Leicester cycle improvements branded 'illogical' by motorists

Cyclists in Leicester have put their support behind cycle improvement work branded ‘illogical’ by some motorists.

Some of the city’s busiest traffic lanes are being transformed into wide cycle lanes as part of the mayor Sir Peter Soulsby’s city centre renovations.

But one local, Mark Radymski, says that the resultant traffic congestion is making travel harder, affecting businesses and is doubtful that the projects will even improve cycling.

“The traffic jams are getting longer and longer and that is harming businesses in the city centre because they are hard to get to,” he claimed.

“I appreciate what the mayor is trying to do to make things more cycle friendly but it is making things worse not better. It’s hard to see any joined up thinking.”

The mayor refuted Mr Radymski’s words, as did Eric Ludlow of Leicester Cycle Campaign: “For 100 years it has been all about the car and that needs to be redressed,” Ludlow told the Leicester Mercury

“The mayor is starting to change the balance away from the motorized vehicle to a city designed for cyclists and pedestrians and that is the right thing to do… the mayor’s actions are taking us towards that.”

Should a petition set up to highlight the frustrations and cause the council to resolve the traffic problems gain a further few hundred signatures and reach 1,500 people, a debate at a council meeting will have to take place on the matter.

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