2024 was another year of abject failure on active travel by North Yorkshire Council (NYC).
This year follows:
No on-the-ground improvements were delivered in 2024. These are some of the schemes that did not progress.
Crossing of Bilton Lane
NYC were going to build a crossing of Bilton Lane for the Nidderdale Greenway. They were due to complete it by 31st March 2023.
The project has drifted through 2024 with no work starting on it, and apparently no timetable to start work on it.
Otley Road Cycleway
The Otley Road Cycleway was funded in 2017. NYC built one isolated section of it in 2021 (“Phase 1”) to poor standards.
They abandoned “Phase 2” in February 2023. There is no alternative route, so people would have to cycle in traffic on Otley Road where Phase 2 should have been.
Obviously, most people are not going to do that.
NYC say they are still going ahead with “Phase 3”. They now have a ‘some bits but not others’ strategy on Otley Road. They are deliberately planning a route with broken links.
National Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance says that cycle routes should be coherent, joining up to make a complete network.
Beech Grove
NYC put modal filters on Beech Grove in February 2021. There was majority support for the scheme to be made permanent, but the council ripped it out in August 2022.
At the time, NYC promised an alternative scheme; they have not delivered it. They are still talking in riddles about “links via the Stray”, and say they are “having conversations” about this. Only in North Yorkshire do conversations take years and reach no result.
Beech Grove is back to being a major rat run for through traffic – effectively part of the main road network – and hostile to cycling.
Of all NYC’s mistakes and failures, Beech Grove is the most egregious.
Harrogate Station Gateway
Harrogate Station Gateway has drifted through 2024 with no work starting on it.
At the outset, it was an ambitious active and sustainable travel project. It is now primarily focused on getting more motor vehicles along Station Parade faster.
Will NYC start work on Harrogate Station Gateway in 2025?
Victoria Avenue
NYC won funding for cycle facilities on Victoria Avenue from Active Travel Fund 2 in 2020. They have failed to deliver any on-the-ground improvements with the money.
In 2024, NYC stripped all the cycling elements out of the Victoria Avenue scheme, and instead consulted on a couple of pedestrian crossings.
The council failed to start work on the ground in 2024, and there is no date for work to start.
Oatlands Drive
Oatlands Drive was also part of the ATF2 funding in 2020. NYC have abandoned the proposed cycling facilities.
They say they are going to make Oatlands Drive 20mph and put in traffic calming features. Like all NYC’s other active travel projects, this appears to be stuck in the mire and not progressing.
NYC recently advertised a Traffic Regulation Order for a small part of the area that is supposed to become 20mph. It does not include Oatlands Drive.
Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road Crossings
Crossings of Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road were supposed to be built by 31st March 2024, but they have not been started.
NYC held two consultations on the crossings in 2024, but did not start any work on the crossings themselves.
A59 Knaresborough Road
Apparently NYC are working on a design for the missing link in the A59 Knaresborough Road cycle path.
They have nearly finished a ‘concept design’ then they would have to do a ‘preliminary design’.
Will the council ever build the missing link?