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Leicester to put up 'considerate cyclists welcome' signs in city centreLeicester City Centre.jpg

Leicester to put up 'considerate cyclists welcome' signs in city centre

“We want to encourage people to travel to the city centre by bike, on foot or using public transport”
by Alex Bowden
Sat, Nov 10, 2018 16:11
38

Signs reading ‘considerate cyclists welcome’ and ‘cyclists: thank you for slowing down’ are to be put up around Leicester city centre, reports BikeBiz. The aim is to ensure that everyone is aware the space is shared between pedestrians and cyclists and also to remind cyclists to ride responsibly.

A number of towns have recently made moves to ban cyclists from their centres using public space protection orders (PSPOs). PSPOs target various activities which are deemed to be ‘anti-social’ in nature.

Bolton is the latest to consult on such a move, while Bedford, Mansfield and Peterborough have already imposed bans. We’ve previously reported how the enforcement firm tasked with patrolling Peterborough raked in £80,000 in fines for unauthorised cycling in just over a year as part of its contract with the council.

Leicester is taking a different approach. Deputy city mayor Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and health, said: “We want to encourage people to travel to the city centre by bike, on foot or using public transport and once they are here, our large, people-friendly pedestrianised zone gives priority to people ahead of vehicles.

“Bikes are welcome in our pedestrianised zone too, but obviously we ask that cyclists show consideration to people on foot. These signs and our safer cycling campaign are a simple, straightforward reminder of that message.

He added: “Our ongoing Connecting Leicester programme aims to create people-friendly streets that link the city’s retail, heritage and cultural destinations more effectively, so that it’s easier than ever to leave the car at home and choose a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly form of transport.”

Statistically, there are very few collisions that involve pedestrians and cyclists – there were only 12 officially reported in Leicester in the last five years.

This compares to 739 injuries resulting from collisions between cyclists and motor vehicles and 958 from collisions between pedestrians and vehicles.

Leicester
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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38 comments

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tonyleatham replied to srchar | 6 years ago
0 likes

srchar wrote:

tonyleatham wrote:

didn't mean to bruise your delicate feelings

Not sure if serious. I could have sworn you were the one getting upset (on behalf of Leicester, remember?)

Definitely serious. You call an entire city a shithole which we've already established I consider a nasty thing to say. I tell you your opinions are nasty, and you go defensive. If you can't take it, don't dish it out.

Avatar
OldRidgeback replied to tonyleatham | 6 years ago
2 likes

tonyleatham wrote:

srchar wrote:

The signs are bad; “cyclists welcome” would have been better. Are inconsiderate users of other modes of transport welcome? That’s what it sounds like. Luckily, I’ll never see them, because I won’t be riding through Leicester, as it’s an utter shithole.

Leicester is my adopted city and I don't agree with you about it being a shithole, as I'm sure most of the people who live here don't. I'm really glad you won't be visiting - you and your nasty opinions wouldn't be welcome.

 

Well put, I don't live in Leicester but I go there for work from time to time. It's ok. 

There are some crap towns and cities in the UK. Leicester isn't one of them.

As regards the signs, maybe they are a bit patronising. But if you remember the way many places used to stick up signs welcoming careful drivers, you can maybe see where the thought lay.

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brooksby replied to OldRidgeback | 6 years ago
2 likes

OldRidgeback wrote:

As regards the signs, maybe they are a bit patronising. But if you remember the way many places used to stick up signs welcoming careful drivers, you can maybe see where the thought lay.

The only places I've seen that nowadays are tidy little villages, the ones where you just know that the people driving the worst through there, live there!

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Dnnnnnn replied to tonyleatham | 6 years ago
1 like

tonyleatham wrote:

srchar wrote:

The signs are bad; “cyclists welcome” would have been better. Are inconsiderate users of other modes of transport welcome? That’s what it sounds like. Luckily, I’ll never see them, because I won’t be riding through Leicester, as it’s an utter shithole.

Leicester is my adopted city and I don't agree with you about it being a shithole, as I'm sure most of the people who live here don't. I'm really glad you won't be visiting - you and your nasty opinions wouldn't be welcome.

You don't generally come across as "nasty", schar - but that did seem a "nasty opinion".

Unfair too - from what I've seen of Leicester (mostly the central area) in recent years.

Anywhere Dave Podmore rates is a winner with me.

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 6 years ago
4 likes

It's right that we complain about all the crap people have to put up with if they choose to cycle, but I don't see a big problem here.

Even Utrecht has a pedestrianised main shopping area in the centre. You couldn't cycle fast there if you wanted to, because of the crowds. You park your bike up and go shopping.

What Leicester are saying seems ok to me.

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burtthebike | 6 years ago
12 likes

Will there also be signs "Considerate pedestrians welcome"? or "Stop looking at your phone and look where you're going"?

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lllnorrislll | 6 years ago
6 likes

Yippee, passive aggressive signs fueling the hatred of cycling. The pedestrian (patronising) zones in Leicester this article refers to, is the main city centre. The main type of cyclist in this area is the delivroo / Uber eats rider, like most inner city centers.
Rather than forcing these cyclists to push through large open plan pedestrian areas to get to the take aways that they serve, the council should have had the foresight to put in proper segregated cycle paths in its recent renevation.
It's a shame that the same effort hasn't been put in to educating drivers on the outskirts of the city centre, who continuesly block cycle routes and put cyclists at risk.
Also, the archaic new walk bylaw should be dropped and opened up to cyclists, at least until the council finally pull a finger out and sort London road. See Sam Boulton.

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kitsunegari replied to lllnorrislll | 6 years ago
1 like

lllnorrislll wrote:

Yippee, passive aggressive signs fueling the hatred of cycling. The pedestrian (patronising) zones in Leicester this article refers to, is the main city centre

I don't actually think its too bad. It's like the myriad signs you see on roads into towns/villages asking people to drive considerately.

I don't really see a problem with it.

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