A controversial cycle lane that became the site of a bitter and long drawn-out political battle between rival mayors seems to have finally reached its somewhat tepid conclusion, with Chris Cooke, the Labour mayor of Middlesbrough managing to reach an agreement with his Conservative counterpart of Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), Ben Houchen, to tear out a cycle lane that has proved to be “unpopular” with cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, and “simply hasn’t worked”.
The bike lane in question is on Linthorpe Road — segregated using wands and installed on the B1272 in 2022, a key route into Middlesbrough. The project cost £1.7m to install and was delivered as part of a 10-year strategic transport plan spearheaded by the TVCA, and was approved under former Independent mayor Andy Preston.
However since its introduction, the cycle lane has been mired in controversy, having a variety of derogatory adjectives associated with it, besides becoming a popular place for drivers to park their cars, as well as cyclists having to constantly dodge not just vehicles but pedestrians as well owing to the poor segregation, brining them into conflict with each other which led to several pedestrians suffering injuries.
Now TeesideLive reports that finally after months of political chicanery, a four week-long consultation period is set to be launched this week seeking views on plans to reinstate the road’s previous layout, while retaining the closure of Victoria Street. A timeline has been drawn up following the consultation, outlining plans to remove the lane.
Labour mayor Chris Cooke, who was elected to the role last summer and months later came under fire for an “abysmal failure” to rip out the “disastrous” cycle lane, one of his key election pledges, said: “We’re all for improving how everyone gets around Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool but the Linthorpe Road cycle lane simply hasn’t worked and should never have happened. It’s been a pain for businesses, hasn’t improved life for cyclists or pedestrians, and it needs to be removed.
“We’re making big changes through the Development Corporation and having local businesses and TS1 residents behind us is absolutely essential. We’re all agreed that the status quo simply cannot remain, and I’m determined we see spades in the ground to get this out before the end of the year.”
The consultation will last until the start of September, and after feedback is taken into consideration, the current plan is for a statutory consultation to take place in Autumn. Subject to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) being granted, work would then start in December with the overhaul set to be completed in early 2025.
Mayor Cooke added: “The cycle lane has been unpopular with many people who use Linthorpe Road. I pledged to get rid of it before I was elected and am pleased we have now reached the point where the TVCA can pay for its removal in full, including the costs of putting the road right. We’ve had assurances there will be no impact on Middlesbrough Council’s finances – that is massively important given our wider responsibilities to the town.
“Lots of positive things are happening in our town centre and it’s vital that we listen to the people of Middlesbrough – it’s their town and on big changes like this we need their backing.
“In the longer term we need to work closely with TVCA on making sure we have a transport system that’s suitable for everyone and plays its part in protecting the planet. We need fit-for-purpose solutions that we can encourage people to use.”
While the bike path was unpopular with many road users already, businesses appeared to be not too fond of it as well, many complaining that not being able to park outside their shops and firms reduced their footfall and ultimately sales.
> “Others have promised and failed”: Controversial cycle lane becomes battleground for rival mayors
Last October, Paul Harris was thrown over his handlebars after colliding with a cycle lane separator and suffered a bruised and protruding collarbone and needed three stitches above his left eye. That incident came two months after a 78-year-old woman was left with a broken wrist, a black eye and concussion after tripping over one of the bike lane markers on the same road.
After coming under fire last year, Cooke wrote an open letter in February as an attempt to “outline the fact” and take shots at the Conservative leader of the TVCA Ben Houchen.
“In 2022, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) which is chaired by Mayor Ben Houchen spent £1.7 million on installing the disastrous cycle lane. This was then approved by Andy Preston (previous mayor of Middlesbrough). They created it, they should fund its removal,” he wrote.
“As soon as I was elected, I made attempts to work with Mayor Ben Houchen to uninstall the cycle lane. However, Mayor Ben Houchen and the TVCA refused to allow me to remove the cycle lane […] he did not want to remove the cycle lane, he installed, as he wanted to delay delivering my election pledge to you.
“Despite Mayor Ben Houchen trying to block my attempts at removing the cycle lane, I have remained completely committed to its removal. I have had countless meetings with politicians, businesses and organisations to do everything in my power to deliver my election pledge. After continuously putting pressure on Mayor Ben Houchen he has finally agreed to my request, to uninstall the cycle lane.
“Last week, Mayor Ben Houchen announced that he will remove the cycle lane without informing you of all the background work that I have done to make this happen. So I wanted to write this letter directly to you to outline the facts. It has been difficult and challenging but I am glad that I am making the progress that I promised I would deliver to you.”
