The Walking and Cycling Strategy was approved in 2001, and now forms part of the Local Transport Plan.
The aim of the strategy is to encourage people to walk and cycle.
The emphasis on car travel over the years has resulted in less road space and priority for both pedestrians and cyclists. The danger in setting out a separate walking and cycling strategy is that they would be bidding against each other for this limited space and priority. A joint strategy ensures that these two modes are given prime consideration .
To download a copy of the Walking & Cycling Strategy, please download the attachment at the bottom of this page.
Six targets were outlined in the Strategy and the following shows how we are working towards those targets.
1.a Halt the decline in walking by 2003.
In the 1991 census it was reported that 16% of people who live in Leicester walked to work.
In the 2001 census it was reported that 16% of people who live in Leicester still walked to work.
1.b Increase walking as a percentage of the journeys to work at large employers (over 1000 employee) from 15% in 1997 to 25% by 2012.
1.c. Increase walking to work in those people living within 2 miles of the City Centre from 26% in 1991 to 30% by 2012.
In the 1991 census it was reported that 26% of people who live within 2 miles of the City Centre walked to work.
In the 2001 census it was reported that 20% of people who live within 2 miles of the City Centre walked to work.
1.d. increase walking to large shops and shopping centres
The 2001 census showed that ?% of people living in Leicester live within 0.5km of a super market or a large or small shopping complex.
2. Increase the percentage of students walking to schools, universities and further education establishments from 40% in 1998 to 60% by 2012.
In 2001 the City Council began recording the numbers of children who regularly walked to school.
In 1998/99 40% walked to school.
In 2001/02 47% walked to school.
In 2003/04 58% walked to school.
3. Identify and reduce the deterrents to walking on 75% of the major pedestrian route network by 2012 and 50% of the local pedestrian route network.
Eight areas of Leicester have now been covered by walking audits.
The City currently has ? pelican crossings, zebra crossings, ? toucan crossings and ? pedestrian phases at signals.
4.Reduce the number of pedestrians killed and seriously injured in the Central Leicestershire area by 20% in 2005 and 40% by 2010 based on 1998 figures.
In 2003 the number of pedestrians killed and seriously injured in Leicester is down by 59% on 1998 figures.
5. 70% of the pedestrian catchment networks to be lit in accordance with street lighting code of practise by 2012.
6. Provide on road pedestrian training for 20% of primary school children by 2003 and 60% by 2012.
The current percentage of primary children who have received on road pedestrian training is 1.4%.
However, because the training is only given to year 1 pupils the target should only relate to year 1 pupils not all primary school children. The pupils should then retain the training as they progress through Primary School. If the target were changed 3.3% of Year 1 pupils would have been trained which is still disappointing.
The City council won a £90,000 grant from Department for Transport to employ a child pedestrian training officer. It is hoped that this will guarantee that 16% of year one pupils will be trained over the next 3 years.
The City Council will then need to fund the training of 24% of year 1 pupils over and above those trained by the child pedestrian training officer, to be on target. This relates roughly to training pupils in 20 schools.
