To create a safer route for cyclists riding into the city centre during the Covid-19 lockdown, Leicester City Council are installing a second temporary cycle track.
Taking advantage of the lack of traffic, a 500-metre section of Saffron Lane between Aylestone Road and Hawkins Road has been coned off. This new cycle lane is a continuation of the previous scheme which was introduced last week, which saw the creation of a temporary one-kilometre cycle lane along the Aylestone Road, which provided a safe route for cyclists.
The new route, which makes use of the outbound bus lane on a section of Saffron Lane, is open as of today, May 1st. It is intended to provide key-workers with a much safer route into the city. The lack of traffic opened up this possibility, with many people working from home and avoiding non-essential travel.
According to Leicester City Council, peak time traffic in Leicester has fallen to half the normal levels.
Last week, another temporary cycle lane was installed near the Leicester Tiger’s ground, to provide commuters going to the Leicester Royal Infirmary a safe route to work along part of the Aylestone road.
Leicester deputy city mayor for the environment and transportation, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “The significant drop in traffic due to the lockdown has created the opportunity for us to put in these temporary cycle routes, at very low cost and quickly, on what would normally be busy roads.
“With more key workers cycling to work at the moment, and some disappointing reports of a few people driving at higher speeds, this is clearly the right thing to do as it gives key workers confidence that they can cycle to where we need them to be safely.
“We’ve also had an amazing response to Bike Aid, our free cycle loan and repairs scheme, we launched earlier this month in partnership with local cycle shops and organisations.
“By providing free of charge bike loans, bike servicing and new bike routes we are making it as easy as possible for people who need to get around the city to do so.”
By Sam Ellison
