{"id":6266,"date":"2021-07-02T08:38:08","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T08:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1359081"},"modified":"2021-07-02T08:38:08","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T08:38:08","slug":"leicester-installs-bee-friendly-bus-stops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=6266","title":{"rendered":"Leicester installs bee-friendly bus stops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This article was originally published by Christopher Carrey<\/a><\/span> <\/span>on <\/span>Cities Today<\/a>, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates, follow Cities Today on <\/span>Twitter<\/a>, <\/span>Facebook<\/a>, <\/span>LinkedIn<\/a>, <\/span>Instagram<\/a>, and <\/span>YouTube<\/a>, or sign up for Cities Today News.<\/em><\/p>\n

The UK city of Leicester is installing 30 \u201cliving\u201d bus shelter roofs as part of a new programme to revamp its infrastructure while supporting the environment.<\/p>\n

Working with advertising firm <\/span>Clear Channel<\/a>, the so-called \u201cbee bus stops\u201d will be planted with a mix of wildflowers to attract pollinating insects and add extra greenery to the city.<\/p>\n

The City Council says the shelters will positively contribute towards biodiversity and climate resilience, absorb rainwater falling on the roof, and help to reduce the \u201curban heat island\u201d effect by capturing harmful particulates from the air.<\/p>\n

Living roofs<\/h2>\n

Deputy City Mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, Environment and Transportation Lead, said: \u201cThis is just one of many benefits of the citywide revamp of our bus shelters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new, modern shelters will be great for passengers and the mix of solar power and living roofs is another step forward for our ambition to be a carbon neutral, biodiverse and climate-adapted city by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n

The council is also fitting bus stops with solar panels and smart lighting \u2013 where feasible \u2013 to cut energy use.<\/p>\n

Installation of the living roofs is part of a ten-year contract with Clear Channel, and the firm will absorb the cost as part of a multi-million-pound investment overhauling the city\u2019s 479 bus shelters.<\/p>\n

Work on the 30 roofs is expected to be completed by summer, and a full revamp of all of the city\u2019s bus stops is planned to be delivered by late 2022.<\/p>\n

Will Ramage, Clear Channel\u2019s Managing Director, said: \u201cWe know that true change comes when we start to roll out these types of innovation at scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d love to see the living roofs in every town and city across the UK and Europe, having a tangible and positive effect on our planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several European cites, including Utrecht, have undertaken similar initiatives, with the Dutch city transforming 316 bus stops with living roofs in 2019.<\/p>\n

Bee Roads<\/h2>\n

The new bus stops are part of Leicester\u2019s ongoing \u201cBee Roads<\/a>\u201d programme, which to date has seen over 5.5 kilometres of roadside and roundabouts across the city planted with wildflowers to help make the city a haven for pollinators.<\/p>\n

The project started in 2017 as a partnership between the council and the environmental charity <\/span>Buglife<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In March, the charity launched its interactive <\/span>B-lines<\/a> <\/span>tool, which is committed to increasing the number of \u2018insect superhighways\u2019 running through the UK\u2019s cities and towns.<\/p>\n