This page is for ideas about Stray ward. Comments are open to supporters who are logged in. Find Harrogate Stray ward on the map of Harrogate District wards.
Routes in Stray ward
Cycle routes in this ward:
- South Drive/St James’s Drive/Stray Rein, from the A61 St Georges roundabout to York Place/South Park Road
- Slingsby Walk
- Oatlands Drive (important for St Aidan’s and St John Fisher schools)
Why are cars given priority at the traffic lights at the Empress roundabout? I walk across the Stray into town and I regularly have to wait 30 seconds for a red light. That’s a frustrating time to wait (often in the wind, rain, wet), when I have been striding out (healthily) across the Stray. Stop! Ah, make way for the car! So, on I go with my journey, to the next traffic light crossing. Ah yes, that’s the Conservative HQ. Not long to wait there.
I agree and I think in Harrogate generally people on foot are asked to wait too long at pedestrian crossings. There’s no reason why lights shouldn’t change straight away for pedestrians (unless someone has just crossed).
I walked into town today, stood at Empress roundabout at the lights. I waited on this exposed corner, for 30 seconds, in the wind and sleet with cars spraying me with water. Another reason why these lights should be pedestrian focussed. I continued my walk into town and crossing a road coming from the left, was abused by a driver coming towards me, who wanted to turn right. Despite my having the right of way, I got two-fingered abuse.
Please see this comment about cycling on Wetherby Road via the HDCA Facebook page:
https://harrogatecycleaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wetherby-road-comment.png
It says that Wetherby Road is important for school and the hospital but the pavement is narrow with lots of side roads so pavement cycling is not practical. Riding on the road with a child, when there are lots of big lorries and buses, isn’t safe, and it’s hard to find a break in the traffic to move to the centre of the road to turn right.
Where Slingsby Walk meets Stray Rein, it’s ‘no cycling’ straight ahead, so you have to go left (St James’s Drive) or right (Stray Rein) – but you may not want to.
It makes sense to have a ‘straight on’ option. There’s an unused bridge over the railway a short distance up Stray Rein. Make a path for bikes over the railway bridge and across the Stray to the Prince of Wales roundabout.
Crossings needed where Slingsby Walk crosses Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road. These are HDCA priorities https://harrogatecycleaction.org.uk/priorities/.
Also improve crossing of A59 from Willaston Road to Granby Road.
I think we need to move the Council and the Stray lovers into modern day. We have the Stray which is as I understand it for all our benefits. We have limited recreational ( cycling/running/ exercising) opportunities around the Stray, we have a town that wants to exercise, lets give them something, not just a grassland that yields nothing in terms of facility and wellbeing. I remember 10’s of football matches being played on the Stray years ago on Saturday and Sunday afternoons , We don’t even have that now ! The weather in Harrogate makes the Stray pretty user unfriendly and things such as running on the Stray pretty impossible for at least 7 months of the year, makes cycling virtually impossible all year round apart from a few dedicated cycle paths and no exercise areas at all. I am born and bred Harrogate but have lived in many countries of the world and seen the great benefits that such dedicated paths/ areas can provide to a community. The town has to come into the modern day, and not live in the 19th Century and be so precious about the use of the Stray. A hard/tartan or similar weather resistant circuit round the Slingsby Walk/Wetherby Road/Knaresborough Road/Granby / Devonshire Place/Park Parade,York Place/ West Park Stray perimeters would be fantastic for all.. cyclists/ runners /walkers .. aesthetically, it could be easily disguised. We need it, particularly in these difficult times..i’m sure the cost could be raised by sponsorship ..plenty of companies in the town would love
I’m sure to be associated with such a facility.