North Yorkshire County Council will operate the junctions of Cheltenham Parade and Station Parade in Harrogate under temporary traffic lights on Wednesday night (9 Nov 2016) in order to make some changes to signalling to improve the crossings for pedestrians.
The works will create far-side rather than near-side pedestrian signals so that it is clearer to pedestrians when they can cross the junctions. It will also enable pedestrians to receive a green crossing signal at Cheltenham Parade at all times when traffic is stopped.
The changes are being made to enhance the facilities for pedestrians at the junctions after the County Council completed major improvement works at the beginning of last year.
The £100,000 works were designed to make the junction of Lower Station Parade, Station Parade and Cheltenham Parade safer for the high volume of pedestrians crossing to the town centre from the bus and railway stations.
The pedestrian ‘all red crossing’ enables pedestrians to cross the junction at any approach while ensuring that there are no additional delays to traffic. It enables pedestrians clearly and quickly to identify their preferred route across the junction to the commercial centre, visitor attractions and conference facilities in the town while all vehicular traffic is held on red.
It was jointly funded by the Department for Transport and the County Council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, to promote walking and cycling by improving transport interchanges in Harrogate.
This week’s planned works will make the crossing signals even clearer and more efficient for pedestrians.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Highways said:
Since this crossing at this very busy junction was opened at the beginning of last year, we have been made aware of – and I have seen for it myself – uncertainty on the part of some pedestrians about the sequence of the lights and where to look for the green light to show when it is safe to cross. The changes we are making this week are quite small but should have a marked and positive effect on users.
The crossing caters for very large numbers of pedestrians and is designed to keep them safe, whilst at the same time providing efficient control of traffic on this busy north to south main road through the town centre.
The work will commence under temporary signals at 1900 on Wednesday 9 November, and will be complete by 0600 on Thursday 10 November.
Due to the fact that this is night working, and the works do not require much traffic management in the carriageway, the impact on traffic is expected to be minimal.
Good. Those lights are a death trap as they are. On one of my rare forays into town (due to the ridiculous parking charges) I saw pedestrians dashing across that junction because the sequence of lights held them up for too long.
Makes one wonder of the competancy of NYCC planners. No wonder council taxes are so high.