Priorities

Last updated January 2024

Harrogate District Cycle Action has identified priorities for new routes and for improvements to existing routes. These are generally planned or ongoing projects. The priorities aren’t set in stone – they should evolve if some projects are completed and others are identified.

These priorities are shown on the Google map above that will eventually show all the work necessary for a complete cycle network in the District.

1) Otley Road Cycleway

The Otley Road Cycleway was part of Harrogate Cycle Highway Route 1, the flagship cycle route proposed by Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council. It was intended to link Knaresborough and Cardale Park, with a high-quality, largely segregated cycle route.

A 2017 bid for funding for an Otley Road Cycleway was successful.

Although there were some objections, there was a huge amount of community support for the Otley Road cycleway.

Originally, the Otley Road Cycleway was to be created in July 2018, but construction work was delayed repeatedly. These are some of the dates North Yorkshire said they would start work:

• August 2019
• October 2019
• March 2020
• April 2020
• July 2020
• August 2020
• December 2020
• January 2021
• July 2021

Work on a short section from Harlow Moor Road to Cold Bath Road finally started on Monday 20th September 2021. There were a lot of problems with the work done. Work on further sections was due to follow rapidly on, but didn’t.

North Yorkshire held a (third) consultation about Otley Road Cycleway in Autumn 2022. There was majority support to go ahead with Phase 2, but the council refused to do so.

Plans for its flagship cycling project are now in tatters.

Isolated bits of infrastructure do not enable people to make trips by bike. North Yorkshire need to finish the Otley Road Cycleway.

2) Beech Grove

Beech Grove formed part of the North Yorkshire’s Tranche 1 bid for money from the Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF), set up by the government in response to the pandemic.

Modal filters cut out through traffic, and make this a more pleasant street for residents and people walking along it and crossing it, as well as a safe cycle route into town. This transformation was achieved for the cost of four bollards and eight planters.

An 18-month trial of the Beech Grove scheme began in February 2021. It was popular with some but not all residents, walkers, dog walkers, and people on bikes. It got 66% support in the consultation.

Despite majority support North Yorkshire ripped the modal filters out. This demonstrated a disastrous lack of commitment to cycling and active travel.

The Beech Grove modal filters should be reinstated.

3) Victoria Avenue

Victoria Avenue is another part of the link from the Otley Road via Beech Grove to Station Parade. North Yorkshire made a successful bid for funding for a cycling scheme in Active Travel Fund 2 (ATF2) in 2020.

The design was for segregated one-way bike lanes either side of the road, in between parking and the kerb.

At the time the bid succeeded, we were optimistic. Work was due to start in November 2021, but has been delayed and delayed.

At the time of writing (December 2023), nothing has happened, and we have lost all confidence in North Yorkshire Council. Since they systematically fail to deliver any cycling schemes, it looks like incompetence, lack of good faith, or both.

Station Parade

Victoria Avenue leads to Station Parade.

At one time, there was an ambitious project to build cycle tracks on Station Parade, to create a link to the station. This was the Transforming Cities Fund Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Unfortunately due to noisy opposition from some Harrogate businesses, legal action, and lack of commitment from North Yorkshire Council Executive, the scheme has been diluted to the point where it is of far less value.

4) East Parade

East Parade is an important town centre link between Victoria Avenue to the west, Stray Rein to the south, and Asda and northern destinations. It is badly deficient in numerous respects and needs re-thinking and re-working.

Downhill (northbound)

The problems are:

• paint-only bike lanes – not safe, and anyway far too narrow
• cycle lanes only on certain sections, and give up where the road narrows
• cycle lanes that put you in the wrong place in the road – they put you on the left, when you need to be in the right lane to go straight on

This needs to be completely re-thought, with bike lanes with physical protection.

Uphill (southound)

Multiple breaches of the Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance:

• starts off with unsafe and narrow painted lane
• jumps to badly surfaced pavement
• cyclists expected to give way multiple times, and look in all directions at once at the junctions at the top = unsafe

The uphill lane needs to be redesigned so it is consistent, has a good quality surface, and has proper arrangements (with priority) for crossing roads at the junctions.

5) Oatlands Drive

This was another ATF2 scheme. It was removed from the programme by North Yorkshire in 2021 and shunted into an Oatlands Ward Feasibility Study.

