North Yorkshire Council (NYC) are holding a second consultation on crossings of Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road. The original consultation was in March/April this year.
Another consultation is needed because the preferred Stray Land Exchange option put forward in the first consultation, land by Willaston Road/Harrogate Hospital, is not available after all.
Apparently it was already dedicated as Stray Land many years ago to enable the building of the Empress roundabout, but the council did not have a record of this.
NYC have now come up with three Stray Land Exchange options, and they are asking for comments.
Elsewhere in the consultation documents, the council seeks to justify making people on foot and on bikes wait for 30s after pushing a beg button to cross Wetherby Road.
It claims that prioritising motor vehicles in this way amounts to balancing the competing demands of various road users.
Suggested Response to the Consultation
This is our suggested response to the new consultation.
‘None of the suggested Stray Land Exchange options has much value for recreational activities. The two Wetherby Road options could create additional problems for the future creation of much-needed cycle tracks there. Wetherby Road is on the council’s Cycle Priorities list.
The council needs to get on and build the crossings without further delay. The Hookstone Drive option is probably the ‘least worst’.
The light-controlled crossing of Wetherby Road should change to green for people on foot and on bikes as soon as they press the button, unless someone has just crossed. A 30s delay, for no particular reason, represents prioritising motor vehicles not balancing the interests of different road users’.
suggested response to area 6
Responses should be sent by email to Area6.Boroughbridge@northyorks.gov.uk. Of course you should feel free to amend the suggested response, or add to it, to reflect your own views.
Consultation Dates
The consultation is open from 24th June to 14th July 2024.
Consultation Documents
The consultation documents are:
The FAQ notes say that in the first consultation there were about 200 responses, with majority support for implementation of the crossings.
That is very similar to the last consultation on Otley Road Cycleway – around 200 responses and majority support to proceed. In that case, NYC claimed that that was not sufficient support to go ahead with the scheme.
Stray Land Exchange Options
The first Stray Land Exchange option put forward by NYC is on Wetherby Road near the Woodlands junction.
Option 2 is also on Wetherby Road, opposite Wedderburn Infant School.
We have asked for dedicated cycle facilities on Wetherby Road, and NYC has put Wetherby Road on its Cycle Priorities list.
Creating more Stray land by Wetherby Road is likely to make the creation of cycle facilities there more complicated.
Option 3 is by Hookstone Drive.
We wish to see cycle facilities on Hookstone Drive too, and Hookstone Drive is on NYC’s Cycle Priorities list.
It is unlikely that the land identified on the plan above would be affected by any future cycle tracks, so of the three options we feel this is the ‘least worst’.
Prioritising Motor Vehicles at a Light-Controlled Crossing of Wetherby Road
This is how NYC attempt to justify prioritising motor vehicles at the proposed light-controlled crossing of Wetherby Road.
‘There are a number of factors which must be considered in the design of traffic signal schemes and the competing demand of various road users must be balanced.
NYC has a policy of a maximum 30 second wait time for pedestrians at standalone signal controlled crossings. However, if a signal controlled crossing is linked to another in the immediate vicinity, then this maximum wait time could be up to 60 seconds.
After dialogue with the Traffic Signals team, it is the officer recommendation that the signals are not linked so as to maximise the active travel benefits of the scheme. Linking does however remain an option for future utilisation if required’.
nyc’s faq document
The default will be green for motor vehicles and red for people on foot and on bikes.
Once active travellers make a request to cross, they will be made to wait 30s, in which time 30 or 40 drivers will be prioritised. Only then will the lights change.
As a matter of fact, this represents prioritising motor vehicles – so that they can get to the next queue a little bit quicker. (It is unlikely to increase the overall throughput of traffic on Wetherby Road).
NYC mis-describes this as ‘balancing the interests of various road users’.
This is local authority officers setting policy, when it should be the Council Executive setting a policy that will help achieve its transport decarbonisation goals.
In the likely absence of leadership from the Council Executive, we would like to see the Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Councillors intervene.
They should ask officers to make the lights change as soon as the button is pushed, unless someone has just crossed.
DfT View
Thanks to Martin Weeks who asked the Department for Transport for their view. They said:
‘It is already possible to programme crossings to operate in the way you suggest, meaning that when a pedestrian pushes the button the lights will change quickly for them to cross. This is known as a ‘pre-timed maximum’.
It is up to local authorities to decide whether this is suitable for crossings on their network, taking into account various factors including the level of traffic flow and speed’.
dft, november 2023
Project Timetable
NYC say that detailed designs for the crossings are being prepared.
‘The works are expected to be tendered from Summer 2024 after which point detailed delivery costs and program for delivery will be confirmed’.
faq
NYC committed to delivering these crossings by 31st March 2024, which has already passed by with no action. It looks as though we are still many months away from construction starting.
Will we see work start in 2024?
There are also related plans for double yellow lines on the east side of Oatlands Drive, and to make Oatlands Drive 20mph with traffic calming. Those plans are not the subject of this consultation.
Thanks David, excellent summary as always. Will action. The 30 second wait continues to baffle me; there is always a need for drivers to give way, what matter the immediate cars or those 30s down the road? Secondly when you observe these junctions, pedestrians press but if a sufficient gap occurs in the meantime, they cross – leaving the lights on red much longer than required.
I agree 100%.