NYC looked at 87 route segments and assessed them against criteria to test effectiveness, policy alignment and deliverability.
The top schemes were further assessed using the Active Modes Appraisal Tool (AMAT). This produces an approximate Benefit Cost Ratio.
These are NYC’s short-, medium- and long-term priorities.
The short-term priorities are at High Bridge, Knaresborough. There is a missing link for about 300m there before the A59 cycle path to Harrogate starts, and that issue needs to be resolved.
The medium-term priorities are low-cost improvements to a square of routes around King James School.
The long-term priorities are:
- a proposed path by the railway that would be the first part of a route to York
- a link along the B6164 Wetherby Road to the St James Retail Park
- Chain Lane
- A59 east towards new housing developments at Castle Gate and Trinity Fields
Next Steps
The next step would be engagement with key stakeholders, but NYC appear keen to keep this as narrow and limited as possible. They regard talking internally to other NYC officers as engagement, which it isn’t.
The council would then, theoretically, develop the routes by doing feasibility studies, detailed designs and construction.
Our experience of NYC is that work always grinds to a halt before any on-the-ground improvements are delivered.
Other North Yorkshire Towns
A second report recommends that prioritisation work starts for other North Yorkshire towns which already have Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plans.