Cycling in Yorkshire
24th June 2022
Harrogate's Active Travel Fund projects on Victoria Avenue and the A59 Knaresborough Road should have been completed by 31st March 2022, but no work has started. What has happened to them?
Read about What Happened to Harrogate's Active Travel Projects?
18th June 2022
In the last couple of days there has been anonymous briefing against Harrogate Station Gateway - an £11 million project to improve Harrogate town centre. This is after it has already been improved. The project can't be derailed at this stage.
20th May 2022
North Yorkshire's bid for money from the third tranche of the Active Travel Fund (ATF3) has failed. What are the likely reasons behind the DfT's decision to send the cash elsewhere?
Read about North Yorkshire's ATF3Bid Fails.
11th May 2022
What do the local elections that took place on 5th May 2022 mean for cycling in Harrogate? I don't know, but I think I've written an informative article on the subject anyway.
Read about in What Do the Local Elections May 2022 Mean for Cycling in Harrogate?
5th May 2022
The National Planning Policy Framework says that housing developments should give priority to active travel, but does Persimmon's King Edwin Park estate in Harrogate do that?
Find out in Does Persimmon King Edwin Park Give 1st Priority to Active Travel?
14th April 2022
I noticed someone's interpretation of this crossing facility and cycle path today. If the designer expects you to do something daft and inconvenient, do you do it, or do you ignore them?
Read about Design vs UX on Harrogate cycle path.
7th March 2022
Destination Harrogate is an organisation that promotes Harrogate District as a destination for visitors.
What proportion of the District's economy relies on visitors? What are the priorities in improving Harrogate's appeal, and where does the Nidderdale Greenway fit in?
Find out in Destination Harrogate Supports Nidderdale Greenway Extension.
10th February 2022
An exciting addition to Harrogate's bike shops, The Electric Bike Shop opens on the Leeds Road parade of shops this week.
Read more about The Electric Bike Shop Opens in Harrogate.
26th January 2022
Harrogate Station Gateway took a step forward yesterday as North Yorkshire's Executive voted unanimously in favour of it proceeding.
Read about Harrogate Station Gateway Approved by North Yorkshire Executive.
23rd December 2021
10 key points about Phase 1 of Otley Road Cycleway after a first look.
Read about 10 Key Points About Otley Road Cycleway Phase 1.
5th December 2021
Are you on the look-out for a unique and eco-friendly Christmas present for someone? reCycled gifts are made from bicycle parts that are no longer needed.
Read about reCycled Gifts.
22nd November 2021
People on foot are the biggest beneficiaries of the modal filter used to create a Low Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove.
Read about 100 pedestrians per hour use Beech Grove crossing.
18th October 2021
A consultation on detailed designs for Harrogate Station Gateway gets under way today. The plans are broadly excellent, but there a few disappointments too.
Read about the Harrogate Station Gateway Second Consultation.
17th October 2021
Government guidance says cycle tracks should be created by reallocating space from motor vehicles. At the junction of Otley Road and Harlow Moor Road, motor vehicles are getting a lot more space. How much is left for pedestrians and cyclists?
Read about the Otley Road - Space Reallocated to Motor Vehicles at Harlow Moor Road Junction.
13th October 2021
In theory, new housing development is an opportunity for new and improved cycle infrastructure. In practice, developers provide a few bits of joke cycle non-infrastructure.
Read about the Failure on Cycle Infrastructure at Trinity Fields and Castle Gate, Knaresborough.
11th October 2021
The metal barrier on Rossett Drive is inconvenient on a normal bike, and blocks access altogether to non-standard cycles. It's also illegal under the Equality Act 2010. You'd think it would be removed.
Read about the Rossett Drive Barrier.
4th September 2021
The people have spoken: no more shared use paths on the Sustrans National Cycle Network.
Read about Sustrans Shared Use Paths.
27th August 2021
What's the point in a walking and cycling path that no one can get to? Does the path meet the current Cycle Infrastructure Design guidance?
Read about Cycle Infrastructure at J47 of the A1M.
22nd May 2021
The results of the Harrogate Station Gateway consultation are in. What did people say, and what are the next steps?
Find out in Harrogate Station Gateway Consultation Results.
21st May 2021
The Otley Road Cycleway project has gone from serial missed deadlines to a new strategy of providing no timetable at all. Is the new tactic an improvement on the old, or just as bad but in a different way?
Find out in Otley Road Cycleway Delayed Again.
28th April 2021
Buy Local By Bike is a commendable initiative by Harrogate Borough Council.
Read about Buy Local By Bike Harrogate Knaresborough.
19th March 2021
North Yorkshire has abandoned its plans to make walking and cycling safer on Oatlands Drive, without even going through with its own planned consultation.
Read about North Yorkshire Caves in on Oatlands Drive Before Consultation.
