By Ben Stevens
Councillors will tonight discuss proposals to improve public transport infrastructure in Leicester through three new schemes.
Plans to change the A50 at the Five Ways junction, build a new park and ride in Beaumont Leys and redevelop the Great Central Way walking route are all on the agenda at tonight’s meeting.
The proposals are part of the Transforming Cities Scheme which aims to greatly improve commuter travel into the city as well as promoting walking to help tackle the climate emergency.
Leicester City Council has already been awarded £32.5m in funding by the Department for Transport for the £71m scheme.
If the proposals are given the green light, it is suggested in the council report that the A50 will be rerouted through Woodgate to try and divert traffic away from the Waterside.
In addition to this new cycling infrastructure will be put in place and a bus lane will be added along Fosse Road North.
The Economic Development, Transport and Climate Emergency Scrutiny Commission will also debate plans for a new park and ride area to be constructed in Beaumont Leys.
It is hoped this will provide greater access to the city centre and reduce levels of congestion on the A50/A46.
The park and ride will have up to 300 parking spaces and will also have a cycle hub, providing people with a green way of getting into the city.
The report also details plans to rework the Great Central Way route and create an environmentally friendly foot and cycle way from the New Lubbesthorpe area into the city centre.
One of the driving forces behind these plans is the ongoing climate emergency.
Figures from the UK government show that 27% of all emissions produced in 2019 (pre-pandemic) in the UK came from transport with a staggering 91% of this coming from road transport vehicles.
[…] It was a night that marked the end of Barry Pritchard’s 42-year tenure at Leicester City council, bowing out with an update to the Transforming Cities Fund, for more information click here. […]