North Yorkshire Council (NYC) is holding an informal consultation on a scheme to make Oatlands Drive 20mph. The scheme will require Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs).
The consultation will run from 27th January to 16th February 2025. Documents detailing the proposals are available here on NYC’s website. You’ll be able to give your views via a survey on the same web page during the consultation period.
Harrogate Cycle Action Response
Our suggested response to the consultation in brief is as follows:
We support the proposed 20mph zone, the proposed parallel crossing of Oatlands Drive at Slingsby Walk, and the new double yellow lines.
We would prefer to see traffic-calming measures along the whole length of Oatlands Drive, rather than just on part.
Speed cushions are not recommended on cycle routes, so a different type of traffic-calming should be used. Also, a gap of only 1.3m between kerb and speed cushion would discriminate against anyone riding a three-wheeled cycle, which could include people with disabilities.
The current painted cycle lanes are well below the minimum width in the guidance, and encourage close passes. They are unacceptable. The council should seek expert advice from Active Travel England as to what should happen to them as part of this scheme. One stopgap option could be to widen the cycle lanes and remove the centre line from the road.
This is our detailed response to the consultation.
1) 20mph
We support the proposed 20mph zone.
2) Parallel Crossing
We support the proposed parallel crossing of Oatlands Drive at Slingsby Walk.
3) Traffic-Calming Measures
It would be better to look at Oatlands Drive as one street and put traffic-calming measures along the whole length, rather than splitting it into two segments and putting traffic-calming on around a third of it only.
Traffic-calming on the whole route would act as a deterrent to discourage drivers from using Oatlands Drive as a rat run, and encourage them to stay on the main road network instead. The main roads are more suited to large volumes of through traffic.
Speed cushions are not recommended on a cycle route – see Active Travel England’s guidance, and LTN 1/20 below.
The design shows a gap of 1.3m between kerb and cushion.
This represents an accessibility issue, as it would cause problems for anyone riding a trike (or cargo bike). To be clear, the design appears to discriminate against disabled people and should be reviewed.
Sinusoidal ramps, speed tables or chicanes are preferred to speed cushions.
4) Painted Advisory Cycle Lanes
NYC say that new double yellow lines on the eastern side of Oatlands Drive will ‘keep the advisory cycleways clear of traffic’. We support the proposed double yellow lines, but not the painted advisory cycle lanes.
The cycle lanes on Oatlands Drive are 90-100cm wide.
The Desirable Minimum width of cycle lanes in LTN 1/20 is 2m, and the Absolute Minimum is 1.5m.
Para 6.1.6 of LTN 1/20 says that most people perceive painted cycle lanes – to the correct width – to be unacceptable for safe cycling on busy roads. Oatlands Drive carries 8-9,000 vehicles a day.
Para 6.4.3 also discourages the use of painted cycle lanes because they encourage close passing of cyclists.
Research shows that painted cycle lanes are more dangerous than nothing.
The painted cycle lanes should not simply be retained as part of this scheme, as though they were an acceptable cycling facility. They are not.
Since North Yorkshire Council has contacts at Active Travel England, we urge them to ask for expert advice as to what should be done with the painted cycle lanes as part of this scheme.
One option could be to widen the cycle lanes to 2m and to remove the centre line from the carriageway pending the design and installation of proper cycle infrastructure.