20th May – Plans were presented at the Cycle City Workshop by a member of the design team. LCCG representatives (and others) were not at all pleased with the reduction in provision being proposed. Works are due to start on the north side (existing lane) in early June, as evidenced by signs already up. We have written to the city Mayor outlining our concerns in relation to the changes to the plans consulted on earlier, as well as our disappointment with the consultation process, and await his reply.
Tag Archives: Segregated cycle facilities
Planned improvements to A50 – Groby Road
Leicester Cycling Campaign Group are very aware that, thanks to the city Mayor, Leicester is moving in the right direction with regards to giving people choices in how they travel. We sometimes go into the county, are reminded what cycle provision was like 20 years ago and are glad to be back on something half-useful in the city.
We have some segregated contraflows (Berridge Street, Greyfriars), segregated tracks (Southgates, Newarke St) and a fully pedestrianised town centre. There have been sub-standard bits (north of Belgrave Circle) but we are encouraged by movement on London Road and Welford Road, both major routes into and out of the city. We have a forum chaired by Sir Peter Soulsby, the city Mayor, specifically to discuss cycle infrastructure with him and the planners. We have also raised issues with the way consultation and communication has been handled with other projects, and have been promised greater openness and transparency from the planning department.
In light of all this, recent events around the A50 Groby Road have been extremely disappointing. Details of the consultation on improvements between the New Parks Blvd roundabout by the Glenfield Hospital and the junction with Blackbird Road approaching the inner ring road are available on the Council’s website. Plans at that stage included a dedicated, segregated cycle lane on either side of the road, all the way out to the roundabout at Station Road / Gynsill Lane beyond County Hall (as in the attached drawing, still showing on the website).
We responded to the consultation in November 2014 pointing out (amongst other things), the lack of width at 1.5m and the lack of priority at side roads. The council facilitated a meeting on 3rd December with the project engineer to discuss this project, which was very positive.
Plans were circulated in December which lacked any junction treatments beyond the occasional toucan but did have tracks on both sides of the A50. Our previous comments stand.
Deadly quiet reigned for 3 months. A cycle city workshop meeting arranged a meeting with the planners for 1st April but this didn’t make it into the minutes. Or anybody at the council’s diaries – the key people were on holiday so it didn’t happen.
15th April, cycle city workshop – meeting planned for 21st April.
21st April – meeting cancelled on the day because the design team couldn’t make it.
Discussion moved to the Cycle City Workshop scheduled for 20th May. Aware that time was ticking by, we asked for an earlier meeting with the project manager and hoped that we would at least get a chance to see the plans in advance of the CCW. We’re told that there were no convenient dates available for a pre-meeting and that there were delays with the plans.
Filed under A50 Groby Road
Cyclists’ deaths in London have lesson for us
Our Press Officer, Eric Ludlow, has written a thoughtful piece following the recent deaths of cyclists in London, reflecting on what we can learn for cycling safely in Leicester. It is published in the Leicester Mercury’s ‘First Person’ column.
Cyclists’ deaths in London have lessons for us
26 November 2013
Six cyclists have been killed in London in the past three weeks. That’s a chilling statistic and there’s no escaping the deeply emotional impact that it creates. It has led to demands for a range of measures to be taken immediately – some aimed at cyclists, others at motorists.
I would prefer to look at what might have caused those deaths and its implications here in Leicester.
Filed under Press
Bike paths near new Sainsbury’s are a dangerous obstacle course, warn cyclists
by Adrian Troughton, Leicester Mercury
November 23 2013
Campaigning cyclists have warned that new bike paths outside a new supermarket are obstacle courses which will lead to people being injured.
David Warnock, a member of the Leicester Cycling Campaign Group, says that signposts, a lamppost and control boxes are blocking the footways – paths shared by cyclists and pedestrians – near the new Sainsbury’s store, in Melton Road, Rushey Mead.
And if you’re interested, here are links to a couple of posts on Dave’s own blog, with loads of great photos:
http://42bikes.warnock.me.uk/2013/11/20/posts-at-new-junction-on-melton-road-by-sainsburys/
http://42bikes.warnock.me.uk/2013/11/21/other-problems-at-new-junction-on-melton-road-by-sainsburys/
Filed under Press
Cycling Embassy report on Infrastructure Safari
Nine brave souls, undaunted by the prospect of rain, gathered at Leicester Station on Saturday 12 October, for a 20mile tour of some of the best and not-so-great aspects of what it’s like to cycle in our city. Three members of the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain were hosted by six LCCG members, who took them on a 20 mile safari which is now reported on their website. We’ll have more photos and footage in due course. And yes, we were all completely soaked by the end of the day, but it was worth it.
Filed under News
Leicester Cycling Campaign Group 