The government has awarded North Yorkshire more than £1 million as part of plans to encourage more walking and cycling.
The funding is part of a five-year, £2 billion programme by the Department for Transport.
It has awarded £19 million of that sum to councils in Yorkshire. North Yorkshire County Council will be given £1,011,750 as part of the deal.
In the Harrogate district, Oatlands Drive, Victoria Avenue and the A59 connecting Starbeck to Knaresborough by Maple Close could benefit from the funding.
The government said the funding was aimed at creating measures to support walking and cycling, such as segregated cycle lanes, closing off streets around schools and improvements for pedestrians.
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Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, said:
“It has been great to see so many people build cycling and walking into their daily travel habits. To support them, we know it’s vital to have the right infrastructure in place so everyone – cyclists, pedestrians and motorists – can use our roads.”
The county council made a second bid for £1 million worth of funding in August amid criticism it was not ambitious enough in the first phase.
In the first wave of emergency funding, the authority received £133,000 from government – half the potential amount available.
As part of the second bid, the county council outlined five roads it intended to improve with walkways and segregated cycle lanes.
Three roads in Harrogate were put forward, including Oatlands Drive, Victoria Avenue and the A59 connecting Starbeck to Knaresborough by Maple Close.
‘Excellent news’
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at the county council, welcomed the further funding.
He said:
“We are committed to improving active, sustainable modes of travel for people across the county wherever possible.
“Following public engagement in the summer, we submitted a strong bid to the government’s Active Travel Fund, so it’s excellent news that we have been successful in gaining this funding.
“We now await confirmation of the details of the funding from the Department for Transport.”
