Safety features to stay after cycle lane removed

The cycle lane on Linthorpe Road cost £1.7m to create in 2022 and will be removed this month for £2.17m

Several road safety features will remain following the removal of a much-derided and short-lived cycle lane.

The Linthorpe Road route in Middlesbrough has faced backlash since it was installed in 2022 at a cost of £1.7m. Work to strip it out will now begin on 26 August at a cost of £2.17m.

Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said a pedestrian crossing installed as part of the initial works would be retained, as well as the reduced 20mph speed limit on the road.

The Labour mayor confirmed some side streets which connect to Linthorpe Road will remain shut to cars and other vehicles, while road narrowing measures would also stay.

In response to a freedom of information request, Middlesbrough Council said a smaller proportion of injuries on Linthorpe Road had involved cyclists after the cycle lane was installed compared to the years before.

It said between 2015 and 2021 there were 57 injuries on the road of which 23% involved cyclists.

But between 2022 and 2024, after the cycle lane had been installed, just 12% of the 26 injuries recorded involved cyclists.

Drug dealer 'bike run'

Road narrowing at junctions on the road will also be kept, the local authority said, to reduce vehicle speed and pedestrian crossing distances.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is footing the bill to remove the cycle lane which was dubbed "an absolute disaster" by the owner of the nearby Madame Rouge vintage pub and tearooms.

Other traders reported falling custom and blamed a shortage of parking and drop-off access.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said on BBC Radio Tees on Wednesday that the cycle lane was largely used by children "causing problems" and drug dealers who used it as a "bike run to be able to get through traffic".

Cooke said: "We're still committed to encouraging active travel, including walking and cycling, but they need to be the right schemes in the right places."