£1.2 cycle route connecting to city planned
SCHEME WILL WIDEN PATHS AND IMPROVE LINKS
PLANS for a new cycle and walking route connecting the city centre with Thorpe Astley have been revealed.
The development will see about £1.2 million invested to make a route for pedestrians and cyclists, connecting the housing developments at New Lubbesthorpe in Thorpe Astley to Meridian Leisure Park and Leicester city centre.
The scheme will widen and improve existing footpaths between Murby Way and Foxon Way in Blaby, as well as improving pedestrian crossings at key junctions to link up with the cycle route on Meridian Way.
The footpath across Mossdale Meadows will also be widened to offer more space for cyclists and walkers, as well as building a new direct link on to the meadows from Meridian Leisure Park.
On the Kingsway, a range of improvements will be made to provide a direct ink to Aylestone Meadows - including the steps leading on to the park being replaced with a ramp. A new path will also be added to directly link to an existing path and cycle track, which are both set to be improved.
The council is also proposing the pop-up cycle route on Braunstone
Lane East will be made permanent which will provide a direct and safe route to the Great Central Way.
It also intends to make the pop-up cycle lanes on Western Boulevard and Mill Lane permanent, which will connect the route to De Montfort University campus, the city centre and Braunstone Gate.
The plan is set to be backed as part of Leicester City Council’s Transforming Cities Fund, with the council working alongside Leicestershire County Council, Blaby District Council and Braunstone Town Council.
The scheme will be backed by more than £500,000 of funding from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, as well as the council securing an additional £450,000 from the Department for Transport through the Sustrans Paths for Everyone Programme which is to improve the National Cycle Network.
Deputy city mayor Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transport, said: “For the city to grow sustainably, it is essential that we provide the infrastructure to help people make the shift to more sustainable and active forms of transport for their shorter journeys.
“By making routes safer for pedestrians and cyclists, we are enabling more people to leave the car at home and choose cleaner, greener and cheaper ways of getting about.
“I am really pleased that we are able to work with our partners in the county to provide this valuable new route for cyclists and pedestrians within the city boundary and the wider urban area.”
Coun Ozzy O’Shea, county council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this scheme which opens up a new walking and cycling route to link the city and the county.
“Developing walking and cycling routes is crucial and it builds on the work we’re doing to establish local cycling and walking infrastructure plans in parts of the county.
“It also helps us as we look to work with Leicestershire people and organisations to become a net zero county by 2045 or before. We’ve been consulting on our strategy and action plan around this.”
Spending money on more cycle lanes and their improvements in Leicester remains a divisive issue among residents, with many saying the money would be better spent elsewhere. Cyclists, however, who often find themselves facing dangerous situations on the county’s roads, question why anyone would oppose a move that, in theory, reduces traffic.