100 Pedestrians Per Hour Use Beech Grove Crossing

People on foot are the biggest beneficiaries of the modal filter used to create a Low Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove. The crossing it provides is used by over 100 pedestrians per hour.

I counted the number of people crossing there for half an hour on Sunday morning, and multiplied the result by two to get the hourly rate.

League Table of Beneficiaries of Beech Grove LTN

League Table of Beneficiaries of Beech Grove LTN

User Group	Number
Pedestrians	112
Drivers (free parking)	33
Cyclists	20
Dogs	12

Pedestrians

The modal filter creates a brilliant safe crossing for people on foot.

Almost everywhere else in Harrogate, pedestrians have to give way to motorists. Beech Grove is no longer a through route for motorists, to the great advantage of walkers.

The dominance of cars has become an accepted fact of life, as though cars were an immutable force of nature that inevitably take precedence over people - which they are not. Too many people have absorbed the idea that it is their responsibility not to be run over by drivers; instead, the onus should be on the people who are the source of the danger.

As well as benefiting walkers the crossing on Beech Grove is a boon for their dogs, who are barking with delight.

Drivers

Drivers are the second-biggest beneficiaries of the current arrangements on Beech Grove. They get to store their private property on public land for free. There were 33 parked cars when I arrived.

As an alternative to the modal filter, the parking could be replaced with a 2-way bike lane, if people who see themselves primarily as motorists prefer that option.

Cyclists

The modal filter creates an environment that is much safer for people on bikes, and Beech Grove is well-used as a route to town.