Oatlands Drive currently feels dangerous to cycle on. It has painted advisory bike lanes that are well below the minimum width in Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance. (They are 1m wide, vs the Desirable Minimum width of 2m, and the Absolute Minimum of 1.5m). They encourage dangerous close passes.

The new design for the road would have made it one-way for motor vehicles (south), and created bike lanes either side, with light segregation (wands). The pavements would have been widened. The junctions with St Winifred’s and St Hilda’s roads would have been entry-only for one road and exit-only for the other.

The speed limit would have been reduced to 20mph, and that could have been extended across the Saints residential area.

As part of these plans, there were to be new crossings of Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road, to improve the continuity of the Slingsby Walk route – see separate Priority at point 6 below.

Our view is that the scheme as designed was very good. Making Oatlands Drive one-way would have created space for active travel.

The Feasibility Study was carried out with the usual lack of urgency. Consultants produced reports in February 2023, which were only published in December 2023.

There is now a range of design options, from tinkering around the edges to ambitious. Having spent all the funding on consultants, North Yorkshire will now say ‘we’ve got no funding, can’t do anything’.

6) Crossings for Slingsby Walk

Slingsby Walk is a well-used route by people on foot and on bikes – indeed, it is often over-capacity. It crosses Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road, but there are no crossings.

In December 2022, North Yorkshire promised to build a light-controlled crossing of Wetherby Road. In March 2023, it added a promise to install a zebra-type parallel crossing of Oatlands Drive.

The deadline for these crossings to be built is 31st March 2024. At the time of writing there has been so little progress that it seems certain that the deadline will be missed by a mile.

There should also be a crossing on the continuation of Slingsby Walk, where Willaston Road meets the A59 Knaresborough Road.

7) Link Between Slingsby Walk and Otley Road

Slingsby Walk ends at Stray Rein. There’s a choice of routes north (Stray Rein towards town) or south (St James’s Drive towards St George’s roundabout) but not west to Otley Road.

We suggest a cycle path across the Stray to the Prince of Wales roundabout, using the bridge over the railway which currently has no path on it.

8) Junction of Coach Road with Oatlands Drive & Hookstone Drive

The bridleway that exits the Yorkshire Showground is called The Coach Road. At its junction with Oatlands Drive and Hookstone Drive, there is a push-button to request a green phase at the lights.

The button is at a height where it can be reached by horse riders but not bike riders. It should be lowered, or a second push button provided at a reasonable height.

The push button here would provide the appropriate facility for cyclists. North Yorkshire Council wants cyclists to use the pedestrian crossing round the corner. That crossing is completely unsuitable for cyclists because:

• there is inadequate pavement space at either end of the crossing and
• there are no shared use footway routes the other side of the crossing; cyclists need to be on the road, not on the footway

The reason that NYC have proved so obstinate and unreasonable on this issue over a long period of years is that they do not want the button to be pushed in case it delays motorists.

Walkers and cyclists are at the top of every theoretical hierarchy of road users, but North Yorkshire’s de facto hierarchy prioritises cars to the exclusion of active travel.

9) Hookstone Drive

There are painted, advisory cycle lanes on Hookstone Drive that are 80-110cm wide. These painted lanes are in clear breach of Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance in that:

a) Paint is not Protection

Painted cycle lanes are not perceived as safe; they will be rejected by most people and are therefore not acceptable for inclusive cycling (Summary Principle 3 and paragraphs 4.2.11, 4.4.1, 4.4.4, & 6.1.6 of Cycle Infrastructure Design).

Cycle lanes have been used extensively in the UK, including on major roads with high speeds. However, as they do not provide any physical protection from moving motor vehicles most people will perceive them to be unacceptable for safe cycling on busy or fast roads.

paragraph 6.1.6 cycle infrastructure design

b) They are much Narrower than the Absolute Minimum Width

Cycle lanes less than 1.5m wide should not normally be used as they will exclude the use of the facility by larger cycles and are therefore not inclusive. They can encourage ‘close-passing’ of cyclists by motorists, who tend to judge their road position with reference to the nearside marking.

Paragraph 6.4.3 cycle infrastruture design

There are width constraints on Hookstone Drive.

Our suggestion is a bi-directional cycle track on the south side of Hookstone Drive, instead of the pavement.

