Letter: Alternative to car use for the short journeys

New traffic measures have been proposed on several Harrogate roads

Having seen the articles and letters in your paper last week I would like to make a number of points.

Firstly there is a need to correct one misconception regarding the Beech Grove LTN. The scheme does not take away any car parking spaces and anyone looking at the consultation will quickly see that. What the scheme does do is cut out rat-running along Beech Grove and so allow cyclists, walkers and residents to have a less congested and polluted route into the town centre.

Secondly, the impression from a number of correspondents is that the cycling lobby are being given favourable treatment by the county council in taking this forward.

Yes whilst we have lobbied hard for an improvement in the cycle infrastructure in the Harrogate District (and will continue to do so) I should point out that in the 2019 NYCC Congestion study over 70 per cent of respondents indicated they wanted to see improved facilities for cycling and walking and it is this that the members and officers at the county council are responding to.

For the record there has been no new cycling infrastructure built in the district since 2015 so it can hardly be said that cyclists have been given priority!

Thirdly, it is not true that we want to make Harrogate town centre car free - what we want is to have a share of the road network to provide safe and secure facilities to enable people to walk and cycle into town and cut out those short car journeys that make up the bulk of the congestion problem.

As Coun Richard Cooper said, we cannot address congestion, pollution and climate change without radical change. If the right infrastructure is provided, research has shown that people will use it. Research has also shown that if people give up their cars for one day a week and walk or cycle - it will have a major impact on reducing congestion and air pollution - and improve health.

We will not revive the town centre by doing the same things over again - we will just get the same results, and clearly they have not worked. What we need is to create a town centre environment which is safe, clean with traffic-free areas and provides a retail and leisure experience where people want to send their time - and money.

I would urge people to look closely at the NYCC proposals and see how the schemes can become the first step to creating part of the solution to the congestion problem in the town by offering an alternative to car use for those short journeys around the town centre.