Over £85k paid out for cycle lane injuries

UNPOPULAR TRACK SET TO BE REMOVED THIS MONTH

- By DANIEL HODGSON Local democracy reporter

INJURIES on the infamous Linthorpe Road cycle lane have resulted in council payouts totalling more than £85,000.

The cycle lane that everyone loves to hate, which runs through one of Middlesbrough's busy thoroughfares, is set for the chop after a shortlived life of less than three years.

It was confirmed by Middlesbrough Labour mayor Chris Cooke in July that removal would begin on Tuesday, August 26. Getting rid of the cycle lane was one of the issues that then-Councillor Cooke fought the 2023 mayoral election on.

One unwanted parting gift that the cycle lane has left Middlesbrough Council with is a bill totalling £85,728, which could rise even further, with 25 claims received by the council since the cycle lane was completed in 2022, six of which remain unresolved.

As previously reported, several people suffered injuries from the ridged design of the cycle lane markers, including OAP Dorothy and clubber Samantha Skene, who say they tripped over it.

And it wasn't just pedestrians who suffered from the black and white rubber dividers - cyclist Paul Harris was thrown over the handlebars of his bike after it hit one of the markers. The details of the claims have been confirmed by the local council following a freedom of information request made by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.