Cycle path signage in Leicester

I have seen a post recently on Reddit bemoaning the fact that cyclists 'zoom around pedestrian areas' in the city centre. This is only half right.

Yes, they do zoom about in the city centre HOWEVER much of the city centre -  Gallowtree gate, Humberstone Gate, High Street, is shared space, meaning that it is allowed for cyclists to cycle on what many perceive as a pedestrianised area. Other places I have seen shared space are London road up by Victoria Park, but only on a short stretch by St James Church, and St Nicholas Circle.

If you take a look at the signs you will see that they do indeed specify shared space. The sign for side-by-side cycle path and footpath is different, and I will post them both here.

I DO believe that cyclists should be more careful in the shared spaces, as you get pedestrians of all ages and different levels of mobility, children and wheelchair users.

Above is the sign for shared space.

Above is the sign for a cycle path and footpath which run alongside one another and is distinct from shared space.

The photos were taken near St Nicholas Circle in Leicester.

Two things need to happen, the Council needs to raise awareness of shared space as the default human nature appears to be laziness so people won't seek out information it has to be put in front of their nose, AND cyclists need to be way more cautious in Leicester city centre. I don't think, for instance, that it is right that ebikes using their throttle facility (if they have one) should be ridden on the shared spaces within the city centre.

Oh, pedestrians!

I guess they're the same everywhere. Big pavements here in Leicester, big paths on the park, but you'll invariably find people walking on cycle paths. You don't even need to be able to read to know it's a cycle path as there's a handy picture of a bicycle painted on it. If you think i am being unfair, there is a perfectly good PEDESTRIAN path either side of this.

Overly long Footnote!

Yesterday I saw a motorbike bombing up a cycle path, I guess to bypass the road traffic. Heading at above the speed limit. Luckily there was nobody cycling on the cycle path at the time as they would not have stood a chance. He also skipped the red light. If the cycle paths were the proper Dutch style this would be more difficult to do, as there is more of a physical barrier between road and cycle path over there, whereas the way the cycle paths in Leicester are set up it is all to easy to dart on and off the road on to the cycle paths.

One from the archives - car parked on the cycle path.

Look at this example from 2019. Not even half on the cycle path, but parked directly on it. There are parking bays before and after this on the road. This would mean that a cyclist using the cycle path would possibly have to put themselves in danger.

And people wonder why cyclists use the road when there's a cycle path!

What even IS this?

Not sure exactly what's going on with this road in Leicester, which seems to have been turned entirely into a cycle path.

Looks awful. Wonder how people get on with deliveries and such?

I'm still standing!

Some plastic bollards marking the start of a section of cycle path. Amazingly still there despite their flimsy nature.

Leicester's cycle paths - an introduction

 Hello and welcome.

This blog will be about the cycle paths in Leicester. I am not anti cycle path. I am not anti-cyclist either, I am a cyclist and aspiring car driver. Rather, I have issues with the way they have been implemented in Leicester. For instance the cycle path on London road has been dug up at least 3 times since It was created. They even installed the bumped paving incorrectly and that had to be re-done! Motorists do not know how to behave near cycle paths and so in fact you need to be MORE alert using the new-ish cycle paths that you would have to be on the road. There have been several accidents where cyclists have been mown down despite having the right of way. I have seen the aftermath of two of these.

There are still little quirks too like cycle paths which are nothing but paint on the road, some for only a few metres before they come to an end, shared spaces like in the city centre and parts of London road which just lead to confused pedestrians and cyclists getting verbal abuse hurled at them. The 'covid cycle lanes' are still hanging on in some parts of the city, their cheap looking plastic bollards either missing or buckled by vehicles which merely drive over them if they want to park somewhere.

Pedestrians dawdle on the cycle path, people often stand chatting with their child in a pushchair right across the cycle path. Cars and vans park on them. Delivery vans and cars open their doors wide over them. E-scooters bomb up and down them at ridiculous speeds, and both scooter riders and cyclists regularly use the wrong side of the road . There are directional arrows on the cycle paths meaning you don't even have to read to understand them!

The city council has admitted that the newest cycle path on Victoria Park is 'a bit bumpy'. If you know Vicky park it is the orangey cycle path that has been put in. It had not been there long and the surface started to deteriorate so it is now kind of ridged. The council even sent someone to go and ride along it and have observed the issue first hand. Apparently little they can do though, as 'this kind of thing happens'. I have not seen another road, path or cycle path deteriorate so badly so quickly.

Well, the plan with this blog is rather than rely too much on words. I will, after this introduction, post pictures of the cycle path issues I see when out and about in the city. From what I have seen over the past couple of years pictures will speak louder than words.