Harrogate could get county’s first CYCLOPS junction

Harrogate could get the county’s first CYCLOPS junction as part of a scheme to improve pedestrian and cycling safety.

Cycle Optimised Protected Signals are Dutch-style junctions, which separate cyclists from traffic to improve safety for all road users.

The UK’s first CYCLOPS was built in Manchester last year and now Harrogate could get one as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s active travel schemes, which are currently out for consultation.

Melissa Burnham, highways area manager, told a public event yesterday the idea had been put forward for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue, which already has plans for new cycle lanes, a zebra crossing and ‘floating’ bus stop. She said:

“It is not something we have ever installed in North Yorkshire before but it is just an idea of what could be achieved.

“Essentially, the idea would be that any upgrade at this junction would have to incorporate all road users effectively and efficiently but it would be subject to necessary traffic modelling to understand the impact from Station Parade”.

Under the active travel schemes, there are also proposals for a 40mph limit, cycle lanes and junction upgrades on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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There were also plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way to free up road space for more cycling and walking improvements but this met strong objections from residents concerned about the impact on traffic.

North Yorkshire County Council has now put forward new proposals for a 20mph limit, junction improvements and restrictions on cars using St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Drive, but there were still similar concerns raised at today’s consultation event.

Saints area ‘more dangerous’

One resident, Nick Manning, said the restrictions would turn nearby streets into rat runs and make the Saints area “more dangerous for walkers and cyclists, especially children walking to school”.

Another resident, Roger Tock, questioned:

“How do North Yorkshire County Council think that the additional cars being forced to access St Winifred’s Road are going to be beneficial to the currently unacceptable pollution and parking problems which have been allowed to be a problem in excess of 10 years?”

In response, Ms Burnham said comments and suggestions from all residents would be taken into account during the consultation process, which recently moved to a second phase with the publication of designs and will run until 12 April.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, the council’s executive member for access, also said while he recognised the concerns around the initial impact on roads, the active travel schemes – along with other projects including the £7.9m Harrogate Gateway and Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood – would have a “cumulative” effect on cutting congestion and carbon emissions.

“All of these schemes are cumulative and eventually will have the effect of making it more attractive for our residents to walk and cycle rather than get in cars. In that way, we can reduce congestion.

“For example, we originally planned a one-way option for Oatlands Drive but several residents said ‘that would make my journey into town by car longer’. All we were doing there was trying to make it more attractive to use a bike or feet to get into town.

“My point is that many of these interventions here will be cumulative and eventually build up an extremely good walking and cycling network.”

Harrogate walking and cycling schemes: latest plans revealed

People are being invited to comment on designs for three schemes to enhance walking and cycling in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire County Council has received £1,011,750 from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund for four schemes in the country, three of which are in the Harrogate district.

The Harrogate schemes are:

Following the first phase of consultation, North Yorkshire County Council removed a controversial one-way system for the Oatlands Drive scheme. It has been replaced with a 20 mph zone and traffic calming measures in the nearby Saints area.

NYCC says the results of the consultation will be used to develop the draft designs further before a decision is made on which schemes to progress.

Here is a look at the proposals:

Oatlands Drive

A59 (Harrogate Road, Knaresborough)

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Victoria Avenue, Harrogate

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“We thank all those residents who took part in the first round of consultation on the outline proposals for these four schemes.

“We have listened to that and are trying to reach a broad consensus about the measures we put in place, given that these directly affect people’s movements and their property.

“We think we can come up with something that addresses most of the concerns raised, but that still provides significant benefits for people who are cycling and walking.

“We encourage residents to take part in this latest consultation. Your views are important to us and they will help shape the final designs of these four schemes.”

You can take part in the consultation, which ends on April 12, here. 

1,000 sign petition calling for Oatlands cycling plans to be scrapped

More than a thousand people have signed a petition in just four days calling for the cycling scheme for Oatlands Drive to be scrapped.

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed to make the road one-way southbound and 20mph to widen the footpath and create a segregated cycleway.

The public consultation for that £215,000 scheme closed at the end of February. But the petition organiser hopes that it will be considered if it gains more traction.

Anna McIntee started the petition.

Anna McIntee, who lives in the Saints area of Harrogate, started the online petition which has at the time of writing attracted 1,041 signatures.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“I started the petition on Monday and more than a thousand people have already signed it. That is amazing, I am so pleased with it.

“So many people have already signed it but I hope that we can reach 10,000 signatures by the end of the month, when I will send it to the county council.

“I do like cycling and I have my own bike which I use, I think we should encourage cycling but in a diffent way which does not have an adverse effect on the town.”

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The Harrogate and District Cycle Action (HDCA) which consults with local councils believes that it is time for cars to start sharing the road with cyclists more.

Chair of the group, Kevin Douglas, when asked about demand for all these new cycling routes, pointed to North Yorkshire County Council’s congestion survey in 2019.

That survey, answered by 14,000 people, found that 77% would use improved cycling and walking infrastructure if it was built.