Hookstone Road

Hookstone Road is narrow and much of the time there is oncoming traffic so drivers cannot overtake people on bikes safely.

Cycling along it, you’re forced to choose between riding in the gutter and suffering a string of dangerous, close passes, or riding away from the kerb and setting yourself up for unwanted confrontation with angry and impatient drivers.

Our proposal for Hookstone Road is:

• a bi-directional cycle track on the south side where currently there is no footway, with a bridge over Hookstone Beck required
• shared use bridge over the railway
• south west of the railway, cycle track behind the trees next to the footway

10) Oatlands – Fulwith Mill Bridleway

This bridleway is in very poor condition. It runs past Oatlands Junior School and should therefore be a priority as it enables cycling to school.

The problems with the surface, starting from Hookstone Road and travelling south, are:

• Standing water and exposed bricks on the first section
• Wrecked tarmac that is barely 1m wide on the next section
• Mud on the third section

It needs to be resurfaced.

Update: at the end of August 2021, some very minor work was done – notably covering up the exposed bricks with gravel. Gravel is not a good surface for cycling. Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance says that a sealed surface should be provided in towns and cities.

Regrettably, in North Yorkshire we are dealing with an irresponsible local authority with an endless list of excuses why nothing can be done.

Whether it is faux concern for non-existent horse riders or bleating about lack of funds, the council always has a justification for doing nothing. The reality is that NYC has zero commitment to active travel in general, and cycling in particular.

The link from the bridleway to Hornbeam Park Avenue near St Michael’s Hospice also needs to be resurfaced.

Fulwith Mill Lane Junction with Leeds Road

If you continue along the bridleway and turn right up Fulwith Mill Lane, you reach the A61 Leeds Road. Improvements needed here are:

• A crossing of Leeds Road, and
• Permitting cycling on the snicket opposite Fulwith Mill Lane, for cycle access to Daleside Drive, or a protected bike lane on Leeds Road so people can reach Firs Crescent

11) A59 Knaresborough Road

There’s already a cycle path by the A59 (almost) from High Bridge Knaresborough to Harrogate Golf Club. It starts about 150m after High Bridge, which reduces its value a lot. Otherwise it’s quite good. We want it to begin at High Bridge, so people don’t have to brave a short stretch of busy main road.

In 2020, the council bid successfully for Active Travel Fund 2 money to build a cycle route between High Bridge Knaresborough and Harrogate Golf Club. At the very very least this should have resulted in the problem of the 150m missing link being solved.

As it is, North Yorkshire has spent some of the funding on abortive designs by consultants but produced ZERO on-the-ground improvements.

We despair of North Yorkshire Council.

Starbeck

The most useful part of the A59 Knaresborough Road to tackle would be west of Harrogate Golf Club, through Starbeck, and as far as the Empress roundabout.

The image above shows a vision of the road near the shops at the junction with Birstwith Road. People crossing the road are given priority through a zebra crossing, and cycling is made safe for people of all ages.

North Yorkshire have already designed a cycleway here, in 2016, but they haven’t done anything with the design.

This failure is disgraceful.

12) Beckwith Head Road

The shared use pavement put in in 2018 on Beckwith Head Road is a type of infrastructure that is not fit for purpose and in breach of the Cycle Infrastructure Design standards.

The problems are:

• shared use is only appropriate away from streets, e.g. in parks. On streets, there should be dedicated cycle tracks not shared use
• the shared use footway gives way at every side street, making it unusable

If this area is to be developed, with new businesses at an expanding Cardale Park and new housing in the vicinity, proper cycle infrastructure is required to decent standards.

North Yorkshire needs to start again from scratch.

13) Harlow Moor Road/Cornwall Road/Penny Pot Lane

This is an important route to a very large new housing development near the Jubilee Roundabout (King Edwin Park).

There are sections of shared use pavement along the way (the latest of which is the Miller Homes ‘Cycleway’), and sections with no infrastructure. Shared use pavement is not the right solution, as Cycle Infrastructure Design makes clear.

Proper cycle infrastructure, in keeping with the obligation to prioritise walking and cycling from new housing developments.

One solution would be to make the roads one-way, and put in protected bike lanes uphill, as cyclists are more vulnerable when riding uphill.

