New Harrogate road traffic system for UCI cycling

Organisers are setting up a unique traffic management system in Harrogate for the UCI Road World Championships to give access to residents and motorists.
Plans are afoot for new crossing points for pedestrians and drivers in Harrogate during the UCI Road World Championships.Plans are afoot for new crossing points for pedestrians and drivers in Harrogate during the UCI Road World Championships.
Plans are afoot for new crossing points for pedestrians and drivers in Harrogate during the UCI Road World Championships.

In a sign of how seriously Yorkshire 2019 are taking the movement of people and cars around the Harrogate town centre circuit as it hosts eight days of top international cycling, a ‘traffic light system’ will be in place for any street set to play a key role in races.

Yorkshire 2019s new ‘Residents’ section on its website reveals that the temporary arrangements will apply to both cars and pedestrians.

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During the green phase, roads are open as normal, during the amber phase the race route is closed but vehicle and pedestrian crossing points are in operation to cross the course.

During the red phase, all roads and vehicle crossing points are closed, with pedestrian crossing points still in operation.

The new online residents guide at www.worlds.yorkshire.com also includes detailed day-by-day road closure maps for Harrogate planned in conjunction with North Yorkshire County Council, the authority in charge of roads.

The county council is keen the UCIs should be a success for everyone, not just in Harrogate where all races will finish but for Ripon, which has also been chosen as a start location with races passing through Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham.

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Coun Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member, for highways, access and passenger transport, believes the scale of the preparations means a good time will be enjoyed by all.

Coun Mackenzie said: “An event the scale of the road cycling world championships will bring some level of disruption.

“We are expecting a large number of visitors across the event and we want them to come and experience the best of Harrogate, our shops, cafes, restaurants, to sample the Stray.

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“Yorkshire 2019 has developed a comprehensive crowd management to manage the expected crowd levels.

“We would encourage people to think about how they travel and when they travel.

“We are working to keep road closures to an absolute minimum during the championships to ensure that people can travel around town. There will be numerous vehicle crossing points on the circuit and the wider routes to allow people to cross for a long as possible.”

To encourage local traders to make the most of the UCI’s, the county council has issued a UCI general information page for businesses at its website.

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It contains guidance sheets under 15 different headings about matters including setting up a temporary cafe, renting out your house to visitors, gaining temporary events licences, event safety management, setting up a temporary camp site and planning a community party.

With hundreds of thousands of visitors based in Harrogate for days at a time from around the world, the town and district will be transformed during its brief time in the international limelight.

For anyone wishing to see North Yorkshire County Council’s UCI guidance, visit: www. harrogate.gov.uk/info/20232/uci_road_world_championships