fu­ture of­ten have to hang around a few decades for real­ity to catch up. The hanging around isn’t al­ways fair on the people who bought the vision” www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/norther...

"Without sustained investment, healthcare inequalities will only widen, leading to more preventable deaths and poorer quality of life for people with learning disabilities." Karen Gilgunn, of Mencap NI, is this week's guest writer for Pivotal Platform. www.pivotalppf.org/our-work/piv...

"It’s time to stop publishing and start delivering" a bicycle strategy for Northern Ireland. Stephen McNally, Director of @cycul.bsky.social, is this week's guest writer for Pivotal Platform. www.pivotalppf.org/our-work/piv...

An 11 year old killed yesterday in Castledawson by simply stepping off her school bus. She is the 10th person to die on NI roads this year (the second this week). 50% of road deaths are pedestrians. @infrastructure-ni.gov.uk – are we really doing all we can? sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/r...

“…a house will hold so many occupants and if more are crammed into it, it becomes a slum… the same kind of rule must apply to an area occupied by buildings and the amount of traffic it can decently contain.” buff.ly/4b4Hdgb

Cycling & walking are stuck in traffic. 6 ideas to unblock Active Travel • Devolve power to councils • Elected Mayors in Derry & Belfast • Active Travel NI • Better scrutiny from MLAs • More governance at DFI • Experienced head of Active Travel Read more on @pivotalppf.bsky.social t.co/HuuwW1AwN7

@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk Bicycle Strategy for NI is 10 yrs old. They set themselves ambitious 10 year targets. We should have seen noticeable progress in those 10 years. • How have the Department been doing? • Have they hit any of their targets? New article on @pivotalppf.bsky.social

Here we go…

“The simple act of walking plays an indispensable part in the transport system of any town. There is nothing fanciful in this statement. Walking accounts for many medium-distance movements…” https://buff.ly/4jUwitD

Traffic in Towns is 61 years old today. To celebrate, the digital version is now live. This landmark study examined the impact of increasing car culture on the UK. We hope this digital version helps inform then on-going debate on ‘the traffic problem’. #TrafficInTowns trafficintowns.uk

Are these the levels of violence we are willing to accept to cure Belfast’s congestion and reduce MOT waiting times? For @www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk to resist calming and redesigning urban streets to protect vulverable road users? Are we doing everything we can? sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/r...

We’ve reached peak SUV Marginal gains territory www.iihs.org/news/detail/...

“Around 1.19 million people die annually – sandwiched between Diabetes and Tuberculosis. 20–50 million suffer non-fatal injuries. It’s the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29.” Acceptable levels of violence? Have a read: sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/r...

FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States

“…3,532 people died during the troubles. During same period, 7291 died on the roads. The Troubles are a reminder of the suffering caused by violence and a context for understanding the tragic consequences of road death” New post on @sluggerotoolepols.bsky.social sluggerotoole.com/2025/02/04/r...

"NI's education system is at a crossroads. The Engage programmes demonstrate that targeted funding, when paired with autonomy, can drive significant improvements in academic& well-being outcomes." Dr Graham Gault of the @ni.naht.org.uk writes for Pivotal Platform. www.pivotalppf.org/our-work/piv...

If only the @sdlp.bsky.social had a party member who cycled regularly and could have put Cara straight… oh…errr