N Yorkshire Want to Waste Money on Signposting Non-Existent Cycle Routes

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) want to waste money signposting non-existent cycle routes.

Earlier this month, they decided to scrap Otley Road Cycleway Phase 2 after spending 5 years building one short section of cycleway that they call Phase 1.

They took this decision based on 83 negative responses to a consultation, representing 39% of respondents. There was majority support for going ahead with the cycleway.

£565,000 Left to Waste

This left the county with £565,000 of funding to waste. They suggested that it be directed to:

‘an alternative package of measures that will address a wider scope of active travel modes, alleviate the impact of housing growth and address safety concerns along the Otley Road Corridor. This package of measures will be subject to further feasibility work and appropriate consultation.’

para 7.5 of the NYCC report, february 2023

That is hot air.

After every failure to back an active travel project, someone from NYCC always spouts nonsense about “wider” packages of measures. It is meaningless.

NYCC have already wasted thousands of pounds, paying consultants to design a cycle route that they now refuse to build. Next they’re going to pay consultants to do more feasibility work and run yet another consultation. NYCC are wasting public money.

There is no Alternative Route for Phase 2

NYCC’s statements are misleading in the extreme. You can’t “address safety concerns along the Otley Road Corridor” without building a safe cycle route.

Phase 2 of the Otley Road Cycleway is between Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove. There are no parallel side streets. There is no alternative route – Otley Road is the only option.

Signing Non-Existent Cycle Routes

The NYCC report suggests that some of the remaining £565,000 could be spent on signing cycle routes in the area.

Phase 2 of Otley Road Cycleway will be a broken link in the Otley Road Cycleway. Signposts can’t change that. What is the point of signposting non-existent cycle routes?

The Local Sustainable Transport Fund paid for significant signing of cycle routes in Harrogate in 2013. There’s nothing more to be squeezed out of signposts. We don’t need more signposts – we need actual, safe cycle routes.

Signposts are attractive to NYCC because they are easy and uncontroversial. They can make it look as though they are doing something, while in fact doing nothing of value.

NYCC need to stop wasting public money and do the hard work of putting in place safe cycle routes.