Another solution, retaining two-way motor vehicle access, is set out in our Plan for Zone 20. Reducing the width of the road and taking space from the grass verge, it should be possible to have a footway and bi-directional cycle track all the way from Otley Road to King Edwin Park.

Pinewoods Path

The Pinewoods has suggested a cycle path to link Harlow Moor Road and Crag Lane, via Nursery Lane and a new Taylor Wimpey housing development.

14) Killinghall Moor

The path through Killinghall Moor Country Park is being put forward by developer Persimmon as the main cycle infrastructure from its King Edwin Park development – which is totally unacceptable. It must be in addition to a cycle route along Penny Pot Lane/Cornwall Road/Harlow Moor Road, not instead.

The existing paths are shared use, gravel and mud affairs. To be acceptable, the developer should build, in accordance with Cycle Infrastructure Design:

• a separate cycle path (not shared use)
• with a hard surface suitable for year-round use
• of the proper width specified in the guidance

15) Jennyfield Drive

Jennyfield Drive has a shared use path divided by a white line that gives way at each side road.

This path should now be upgraded to Cycle Infrastructure Design standards. Separate the two paths properly, as set out in Summary Principle 2 and paragraph 6.5 of Cycle Infrastructure Design; and give it continuity across side roads, ideally with a raised table for both walkers and cyclists.

16) A59 Skipton Road

There are large housing developments on the A59 on the western edge of Harrogate. The developers are buildig a shared use path along the front of the development that doesn’t go anywhere.

In granting planning permission, our two local authorities appear to have failed to require proper cycle infrastructure to serve these developments. As an absolute bare minimum, residents should be able to reach their local shops at Oak Beck Park on a safe, segregated bike path.

Our proposals for this part of Skipton Road and the Jennyfield area are in our Zone 14 plan.

17) Hornbeam Park Avenue

Hornbeam Park Avenue is a frequent location for close passes.

Cycle tracks on Hornbeam Park Avenue are part of the council’s supposed plans in the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), the cycling element of which was completed by consultants in 2019.

In reality, North Yorkshire has absolutely no intention of implementing its LCWIP, which is for decorative purposes only.

While we wait for the local authority to build cycle tracks, we’d like it to work with businesses on the park, to make sure their employees know to drive considerately around people on bikes; and signs asking drivers to leave at least 1.5m when overtaking.

18) Sainsbury’s Junction, Wetherby Road

The Yorkshire Showground Greenway leads to the Wetherby Road at Sainsbury’s. The other side of the Wetherby Road, the route continues through Stonefall Park towards Plumpton Park. Unfortunately, the Wetherby Road represents a severance of the cycle route, as no arrangements are made for crossing it and reaching Stonefall Park.

A scheme is only as good as its weakest point. Strenuous efforts should be made to avoid inconsistent provision, such as…a track which suddenly vanishes.

summary principle 21 cycle infrastructure design

A junction that does not provide safe facilities may prevent people from cycling through the junction, but may also be the reason that people will not use the remainder of the route.

paragraph 10.3.1 cycle infrastructure design

Proper crossings must be provided at the Sainsbury’s junction, for people on foot and on bikes, and to link up the cycle routes in the Yorkshire Showground and Stonefall Park. This should include proper segregated provision on the little road that leads to Stonefall Park, because there is often a queue of stationary cars waiting to get into the Waste Recycling Centre.

North Yorkshire Council is aware of the need for proper crossing facilities for cyclists at the Sainsbury’s junction, but our strong impression is that we could be waiting a thousand years for the council to actually DO anything about it.

19) Hookstone Chase/Plumpton Park

The cycle route through Panhandle Park meets Hookstone Chase, where there’s a crossing of the road – at which point you’re abandoned, and no further facilities are provided to get you to Plumpton Park.

Some [cycle infrastructure] entices novice cyclists with the promise of protection, then abandons them at the most important places.

foreword to cycle infrastructure design

This route needs to be completed, by continuing it into Plumpton Park as far as the bike racks.

20) Route 67 to Spofforth & the A658 Crossing

National Cycle Network Route 67 exits the Yorkshire Showground and takes Rudding Lane. This route is neither Direct nor Safe (as per Cycle Infrastructure Design).

If possible, a better route should be found – using the York & North Midland Railway trackbed and the Prospect Tunnel to get to Spofforth.

