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12
Oct
West Park junction in Harrogate to be remodelled – again
North Yorkshire Council is to take a second shot at reconfiguring a Harrogate road junction – just months after spending thousands of pounds on a first attempt.
The change is designed to stop drivers from cutting straight across West Park from Beech Grove to Victoria Avenue – an illegal manoeuvre that puts pedestrians crossing Victoria Avenue at risk.
The issue was highlighted by active travel campaigner Gia Margolis at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council's Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee last month. She said:
Road junction changes are essential to remedy this very dangerous crossing. This needs to be done before there is a fatality at this site.
If there is a fatality, surely North Yorkshire [Council] would be responsible, in view of the continued warnings of the issue by members of the public and by police.
Recognising the potential danger posed by the previous road layout, the council changed the kerb alignment – at an estimated cost of £5-6,000 – when resurfacing Victoria Avenue last year, but that has not put a stop to the problem.
The spur (ringed in yellow) was built into the pavement at the end of Victoria Avenue to make it more difficult for drivers to illegally cut across West Park from Beech Grove.
A council spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:
The changes have reduced the number of illegal manoeuvres at this junction, but we are aware that a small minority of inconsiderate drivers continue to make them.
New plan
So now, the council is returning to the problem with a new plan. The temporary traffic island in the middle of Beech Grove is to be removed and replaced with a kerbed island, which will be moved slightly to prevent motorists from driving straight across West Park.
The work, which is scheduled for January, will take between two and three weeks to complete and is budgeted to cost £25,000.
The change will still not make it impossible to make the illegal manoeuvre – just more difficult. But the council spokesperson said:
Removing the ability to make the straight-ahead movement altogether could only be made possible by closing the junction, but this would have a significant impact on cyclists and access for the emergency services.
Those drivers who continue to ignore the new layout could face enforcement action, and anyone seeing motorists breaking the law should report it to North Yorkshire Police.
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