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Council forced to pay £85,000 in injury claims on £1.7m cycle route which is set to be destroyed just 3 years after creation

A cycleway worth nearly £2million will be removed later this month after the council was forced to fork out more than £85,000 in injury payments.

The Linthorpe Road route in Middlesbrough has faced backlash ever since it was installed in 2022 for £1.7million.


The Labour-run council said claims were dealt with by its insurers, which determines liability and awards compensation where appropriate.

Both cyclists and pedestrians have suffered as a result of the black-and-white rubber cycle lane dividers.

A Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Service revealed details of the accidents.

There were 25 claims from people who were injured in trips or falls over or on the cycle lane.

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The cycle lane on Linthorpe Road

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They were made between the completion of the cycle lane in 2022 and July 2025.

The construction received negative feedback over the years, being described as “disastrous” at a full council meeting in October 2023.

Tees Valley Combined Authority is paying more than £2million in costs to remove the cycleway and remake the road.

Government funding was originally used to construct the cycle lanes.

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The cycle lane will be removed this month

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GOOGLE MAPS

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said about “£85,000 has been paid in compensation to individuals in relation to the Linthorpe Road cycle lane”.

“All claims are handled through our insurers, who assess liability and award compensation where appropriate,” the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, drivers in London were warned earlier this year to expect speed limit reductions in a bid to prioritise walking and cycling in the city.

It comes after Transport for London announced an £87million investment to make the capital’s streets safer, with speed limits set to be cut as part of the project.

The funding supports new cycle lanes, bus lanes, pedestrian crossings and school streets schemes over the coming financial year.

TfL confirmed the new funds would be allocated to 33 boroughs across London to fund “safer streets” projects and bus improvements.

The investment represents a significant push to improve road safety and encourage more sustainable travel options across the capital.

The funding, which is an increase of £7.2million from last year, hopes to deliver up to 95km of new cycle routes across the capital over the next three years.

Plans also include 222 new School Streets schemes, adding to the approximately 700 already in place across London. It also includes up to 265 new pedestrian crossings, which are expected to make walking safer in local neighbourhoods.

The programme aims to create at least 20km of new bus lanes, alongside measures to improve bus reliability, such as changes to bus lane hours and tackling congestion “pinch points”.

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