BY AILEEN MURPHY
Eagle-eyed pedestrians in Enniskillen will have noticed an extension to the cycle paths which serve the town.
The latest addition of cycle lanes on Forthill Street and Belmore Streets have been created to help inexperienced cyclists who may be daunted by the new junction at the Gaol Square.
Outline images of a cyclist and a pedestrian have been painted on the pavements indicating bike users can legally cycle on the pavement in these areas. However, the cycle path only goes as far as the traffic lights at Veitch's on Belmore Street when cyclists are then expected to go back onto the road.
The move has been welcomed by Enniskillen Councillor Frank Britton, who is himself a keen cyclist. "This is an extension of the National Cycle Network path which comes in along the Irvinestown road, and any move which makes it easier for cyclists in Enniskillen is to be welcomed."
However, Mr Britton continues to urge the Roads Service to look at ways to extend cycle lanes around the town in a bid to encourage people to start to realise cycling can be a viable alternative to using a car around the town.
Andrew Knox, from Roads Service explained the thinking behind the cycle paths, which quite literally seemed to appear over night.
"At the moment, we have the cycle track coming in the Irvinestown Road, it then travels up Belmore Street, along East Bridge Street, down onto the Wellington Road and over to the Lakeland Forum. With the introduction of the new traffic signals at the Gaol Square, we decided to give inexperienced cyclists or children this option to use the pavement over this short distance as an alternative to trying to negotiate the new traffic lights junction."
Mr Knox insisted that Roads Service were committed to trying to create new cycle paths, and also to 'linking up' existing paths around the town. He also highlighted the fact the new Tesco store due to open soon on the Dublin Road will have a wider footpath which will again allow cyclists to travel alongside pedestrians on this stretch of the road.
They will also have a cycle path running through the Tesco site to join up the Dublin Road and the Derrychara Road.