Where the existing route crosses the A658, cyclists are asked to make a detour and go through the Follifoot Underpass. Despite improvements to the tunnel itself, the approaches are narrow, muddy paths, making this route totally unsuitable.

A far better solution would be a Toucan crossing of the A658, but as usual North Yorkshire Council has no interest whatsoever in making meaningful improvements for cyclists.

21) Resurface the Harland Way at the Harrogate End

The Harland Way surface is grave and mud in Harrogate. Some sections have become really quite muddy.

Where it passes into the Leeds Metropolitan District, there’s a hard, all-weather surface which is more suitable for a path of this type.

The Harrogate section should be surfaced properly.

22) A61 Leeds Road, Pannal to the Town Centre

The new housing development at Dunlopillo Pannal should be linked to Harrogate town centre.

The Rapid Cycleway Prioritisation tool developed by Leeds University for the DfT identified this as one of the routes that should be tackled, as mentioned in this article about a cycle route on the Leeds Road, Harrogate.

An alternative route for the Pannal to Almsford Bridge section could be on the existing footpath from Pannal church, by Crimple Beck.

The council claims to be studying transport provision on the A61 Leeds Road – a project called Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme, or HTIP. It began in 2019, and in early 2024 has produced no on-the-ground improvements whatsoever.

We have no confidence that the council is pursuing cycle improvements on Leeds Road in good faith and with a genuine intention to deliver them. Time and again, North Yorkshire delays for years, and when it comes to the crunch, cycle facilities are dropped from the project.

23) Killinghall

A lot of new housing has been built in Killinghall, but again the local authorities have failed to require active travel infrastructure – so Killinghall is left cut off from Harrogate.

Routes to be developed should include:

• Killinghall to Knox Mill Lane, and on via the A61 to the town centre
• B6161 Otley Road to the Old Spring Well roundabout
• a link from the north of Killinghall to the Nidderdale Greenway

24) Nidderdale Greenway Crossing of Bilton Lane

There should be a raised table on Bilton Lane, and ideally priority for the Nidderdale Greenway where it crosses the lane.

The council agreed to spend s106 money from housing developments to build a crossing by 31st March 2023, but inevitably it failed to deliver. At the time of writing (early 2024), we are still waiting for the work to start.

25) Nidderdale Greenway Extension

We would love to see the Nidderdale Greenway extended from Ripley all the way to Pateley Bridge, and beyond to Scarhouse Reservoir.

HDCA member Malcolm (who was instrumental in creating the existing Nidderdale Greenway) is working on the proposed route and design, together with Sustrans.

The next step is to hold a series of consultations with the community, in order to finalise the route. Details will be added here.

Read more about the Nidderdale Greenway extension.

26) Knaresborough to Boroughbridge Greenway

Open up the old Knaresborough to Boroughbridge railway line as a Greenway route. (You can see the dismantled railway on the Ordnance Survey map).

An alternative to the old railway could be a route via Hopewell House, Arkendale and Staveley (but it is much less direct).

There is already a hard surface from Knaresborough to Hopewell House, but the bridleway after that would have to be surfaced (and there would have to be a modal filter or prohibition to stop motor vehicles using the route).

It would need protected bike lanes on the A6055 at Minskip, as there is no alternative to the main road.

Also, provide secure storage for bikes in Knaresborough – ideally at the station.

27) Harrogate to Ripon Greenway

The Leeds & Thirsk Railway included a section from Harrogate to Ripon. The Nidderdale Greenway uses this route, before branching off on the old Pateley Bridge line.

We’d love to see the Ripon trackbed used for a Greenway linking Harrogate and Ripon.

28) Roecliffe to Copgrove Bridleway

Between Roecliffe and Copgrove there is a rarity: a surfaced bridleway that potentially provides a really good traffic-free route for bikes. Unfortunately, the surface is in a terrible condition, with large potholes and piles of gravel. Please resurface the bridleway.

29) Cricket Ground Quietway

There is potential for a very good bike route from the south-west quadrant of Harrogate via the Cricket Ground to the town centre. It is already quite well-used by people on bikes, but it could be improved for relatively little cost.

This would be a safe route from a large area of south west Harrogate, including the Mallinson estate. It could be ‘branded’ with a cricket bat and ball, and promoted to local residents as a great way of getting to the town centre.

