A DEDICATED new bus lane and 30mph zone are being put in place to help improve traffic flow on a busy route into the city.
The measures will be installed along an inbound section of the A50 Groby Road, from before its junction with Mary Road, to just past the junction with Medina Road.
The 30mph zone extends one that is already in place, and will now run the entire length of the new bus lane.
Eight different bus services operate along that route, with seven buses every hour travelling into the city via Groby Road, including the new Greenlines Hospital Hopper electric bus service, which was launched last month.
Lines marking out the bus lane are being put in place this weekend (16-17 July), with the lane coming into use on Wednesday (20 July). Camera enforcement of the bus lane will also be introduced.
The scheme will cost £50,000 overall, using funding from the Government’s National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) which is designed for schemes such as transport which are key to boosting an area’s productivity.
It is the latest in a series of improvements carried out as part of the city council’s Leicester North West Major Transport Project, designed to improve connections with the major regeneration areas in the north west of the city, such as the Waterside and Abbey Meadows, by reducing travel times, easing congestion and providing safer facilities for walking and cycling as an alternative to car use.
The decision to create the dedicated bus lane and reduce speeds from 40mph to 30mph follows a public consultation carried out in 2019.
Leicester deputy city mayor for transport and the environment, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “The A50 Groby Road is a major route for bus services into the city.
“Currently, the volumes of traffic are creating a pinch point for buses along this stretch of road. This means that services are often delayed and can become unreliable at busy times.
“Creating the new bus lane will improve bus journey times and the reliability of services using this route, including the new Greenlines Hospital Hopper electric bus service which was launched last month to provide an easy to use, fast and efficient service connecting the city’s three main hospitals to the city centre.
“Encouraging people to travel by bus rather than by car is vital to easing congestion and improving air quality, as part of the council’s environmental goals, so it’s important that buses are able to run on time and be reliable.
“Installing this bus lane will reduce bus journey times and help make bus travel a more attractive, dependable option.”
The Groby Road bus lane is one of the agreed commitments of the Leicester Enhanced Bus Partnership Scheme. Information about other bus improvements happening over the next three years is available at the partnership website at www.leicesterbuses.co.uk.