Thirsk has a new shared use path.
It is located at the new service station, half a mile south of Thirsk on the A170 roundabout, close to the A168/A19 dual carriageway.
The path runs from the entrance to the service station north towards the centre of Thirsk for about 100m. It then ends shortly after the roundabout. (There is also a tiny section of path between the A168 slip road and the service station entrance).
If you were leaving the service station, you could use the path to avoid cycling on one corner of the roundabout. If riding to the service station from Thirsk you could use the path to avoid making a right turn on the roundabout, but first you would need to get on the path: you can either make a dangerous right turn on the A170 or get off your bike and cross the road as a pedestrian.
However, this small benefit has to be balanced against the additional traffic the new service station (comprising a BP petrol station, charging station, lorry park, MacDonald’s, Greggs, and more) will generate, much of which will travel on the already busy A170.
After the path ends, cyclists are required to ride the half-mile to Thirsk on the A170 (40mph here).
The path is an isolated fragment that misses the opportunity to provide a safe route north to Thirsk.
It doesn’t even join up with another fragment of shared use path 200m to the south (a route from the garden centre/auction mart), although the existing pavement and grass verges could easily be adapted.
Suggested Infrastructure
Ideally the path would continue alongside the A170 into Thirsk, at least as far as the 30mph limit/existing pavement.
If that’s not possible (due to limited funds), then there are a number of alternative measures:
- widen the pavement on the opposite side of the A170 to 3m and convert to shared use, to link up with a route through the industrial park (utilising two existing short sections of cycle path). This route has its own challenges, including crossing two busy roads, but is probably safer than cycling on the A170
- provide a crossing of the A170 or at least a pedestrian refuge
- drop the speed limit on the A170 here to 30mph
In conclusion, the new path looks good, but in practice because it does not form part of a joined up route it delivers very little, if any, improvement in safety for cyclists.