Campaigners welcome two new bike lanes for Leicester, at £3m

Two new protected cycle routes are being proposed on two busy Leicester city centre streets, at a cost of £3m, following a trial closure of traffic lanes earlier this year.

Designs for the new routes, on Belford Street and a stretch of Welford Road, are  out for consultation as part of wider plans to help more people cycle.

Campaigners welcome the plans, but they say the detail is key, and new routes must be properly separated to prevent them being used for car parking.

City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said: "The key to making cycling a normal, everyday way of getting about in the city is safety. That’s a really big concern for many people who want to cycle but don't.

"These schemes will extend the work we have already completed in the city centre, providing a more connected network of safe, attractive routes linking the Cultural Quarter, city centre shopping, our heritage attractions and sporting stadiums."

We're planning to create a new cycle lane on #WelfordRoad and we want to hear your views...http://t.co/XTaZ9r5ska pic.twitter.com/CIuMSgqSoc

— LeicesterCityCouncil (@Leicester_News) October 14, 2015

A 16-week lane closure was trialled earlier this year on Welford Road to test the effect on traffic movement, and campaigners turned out in support of the trial.

Welford Road is one of the city's many multi-lane one-way roads built in the 1960s, that Soulsby's administration is trying to unravel, in a bid to make it easier to cycle and walk.

Soulsby says the trial lane closure was a success, with traffic only adversely affected at junctions with Welford Road. The two-way bike lane is replacing a bus lane

He said: “The impact of traffic queues joining Welford Road is something that we will continue to look at, but that needs to be considered against the benefits of reallocating more safe space for cyclists and pedestrians.

“This latest proposal will keep the same number of general traffic lanes along this busy road while making a really significant contribution to the network of safe cycle routes in the city centre.”

Eric Ludlow, of Leicester Cycling Campaign, told road.cc: "Leicester cycling campaign group welcomes the introduction of new cycling facilities along Welford Road. A key part of our campaign is for continuous,  prioritised, protected cycle tracks along such arterial roads. But as with every new facility,  the devil is in the detail. We look forward to working with the council on those design details."

.@CityMayorLeic Good to see this happening, needs physical separation to prevent a Newarke St style temp carpark.

— Leicester Cycling CG (@LeicesterCCG) October 14, 2015

Plans for the new bike tracks can be viewed here (http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/city-mayor-peter-soulsby/my-pro...). They will also be on display at the Leicester Adult Education Centre until 30 October.