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27
Sept
WATCH: Is Harrogate safe for cyclists?
A Harrogate business owner and keen cyclist has raised concerns over the safety of cycling on local roads.
John Rowe, a founder of Resurrection Bikes and a member of the campaign group Harrogate District Cycle Action, spoke to the Stray Ferret about cycling in the area.
This was sparked by World Car Free Day, which happened on Monday (September 22), and encourages people to opt for alternatives to driving for one day where possible.
But Mr Rowe believes Harrogate still has a long way to go before cyclists feel safe on the roads.
He said:
The traffic is quite intimidating, the road surfaces aren’t that good and the traffic is fast.
We don’t have a 20mph [zone] yet, so it’s a bit of a barrier. You either need to be very confident and know how to dominate the road when you’re on a bike and make car drivers think about what they’re doing, or you stick to the back roads and hope you can piece a route together.
North Yorkshire Council's Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, which has been covered the Stray Ferret extensively in recent years, would see major changes to Station Parade and Station Square.
The £14.6 million project, which is yet to come to fruition, was supposed to be part of a connected off-road route from the rail and bus stations to Cardale Park.
But Mr Rowe said:
The end result [of the gateway scheme], which hasn’t been built yet, is a one-way cycle lane along the front of the bus station and train station which doesn’t join up to anything.
The cycle action group has proposed ways of creating a connected route but so far none of its suggestions has been adopted.
Victoria Avenue, Harrogate’s widest street, was long viewed as a key part of the connected cycle route to Cardale Park off Otley Road, where thousands of new homes are being built.
But plans for a cycleway on the road were scrapped due to a lack of funds and the council instead devised a £1.57 million upgrade of the road, which finished last month.
Mr Rowe said:
Victoria Avenue was another scheme that had an awful lot of money from Active Travel England to put cycle lanes in, and that’s resulted in the move of a bus stop and a pedestrian crossing and some pretty pavement and nothing at all for cycling.
Despite Mr Rowe's concerns, Karl Battersby, corporate director for environment at the council, previously in a statement to the Stray Ferret that the authority still had “aspirations to deliver cycle lanes in this area”.
It said:
The Victoria Avenue scheme aims to increase safety for pedestrians and has been welcomed by both the local community and Active Travel England.
Although it had been hoped to include a cycle lane, this was not deliverable within the budget allocated.
Aspirations to deliver cycle lanes in this area have been supported by a feasibility study carried out to review a central two-way facility along Victoria Avenue. A number of options were considered, but all highlighted safety concerns for both pedestrians and cyclists.
For this reason, we will be progressing with designs for cycle lanes either side of the carriageway, to ensure they are ready should funding opportunities arise.
Separately, the replacement of broken flag stones was important from both a safety and visual perspective, encouraging greater use of the public spaces.
We strongly believe the scheme provides value for money and will bring benefits to the local area and the people who pass through.
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