Victoria Avenue TRO Published

North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has published a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for its proposed changes to Victoria Avenue.

The lame Victoria Avenue scheme is all that is left of NYC’s Active Travel Fund 2 projects. Originally, there were four flagship cycling schemes; now there are none.

There are three main elements to the Victoria Avenue scheme in the TRO:

• remodelling of the West Park/Victoria Avenue junction, with a signalised crossing
• moving the zebra crossing near the Library very slightly and
• signalised crossing at the Station Parade end of Victoria Avenue

West Park/Victoria Avenue Junction

The crossing of Victoria Avenue at its junction with West Park is to be signalised, i.e. green or red man for people on foot.

The footway is also to be built out, to make it harder for drivers to make an illegal movement from Beech Grove to Victoria Avenue.

There’s to be a new bus stop outside the United Reform Church. This involves the removal of some parking bays.

Zebra Crossing Outside the Library

The existing zebra crossing is to be moved very slightly, and have its dogleg taken out.

The work will involve removing some Pay & Display parking spaces. This will improve sight lines for people using the crossing.

Signalised Crossing at the Station Parade End of Victoria Avenue

There’s currently an uncontrolled crossing of Victoria Avenue at the Station Parade, i.e. no priority to pedestrians, just take your chances.

A signalised (light-controlled) crossing is to be put in instead.

Overall View

The plans for Victoria Avenue are unambitious, and contain no improvements for cycling.

Given that the Active Travel Fund 2 money was supposed to fund four flagship cycling schemes, what we’ve ended up with is pathetic.

There is still a promise of a future Victoria Avenue cycleway, but there again there are always promises of ‘jam tomorrow’ from NYC.

Para 3.6 of a council report from July 2024 said that TROs for both the pedestrian scheme and the cycle scheme should be advertised as soon as possible. As it is, only the TRO for the pedestrian scheme has been advertised.

NYC is letting down people who cycle around Harrogate, and those who would like to do so, as usual.