A new Toucan crossing of Wetherby Road has been completed and is working.
It allows people on foot and on bikes travelling along Slingsby Walk to cross Wetherby Road.
This has been a longstanding priority for Harrogate Cycle Action, and we are pleased to see the crossing finally in place.
There are sensors on the lights that detect motor vehicles and keep the lights green for them if they are present. This means that when there is traffic, it takes a long time for the lights to turn green for people crossing – around 35s.
The problem here is that the delay in the lights changing to green for pedestrians and cyclists starts from when the button is pressed.
Rules for crossings allow the delay to start from the moment the lights last changed to green for vehicles (pre-timed maximum). This means that if no one has crossed recently, the lights can change quickly.
The pre-timed maximum system is more sensible, but is not used by North Yorkshire Council.