13 thoughts on “Political spat between Conservative and Labour mayors finally comes to an end as both reach agreement to remove “unpopular” cycle lane that “simply hasn’t worked””
Cycling in Teesside is
Cycling in Teesside is actively discouraged, no wonder physical and mental health outcomes are some of the worst in the UK. 200+ cyclists use the path each day, it has no adverse affect on local business, car traffic volumes haven’t changed.Some Local businesses have blocked it trolleys, illegal rubbish and vans. Do they think commercial activity will boom once the cycle lanes are destroyed? This is a backward step for Middlesbrough…
If they were removing the
If they were removing the cycle lane to add in a bus lane or improve the experience for pedestrians it would be a bit easier to accept. Before the cycle lane the traffic on Linthorpe Road was awful. Buses blocked by traffic, cars parked everywhere, boy racers on an evening, taxis blocking the road. But at least there’ll be an extra 10 parking spaces again!
Absoslutely pathetic from the two Mayors.
Once the cycle lane is gone I certainly won’t be visiting the town centre as frequently.
If the problem is a crap
If the problem is a crap quality cycle lane surely the answer is a decent quality separated cycle path?
Apart from the usual suspects (presumably inadequate UK design with it eg. disappearing at junctions and side roads, drivers ignoring it, people falling over naff “protection”, businesses screaming that they’ll be finished if they / their customers can’t park right outside at all hours of the day)…
… can anyone local comment on what if any problems were for cyclists?
It’s narrow so overtaking
But despite all of this it shouldn’t be gotten rid of
Sounds like yet another
Sounds like yet another poorly planned and poorly implemented ‘cycle lane’ for which all parties suffer. Sadly this will just support the car brain’s claims that cycle lanes are a waste of money, because in this case it appears that it was! £1.7m wasted is clearly not good value. I wonder how much more it would’ve cost to just do it properly in the first place?
Thanks for local knowledge!
Thanks for local knowledge!
So it is indeed just “UK standard” – effectively setting things up to fail from the start.
– “build” an inadequate intermittent cycle *lane* having made too many compromises from the beginning to do much for cycling.
– (such as it not being a separate path, also with sections “shared” with cars, buses, pedestrians, disappearing where most needed eg. junctions…)
– People ignore it and continue to use the space for their own private interests.
– .. which the authorities do nothing about.
– … nor do they adequately maintain it (different budget, that).
– Because the change means a small reduction in some of the convenience people expect for free, or “why are you subsidising a few cyclists when x needs the money”, or maybe even just “change” – even this causes shouty people to demand it’s gone.
What a thorough list. This
What a thorough list. This should be a checklist given to all road designers.
bikes wrote:
They all have the standards, and the reply from LHAs I have put in FOIs to is that “we have no policies as our engineers take it into account”.
Of course typically they are not trained, have no CPD requirements and have no in house expertise, so abortions get built treating cycles as if they were motor vehicles.
The underlying problem is LHAs were designed to build roads 70 years ago, and nothing has changed in 90% of places.
mattw wrote:
Exactly this!
Have a system that states as an axiom we’re all about providing for traffic volumes (flow, or parking allotments), have a system with departments for doing that, which has raised generations of engineers to do same, where funding for that is (relatively…) streamlined (as opposed to cycle funding, which is more like playing the lottery)…
… and it’s a wonder that there’s any cycle infra at all, and it’s only as hopeless as it is!
Well considering people
Well considering people manage to blame cyclists for drivers hitting pedestrians (go watch the GCN video on it), its clearly cyclists that killed the high street.
Mayor Cooke added: “The cycle
Mayor Cooke added: “The cycle lane has been unpopular with many people who use Linthorpe Road.”
Yes, because it was poorly designed and implemented: that doesn’t mean that the concept was wrong. Try doing it again, but right this time.
As a Private Eye reader, anyone who trusts Ben Houchen deserves all they get.
Don’t fret Teeside is
Don’t fret Teeside is approximately 50 years behind more enlightened parts of the country. So this is the equivalent of cycle lanes becoming unused in places like Stevenage, Harlow and Basildon etc in the 1970s; they’ll catch-up.
Legin wrote:
But will they though? Given that the most “enlightened parts of the country” (very few) are probably somewhat behind e.g. NL when they *started* trying to change course slightly (over 50 years behind)?
Some will cycle regardless. And it may be that more cycling can sneak back in.
But I do wonder though if it’s not so much that the ship already sunk, but the captain and officers have yet to be dissuaded from blowing more holes in it, never mind planning on returning it to the surface…