'Very short' cycle lane with lamppost in the middle down to 'design error' says council

The two-lane stretch at King Cross, Halifax, is part of the A58 Corridor Improvement Programme, aiming to improve the route from the M62 at Ryburn to Halifax via Sowerby Bridge, for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

But this stretch has received some scathing criticism on social media. Calderdale Council, partnering the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund scheme, say design errors are to blame.

One critic, Liberal Democrat group leader Coun James Baker (Warley), cited the lamp post and proximity to a pedestrian crossing as clear safety issues.

He said: “There are good examples of cycling infrastructure around the country, sadly this isn’t one of them.”

Coun Baker said it felt highways works are driven more by ticking the right boxes for funding rather than listening to what people actually want. “What’s frustrating is many councillors will ask for improvements only to be told there is no money, then stuff like this goes ahead. It kind of makes a mockery that there is any real local democracy or say over what happens,” he said.

A council spokesperson said errors were being corrected. “The cycleway is bi-directional as marked and is designed to national guidance,” it said.

“Unfortunately, errors and omissions on the design drawings which should have been corrected during construction mean there is currently a lamp column located in the cycle lane and the lane itself is marked up to the adjacent zebra crossing. We are currently working with our contractors to relocate the lamp column and remove the incorrect cycle lane markings.”

Social media criticism has mentioned loss of parking spaces to the lane outside a supermarket. The spokesperson said alternative, local, off-street parking can be found at Haugh Shaw Road Car Park, free for the first hour.

“We’re aware at the moment the cycleway looks somewhat disjointed, but as work progresses we’re confident that this will link with other improvements to provide a positive contribution to travel in the area,” they said.