[1] The track was lifted in 1966, and though the closed route forms an unsurfaced footpath along some sections, much of the eastern part between Otley and Pool is publicly inaccessible private farmland.

[2] Renewed interest was stimulated in 2013 by the announcement that the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France would take place in Leeds city centre.

[3] In March 2017, Sustrans completed a Design and Delivery Report for the first phase between Burley and Otley, to create a robust case for securing funding opportunities.

To maintain momentum, in June 2017 Sustrans were commissioned to carry out a Design and Cost report for the second phase of the Greenway between Otley and Pool.

The local planning authority, Leeds City Council, considered that the greenway was "expected to be a very valuable asset to the local communities" and "would help tackle severance problems by providing cycling and pedestrian access between the settlements on the route which is currently severed by major roads such as the A660, A65 and A6038."