Connecting Leicester and Transforming Cities Fund Programme
Connecting Leicester activities have been the focus for bringing together the many special buildings and places through a series of key projects.
Together, these changes revolve around:
- Removing barriers that make it difficult for people to move from one area to another.
- Making the city an attractive destination for shoppers, visitors, businesses and investors as well as a great place to live.
- Connecting different parts of the city centre and reducing the dominance of roads to help create an attractive and pedestrian-friendly environment.
- Helping businesses to flourish and to attract new visitors to what we know is an interesting and exciting place.
The programme will see further transformation of Leicester into a city where every citizen feels like there is a sustainable way of making a journey within the city.
Our ambitious plans have also been supported as a result of a successful bid to the government’s Transforming Cities Fund. A £70million package of work will focus on major sustainable transport improvements to provide attractive choices for people to get to work, support the city’s growth and deliver on the council’s climate emergency, air quality and healthy living commitments.
Anstey Lane/Buckminster Road improvements
We were recently awarded funds from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to deliver a series of pedestrian, cycling and public transport improvements in the north west and south west of the city. The package of work will focus on major sustainable transport improvements to provide attractive choices for people to access places work, education and other facilities whilst supporting the city’s growth and delivering on the council’s climate emergency, air quality and healthy living commitments. As part of this programme, transport improvement works are planned for Anstey Lane and Buckminster Road:
Anstey Lane
This scheme will include:
- A new bus lane on Anstey Lane between Buckminster Road and Blackbird Road to improve journey times.
- A new shared 3m cycleway on the south footway between Buckminster Road and Avebury Avenue (meets with existing shared cycleway on the footway in front of English Martyrs School).
- A new shared 3m cycleway/footway on Anstey Lane between Great Meadow Road and Darenth Drive (meets with existing cycle facilities on the footway up to Krefeld Way).
- Raised tables at side roads and a new pedestrian crossing to create a safer route.
- The removal of three trees will be required to enable these improvement works. We will replant six trees nearby in a more suitable location.
Buckminster Road
We will be introducing an experimental closure of Buckminster Road between Brading Road and Anstey Lane to prevent the road from being used as a ‘rat run’, and to create a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as providing a quieter and more attractive area for residents. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will remain unchanged.
There will the opportunity for people to comment during the first six months of the experiment, after which the scheme will be reviewed. The council would only consider adopting a permanent scheme following consideration of comments received during the experimental scheme together with analysis of any relevant survey information gathered. To have your say on the experimental Traffic Regulation Order process, look out for notices in the local area and in local media.
Plans, programme, traffic management and diversions’
The proposed plans for the works can be seen below:
The improvements are planned to commence on a phased basis from June 2021 for approximately six months.
Please see below for the diagrammatic plan of proposed phasing and closures.
Please note that some bus routes will be affected by the works as follows:
First Bus Service 74
- Inbound will be via Avebury Avenue / Somerset Avenue / Parker Drive / Blackbird Road / Ravensbridge Drive for Phase 1 inbound.
- Outbound route as normal. Some stops may be re-positioned.
Centrebus Service 154
- Inbound will be via Somerset Avenue / Parker Drive / Blackbird Road / Ravensbridge Drive for Phase 1.
- Outbound route as normal. Some stops will be re-positioned.
You can see the letter of notification issued to residents and businesses, including contact details for the Contractor and Project Manager, below:
Melton Road Improvements
Improvements are proposed on the northern stretch of the A607 Melton Road and include new infrastructure and measures to make it easier for buses to quickly and reliably travel in to and out of the city centre to make bus travel more attractive to city residents. This part of Melton Road, close to the city boundary, is a major route for bus services in and out of the city. However, the volumes of general traffic on this part of the route can cause delays for bus services at busy times.
Creating a new bus lane, and extending the existing one, will help improve bus journey times and the reliability of services on this important route. Improved, reliable bus journeys can help encourage people to travel by bus rather than relying on the use of private cars. Making bus travel more appealing can also have the added benefit of alleviating traffic congestion. One double-decker bus can typically have 74 passengers which could take the equivalent number of cars off the road. The introduction of new bus lanes on busy routes can have a positive impact on bus patronage, with increases of up to 13 per cent.
The improvements can be summarised as follows:
· Introduction of new outbound bus lane between Sandringham Avenue and Troon Way.
· Extend the existing inbound bus lane to cover the length between Troon Way to Glencoe Avenue.
· Alterations to the toucan crossings at the A607 Melton Road/Lanesborough Road roundabout.
· Introduction of bus lane camera enforcement.
We will also be undertaking the following as part of the works on the A607 Melton Road.
· The reduction in the number of lanes for general traffic supports the need for a reduced speed limit on the A607 Melton Road between the city/county boundary and the existing 30mph speed limit. The reduced speeds will help make the area feel less car-dominated and benefit more vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
· The installation of a LED Variable Message Sign on the inbound side of the A607 Melton Road at the Humberstone Lane junction.
· General maintenance work to the A607 Melton Road between Lanesborough Road and Troon Way to repair any surface defects and refresh signing and lining.
· Introduction of new bus stops comprising real-time bus information.
· Maintenance items on the A607 Melton Road (between Sandringham Avenue and Troon Way).
The proposed scheme has been designed and modelled so the new bus lane should not adversely affect the flow of general traffic.
The improvements are planned to commence on a phased basis this autumn and subject to the completion of other schemes we aim to have the work complete by Spring 2022. Please notes that some of the proposals will be subject to statutory consultation as part of the process through the advertisement of Traffic Regulation Orders. You should look out for these notices and adverts.
