North Yorkshire County Council has said it will review the design of the second phase of the Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate.
It follows criticism of the first phase from Harlow Moor Road to Arthurs Avenue/Cold Bath Road, which was completed in January.
Some businesses, pedestrians and cycle groups, including Harrogate District Cycle Action and Hedgehog Cycling, have expressed concerns over the design of the cycle path, particularly that some parts are unsegregated and shared with pedestrians.
Safety concerns for cyclists have also been raised about the Harlow Moor Road junction.
The council previously said it hoped to start work on phase two, which will extend the path to Beech Grove, in April.
But a news release yesterday was more vague, saying work was due to begin at some point in “the next financial year” whilst it takes another look at the designs.
A contractor to build phase two is yet to be appointed.
New guidance
New government guidance on cycle lanes in July 2020 said any new infrastructure should be “high quality, with a strong preference for segregated lanes”.
It warned against councils building routes that require a lot of stopping and starting from cyclists.
The guidance was introduced after the designs for phase one and phase two were published in November 2019.
Read more:
- Cycling group to meet council to raise concerns about Otley Road cycle path
- Harrogate residents group raises concerns over ‘dangerous’ cycle path
Council officers met with members of Harrogate District Cycle Action for a “walk-through” of the route last month to listen to their concerns and take on board feedback for phase two.
Creating a safe route
Melissa Burnham, area highways manager at the council, said it recognised there may be parts of the route where the 2020 government guidance “cannot be fully applied”.
Ms Burnham said officers would meet local groups again to review the designs of phase two “in light of this new guidance”.
Work on phase one finished in January.
A council spokesperson stressed that this review would not put the project in doubt, but they did not give further details of what changes might be made, or if they would involve more trees being felled on Otley Road to make room for segregated lanes.
Ms Burnham added:
“We recognise the new cycling guidance and the benefits this brings to users. Where there are such constraints along Otley Road we use the guidance as a starting point to create a safe route.”
The third and final phase, connecting Cardale Park, relies on developer funding and will require detailed planning, including a feasibility study.