It has the advantage of using Beech Grove LTN for the last part into town.

Issues still to be resolved:

• Leadhall Lane. Even a short stretch of Leadhall Lane can be intimidating on a bike. A solution needs to be found, with infrastructure giving physical protection from traffic
• St George’s Road. This generally feels reasonably safe, but painted cycle symbols and branding could make it clear to all that it is part of a bike route
• Park Avenue. It is fairly quiet, but occasional through traffic travelling fast can be unnerving. 20mph and a modal filter where indicated by blue circles on the map would solve this without causing any serious inconvenience to motor traffic. This would also improve the amenity value of the Oval Gardens. Parking should be limited to the west side of Park Avenue, where the houses are

Read more about the Cricket Ground Quietway. See also more LTN ideas.

30) Alleyways

Alleyways can provide useful routes that enable people to avoid busy main roads and motor vehicles. In York, instead of banning bikes, they use Cyclists Give Way to Pedestrians signs. There are locations in Harrogate where this could make a small but significant difference to the cycle network.

Find out more about our suggestions for alleyways in Harrogate.

31) Mornington Crescent/Regent Parade

Mornington Crescent and Regent Parade have the potential to be a good cycle route parallel to the hostile A59 Skipton Road, linking Dragon Road to the paths on Christchurch Stray and many onward destinations.

The problem is that there is a mix of different one-way designations. This is useful to stop these roads becoming through routes for motor vehicles, but the one way system should not apply to bikes.

Contraflow cycling should be permitted. If parking needs to be removed from one side of the road on any stretch, to provide adequate width, it should be removed.

32) Goldsborough to Flaxby Link

It should be possible to walk and cycle between Goldsborough and Flaxby, but the two villages are cut off by a hostile stretch of A59 with no path.

A walking and cycling path is required alongside the A59. Safe crossing facilities (signalised) should also be provided.

33) Crossing at Waterside/Briggate Junction, Knaresborough

The junction of Waterside-Abbey Road and Briggate-Bland’s Hill is a key crossing point for people on foot and on bikes, but feels precarious and dangerous.

A crossing – Toucan or parallel – should be installed there.

Improvements Achieved

Parson’s Intake/Rossett Drive Barrier

NYCC removed the barrier between Parson’s Intake and Rossett Drive in September 2022.

This took a long time (a year from when it was raised with them) and is a very modest improvement to Harrogate’s cycle network – but it’s something positive.

Stonefall Park Barriers Removed

A-frame barriers at Stonefall Park were removed on 15th June 2022 by Harrogate Borough Council, who own the land.

Such barriers are an inconvenience to everyone, but can completely exclude people who use non-standard cycles that do not fit through them. In that case, they are illegal under the Equality Act 2010.

Cycle Infrastructure Design says that they should not be used, and any issue with illegal motorcycle use of paths should be dealt with by police enforcement.

Thanks to Roger Henry who has pursued this issue with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council. Also on Roger’s list are barriers at:

• Parson’s Intake
• Dragon Road/the pedestrian bridge over the railway and
• Bilton Lane

Yorkshire Showground Access Points

The entrance to/exit from the Yorkshire Showground near Crimple Lane/the Traveller’s Rest has been improved, thanks to the hard work of HDCA member Gia, and the help and cooperation of the Yorkshire Showground that we very much appreciate. Sections that were gravel are now surfaced properly.

This has improved the route from the Showground to Rudding Lane, a route which continues towards Follifoot, Spofforth, and Wetherby.

Further Ideas

20mph Default Limit

Many other towns and cities are adopting 20mph as the default speed limit, not only near schools, but in all residential areas. We believe this is the right approach for Harrogate District, but adopting the speed limit is insufficient by itself – enforcement and changes to the road itself are needed, to ensure the legal limit is respected.

Pedestrian/Cycle Crossings

NYCC consistently prioritises people in cars over people on foot or riding bikes, including where there are light-controlled crossings. You have to wait ages and ages to cross, and often the lights only change to green for people crossing the road when sensors detect that there are no cars coming – which is ridiculous and defeats the point of having a crossing in the first place.

NYCC’s approach is quite wrong, and undermines efforts to encourage active travel. It must change as soon as possible.