20mph Plans for Parts of Harrogate Published

North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has published plans for 20mph limits on Oatlands Drive, Cold Bath Road, Beech Grove and Arthur’s Avenue.

There will be informal consultations on the schemes in January and February 2025.

Oatlands Drive

The whole of Oatlands Drive is to be made 20mph, but NYC intend to put traffic-calming on only part of it. They say that the rest is already ‘compliant’ – by which they mean that the 85th percentile speed is at or below 24mph.

The proposed traffic-calming is speed cushions.

Speed cushions are not recommended on routes intended for cycling. They can force people on bikes to change their road position, and they are not inclusive because they are difficult to negotiate on 3-wheeled cycles.

NYC intend to put in double yellow lines on the eastern side of Oatlands Drive and retain the current 90-100cm painted cycle lanes. The cycle lanes are well below the minimum acceptable width in the guidance, and should be removed.

Proper cycling infrastructure is needed on Oatlands Drive.

Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove

NYC has put forward plans for Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove.

Cold Bath Road

Most of Cold Bath Road is already 20mph, but NYC now proposes to add the remaining section at the top.

NYC proposes speed cushions, which are not the recommended type of traffic-calming. They should instead install an alternative such as sinusoidal ramps.

The council intends to put in an ‘uncontrolled crossing’ outside Western Primary.

This gives priority to motor vehicles not people crossing, so it is not a crossing at all – just a suggestion as to where people should try to cross the road.

Instead, there should be a light-controlled crossing or zebra.

Beech Grove

Beech Grove is to be made 20mph with traffic-calming.

Although a small improvement, it is nowhere near as good as the modal filter scheme ripped out by NYC.

As on Cold Bath Road, speed cushions are proposed even though they are not the recommended form of traffic-calming. An alternative should be used instead.

Arthur’s Avenue

NYC is proposing 20mph and speed cushions on Arthur’s Avenue. An alternative traffic-calming measure should be used.

An ‘uncontrolled crossing’ is proposed at Harrogate Grammar School, i.e. priority to motor vehicles.

The council ought to be able to do better than that for schoolchildren. It should provide a zebra crossing.