North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has rejected the idea of building a central cycleway on Victoria Avenue, justified by a report by consultants WSP.
Cycle facilities on Victoria Avenue were funded by Active Travel Fund 2 (ATF2) in 2020. NYC subsequently abandoned their original ATF2 projects in favour of a ‘nothing’ scheme involving a couple of pedestrian crossings on Victoria Avenue.
The council is still going through the motions of looking into cycle infrastructure on Victoria Avenue, but it will not now be a central cycleway.
The WSP Report
The WSP report says (1.0 Background Information) that Active Travel England (ATE) asked NYC to commission a feasibility study into a central cycleway.
The consultants’ main objection to the design is that, for it to be safe, right turns out of Belford Road would have to be banned.
They say (para 3.2.2):
‘Increases journey times and congestion within the town centre for road users from Belford Road and other accesses on the south side, due to lack of direct access to Station Parade…Likely to face objections during consultation, particularly regarding the ban on right turns from Belford Road’.
The consultants’ conclusion (which may well have been reached after meetings with NYC officers to influence the content of the report) is:
‘It is recommended that the project does not progress due to the significant health and safety risks associated with the available options.
It is recommended that other options are explored to install cycle infrastructure along Victoria Avenue’.