Infrastructure Blog Archive
Here you will find an archive of Infrastructure Blog articles published before 1 January 2020, divided into their relevant categories.
Energy
![Image of wind farm in front of a setting sun](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Is-the-sun-setting-on-NI-renewable-image-300DPI-640x427.jpg)
Is the sun setting on Northern Ireland renewable electricity?
Reading Time: 3 minutes There was considerable growth in the development of renewable electricity over the previous Northern Ireland Assembly mandate. Changes to renewable electricity support may impact the ability to achieve similar levels of growth in the future.
Infrastructure
![An image showing the clearing of the snow on Donegall Square North, Belfast [Image: Dean Molyneaux under Creative Commons 2.0)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Clearing_the_snow_on_Donegall_Square_North_Belfast_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_1650068-640x480.jpg)
Grit Expectations: How and when are our roads and footpaths salted during the winter season?
Reading Time: 6 minutes By Des McKibbin & Keara McKay As temperatures plummetted towards the end of November 2017, forecasters began to predict the coldest December in seven years. Meteorologists are suggesting winter 2017/18 could be colder than normal
![The border on Killeen School Road, near Newry (Image: Oliver Dixon, under Creative Commons)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/The-border-on-Killeen-School-Road-640x480.jpg)
Is road safety worse in the border region?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Death and serious injury from road traffic collisions (RTCs) are tragic events bringing untold pain and suffering on families. At the same time, through better understanding of what causes them and targeting appropriate action, they
![Artist’s Impression of Belfast’s proposed ‘Transport Hub’ which has already received EU TEN-T funding during the planning phase and would have been eligible to compete for money as it moved into the capital phase.](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Image-2-Infrastructure-planning-640x481.png)
How can the Department for Infrastructure fund delivery of its infrastructure pipeline?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Northern Ireland’s infrastructure development was neglected for decades. There are now plans in place to rectify this but how this will be funded remains uncertain.
Transport
![An image showing the clearing of the snow on Donegall Square North, Belfast [Image: Dean Molyneaux under Creative Commons 2.0)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Clearing_the_snow_on_Donegall_Square_North_Belfast_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_1650068-640x480.jpg)
Grit Expectations: How and when are our roads and footpaths salted during the winter season?
Reading Time: 6 minutes By Des McKibbin & Keara McKay As temperatures plummetted towards the end of November 2017, forecasters began to predict the coldest December in seven years. Meteorologists are suggesting winter 2017/18 could be colder than normal
![](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Smart-pass_cropped-640x399.png)
Is the continued provision of free travel for 60-64 year olds sustainable?
Reading Time: 7 minutes An ageing population and increasing budgetary pressures have forced the Scottish and Welsh Governments to ask whether it is sustainable to continue providing free travel from the age of 60. This blog article looks at
![The border on Killeen School Road, near Newry (Image: Oliver Dixon, under Creative Commons)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/The-border-on-Killeen-School-Road-640x480.jpg)
Is road safety worse in the border region?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Death and serious injury from road traffic collisions (RTCs) are tragic events bringing untold pain and suffering on families. At the same time, through better understanding of what causes them and targeting appropriate action, they
Water
![Strangford Lough from Scrabo Hill (Image: Colin Park under Creative Commons)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Strangford-Lough-from-Scrabo-Hill-640x480.png)
How much change can we expect to current environmental requirements post Brexit?
Reading Time: 7 minutes As the Prime Minister prepares to trigger Article 50, this blog post looks at the potential consequences for environmental standards here in Northern Ireland.
![Rathlin Island, one of 57 SACs in Northern Ireland (Image: Colin Park under Creative Commons Licence)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Rathlin-Island-640x480.jpg)
The EU and the environment
Reading Time: 6 minutes How might leaving the European Union impact on environmental policy, funding and legislation in Northern Ireland?
![Mullygarry, Fermanagh; after thirty-five consecutive days of rain in 2009, the water levels on Lough Erne rose to 158ft above sea level, the highest since records began in 1956 (image Dean Molyneaux, under Creative Commons).](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Mullygarry-flood-Fermanagh-640x480.jpg)
Managing Flood risk in Northern Ireland: Are we prepared?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Prolonged heavy rainfall over the winter of 2015 has shown how devastating flooding can be to homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. With predictions that localised flooding will become an ever more common occurrence, how prepared