The vision thing - a cycle manifesto for Harrogate

Its getting on for a year since Cycle Harrogate spluttered into the world rolling slowly forward. Its time to try and put some structure into what has been a fairly scattergun campaign to improve the lot of bike riders in our town.

We have had some small victories we have made some difference but nobody would claim this is now an easy place to ride a bike.

Things I know now

1. I have learned a lot about how local government works or sometimes doesn't work in Harrogate. 
2. There is a much bigger demand for cycle infrastructure in Harrogate than the County Council believes at the moment, this demand is being limited by poor car-centric transport planning.
3. People who ride bikes, also drive cars and walk too, there has been too much tribalism in transport planning. 

Things we need

Better signage and "named" cycle routes

The cycle network in Harrogate is actually not too bad in places. Trouble is it is poorly signed, there is no map and there is a huge opportunity for a design led solution and a marketing campaign. This is supposed to be happening now under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Money is in place it should be being spent as I write. I am concerned that money isn't being spent due to inertia from North Yorkshire County Council. I have a freedom of information request pending at the moment trying to work out what is happening, as talk is cheap. I am worried as has happened before, that the money won't be spent and could be clawed back by central government.

Provision for commuters on main routes

So far, few if any of the main arterial routes into Harrogate from the edges, do anything significant to make life easier for cyclists. There is no traffic separation, there are few cycle lanes and the needs of cars and HGV's are put before the needs of bikes. This is a big problem and as the heavily congested Knaresborough Road demonstrates you don't fix congestion by making life easier for cars and lorries.

Always consider cyclists when you are changing things

The number of times I have seen works on roads being carried out where for the cost of some paint a more bike friendly junction could have been made, and nothing has been done is beyond counting. We need an undertaking that when any work is carried out on Harrogate's roads the scheme considers how cyclists could be better catered for. Oh and then actually do something.

A cycling officer. 
If money exists and isn't being spent and the needs of bike riders aren't being considered within the Transport Department. It is because nobody needs to think about these things. Local government will continue to fail cyclists until there is an officer within North Yorkshire County Council that is paid to make bike riders lives easier.

More engagement from Councillors on cycle policy
Many Councillors claims that they support cycling but when you get down to specifics and ask questions you get very general answers. I believe money isn't the problem here, but political will. I need to see promises turning in to action. There is big demand for better cycle infrastructure in Harrogate and with a Tour De France coming I want to see changes to the roads of our town rather than warm words. Or we risk looking like we are just in it for our 48 hours in the world's spotlight.