We’re not sure that all this disruption will be worth it, say residents
BUS AND CYCLE LANE ROADWORKS WILL LAST UP TO SIX MONTHS
PEOPLE living in Anstey Lane have questioned whether a millionpound project to install cycle and bus lanes is going to be worth the trouble it is causing.
The busy route in and out of the city was shut to inbound traffic for six months from June 14 to allow the work to go ahead.
The aim is to get more people out of their cars and travelling by foot, by bike and by bus.
But the move has left residents having to walk some distance to catch a bus and a number of them are wondering whether it will cut traffic, or just make congestion even worse.
Anstey Lane resident Belinda Bassett, 42, is one of those questioning whether the end result is going to be worth all the disruption.
She said: “It’s too much of an inconvenience with no buses and I don’t think we need a new bus lane anyway.
“The road was quite busy before, but I think it will still be busy even if some people stop driving.
“And we don’t need a cycle path because all the cyclists seem happy going along the pavement.”
Phyllis Green, 78, said she misses the handy buses heading into the city, which have been re-routed because of the roadworks.
She said: “If you need to go into town you’ve got a bit of a walk to get to the bus stop. Nobody warned us about that.
“There are so many older people who use the buses and this is going to be going on for such a long time.”
She said she was also worried that the bus lane could cause traffic to struggle to get out of the side roads along Anstey Lane.
However, on the plus-side, she said: “It is nice and quiet with less traffic, for now.”
Peter Gardner, 72, who lives on the partially-closed section of Anstey Lane, said: “I use a bike myself so I think a bike lane would be a good thing, but I’m not sure many people will use it. Also, I don’t like the idea of those electric bikes using it – they go so quickly.”
His wife, Lynda, 70, said she was enjoying the peace of having less traffic on the road for the coming months while the work is done.
She said: “I used to live around here as a child and it was like the countryside then, so it’s nice having it so quiet again. I just hope it all looks as nice as Groby Road when it’s done.”
A disabled woman who lives in Larchmont Road, just off Anstey Lane, said she is now facing a 15-minute walk to get to a bus stop.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “I walk with a stick and if I want to get into the city centre I have to walk all the way to the stop near Travis Perkins in Ravensbridge Drive.
“You’re most of the way in by the time you get there.
“There aren’t enough temporary stops for people living around here. A lot of people in this area are past pension age and rely on the buses.”
In response, the city council has said it will take another look at temporary bus stop provision. A spokesman said: “Improvement work under way in Anstey Lane will help make this busy route safer, encourage more people to make healthy choices through cycling and walking and support the increasing number of people who are already choosing to travel this way.
“We are also developing plans to give buses more priority on this route by providing a bus lane on the approach to Blackbird Road. “This will remove a pinch point that is affecting the reliability of services and help improve journey times.
“The method of working that has been adopted is designed to ensure that the scheme is implemented as quickly as possible, minimising disruption for both motorists and residents.
“We will look carefully at the temporary arrangements for bus stops that need to be in place during these vital roadworks as the scheme progresses to see whether improvements to the operation of the buses and the location of the bus stops can be made.
“The plans for Anstey Lane are part of an £80 million citywide programme of investment in sustainable transport, backed by £40 million from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.
“The package of work will focus on major sustainable transport improvements to provide attractive choices for people to get to work, education, local and other facilities supporting the city’s growth and deliver on the council’s climate emergency, air quality and healthy living commitments.”