2nd March 2021
The representatives of Harrogate's business groups are focused on 'cars, cars, cars', but is this compatible with the changes we need to make to avoid climate breakdown?
Read about Harrogate Business Groups and the Climate.
21st February 2021
Exciting new plans have been announced for Harrogate's 'station gateway', to make it less dominated by cars, and more easily accessible by bike.
Read about Transforming Cities Harrogate.
18th February 2021
Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood was finished yesterday. What are the benefits, and the answers to objections?
Read about Beech Grove LTN.
2nd February 2021
You can now order a tailor-made cargo bike, hand-built in Harrogate.
Find out more about Harrogate Cargo Bikes.
26th January 2021
An update on the Otley Road Cycleway - not actual work starting, of course, but news on the Stray land exchange and Northern Powergrid's timetable for moving their services.
Read an Otley Road Cycleway Update.
24th January 2021
How will we increase active travel in Harrogate if North Yorkshire County Council keeps prioritising cars over people?
Read about the Pedestrian Crossings in Harrogate.
7th January 2021
Here's a first draft of a London Underground-style map of Harrogate's cycle network. I'm not sure if it's of any value, except as colourful spaghetti.
Let me know what you think about the Harrogate Cycle Tube map.
3rd December 2020
Have we got some decent cycle infrastructure at the top of Harlow Moor Road? Are the new Cycle Infrastructure Design standards being applied?
Read about Miller Homes 'Cycleway' is not a Cycleway.
11th November 2020
HAPARA, the Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents' Association, has produced a report which is supposed to be about sustainable development. Unfortunately, it dismisses cycling as a solution to transport problems, and calls for road-building.
Read about Deeply Flawed HAPARA Report.
9th November 2020
Zero Carbon Harrogate has published a Vision and Strategic Plan setting out how the District can become zero carbon by 2030.
Read about Zero Carbon Harrogate Strategic Plan.
31st October 2020
Harrogate once had a lot of railways, but most of the lines are disused. Wouldn't it be great if they were turned into greenways?
Read about railways and greenways.
22nd October 2020
Is the surrealist work of bicycle-related art on the corner of the A59 and Oak Beck Road the worst cycle path in Harrogate?
14th August 2020
The sub-standard painted cycle lanes on Oatlands Drive could be replaced with proper protected cycle tracks if the county council succeeds in its bid for funding.
Read about active travel improvements for Oatlands Drive.
After missing out on half its Tranche 1 bid for Emergency Active Travel Fund money, North Yorkshire County Council is to consult community groups over its Tranche 2 bid for £1,065,000.
Read about NYCC to consult over EATF Tranche 2 bid.
Chris Batley wrote to the Yorkshire Post objecting to positive plans for the town centre. I set out the reasons why I don't agree, and why his arguments don't reflect the facts.
5th June 2020
North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) is to bid for funding for active travel improvements in response to the pandemic.
Read about the NYCC bid for active travel funds.
17th May 2020
North Yorkshire County Council is so far failing in its active travel response to the Coronavirus. Widening pavements in a handful of locations for a single weekend makes no sense when the virus can be transmitted on any day of the week.
Read about the NYCC failing in Coronavirus active travel response.
28th February 2020
Harrogate District Cycle Action is today launching its new website, alongside an updated manifesto and refreshed social media accounts. The website invites local people to sign up as supporters and contribute their ideas.
Find out more about the HDCA website.
8th January 2020
Can anyone guess the purpose of this 12m long cycle path? It's by the roundabout at the Bellway housing development, on the old Dunlopillo site, but it doesn't seem to lead anywhere.
Read about daft cycle infra at the Bellway Pannal development.
21st November 2019
A group of councils including Harrogate BC and North Yorkshire CC is making a bid as part of the Leeds City Region for funding from the DfT.
The bid is for a share of the Transforming Cities Fund, which is money to make it easier, safer and quicker for people to travel and get to work, by improving transport connections across city regions.
If the bid is successful, part of the money is to be spent in Harrogate to improve the front of the station, and create better access for pedestrians and cyclists. It will also be spent on improved facilities for walking and cycling in the town centre, and improving public spaces in town.
The bid should be submitted on 28th November 2019.
17th September 2019
In a letter to the Yorkshire Post, Bishop Monkton Councillor Brown claims that 'motorists' are being knocked and made to feel unwelcome in Harrogate Borough. This is a response to some of his arguments.
12th September 2019
A survey by the local MP, to find out what local shoppers think of the town centre, shows how people get there and what they think of the cycle facilities.
Read about Harrogate Retail Inquiry.
12th September 2019
A leaflet from a campaigner against the Otley Road cycleway came through my door today. I disagree with the arguments in the leaflet - read why.
Read about anti-Otley Road cycleway leaflet.
20th August 2019
NYCC published the results of their congestion study, and the answer from Harrogate and Knaresborough was a resounding 'no' to the so-called relief road.
Read about no to Harrogate relief road.