BIKE FEST is teaming up with Leicestershire Police and the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership this month to raise awareness of the Share the Road campaign.
Share The Road asks anyone who uses the roads to treat other road users respectfully. The aim is to ensure that all road users in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are kept safe, no matter how they are choosing to get around.
Bike Fest is the city council’s regular celebration of traffic-free cycling held at the purpose-built Leicester Cycle Circuit, at New College. During Bike Fest, anyone can turn up and ride round the smooth tarmac of the circuit for free, as many times as they want.
This month, Bike Fest takes place on Saturday 24 September from 12-4pm. It will include a display and information on the Share the Road campaign, with officers on hand to provide advice.
Also opening for the first time on 24 September is a new trackside café, offering hot and cold drinks and snacks to users of the cycle circuit. It’s part of a £180,000 investment in new facilities by Leicester City Council and British Cycling, aimed at making the track appealing and accessible for all.
The new facilities, which will be run by New College, also include toilets, a social space, storage and a mechanic’s area.
Plus, Bike Fest will host its regular appearance from Dr Bike for free bike fixes, and there will be free cycle skills sessions from British Cycling.
Deputy city mayor for transport, clean air and the climate emergency, Cllr Adam Clarke, said: “In recent years we’ve been very successful in attracting funding to improve the cycling experience on the city’s streets, to help address emerging transport-related challenges.
“Alongside a safe and comprehensive cycling network, we also need to continue to support people to gain greater confidence to cycle, for all the health, economic and environmental benefits that cycling brings.
“Our closed road circuit, with its excellent new facilities, is the perfect place to convey the messages of the Share the Road campaign, and in doing so we hope to continue to grow the cycling culture in the city.”
Jonathan Clarkson, spokesperson for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership, said: “The Share The Road campaign focuses on every type of road user, from ramblers and horse riders to motorists and cyclists. It aims to reduce the number of traffic collisions and foster mutual respect among all those who use the roads.
“Share The Road is very much an educational campaign which looks to change the way that people behave on the roads, rather than simply punishing people. This is reflected in the operational engagement of Leicestershire Police Safer Roads Team and is supported by Share the Road signs on notoriously dangerous routes. The Safer Roads Team reacts to community concerns, assesses local road behaviours and responds appropriately.”
Bike Fest is free to attend and you don’t have to book, just turn up and ride. To find out more, visit https://www.visitleicester.info/whats-on/bike-fest-p822091
ENDS