Cycling in Yorkshire
Cycling in Yorkshire
15th February 2022
Decisions on York's Active Travel Programme were taken yesterday at a Decision Session with the Executive Member for Transport Andy D'Agorne.
One key decision was about the Acomb Road cycle scheme. Following representations from Lib Dem Councillors including Andrew Waller, it had been cut back from 1.5 miles to just 0.6 miles at the eastern end. The western part was to be combined with an Acomb Regeneration Scheme which has no timetable.
At the Decision Session, there were contributions from Councillors Rachel Melly and Katie Lomas, and from Rob Ainsley of York Cycle Campaign. All argued that the original 1.5 mile route should be included in the design and public consultation.
Councillor D'Agorne agreed to reinstate the full length of the scheme. York Cycle Campaign reports that the Acomb scheme has been saved.
The Project Scope report says that there are 24 individual projects within the Active Travel Programme. Many of them are paid for by the government Active Travel Fund; some are financed out of the City of York's own budget, or from developers' section 106 contributions.
Officers were seeking clarity on project outlines, procurement approaches, and prioritisation.
Three teams are working on the various projects, which are classified as Very High Priority (VHP), High Priority (HP), or Medium (M).
Annex 1 lists the projects in table form, with timescales.
Brief details of York's Active Travel Programme schemes follow.
The A19 cycle scheme is a 3.2km route from Bootham Bar to Rawcliffe Bar. The main features are:
Preliminary design work is likely to cost £69,125.
The Acomb Road cycle scheme envisages cycle facilities along a 1.5 mile stretch of the B1224 Acomb Road, between Beckfield Lane and the Fox junction.
The University Campus E-W link concerns University Road and Field Lane.
Solutions for improving conditions for active travel could include traffic calming, removing ghost islands and turning boxes, and introducing segregated cycle lanes.
The People Streets/Ostman Road scheme is a pilot School Street, reducing the adverse impact of school run drivers at Carr Junior School on active travel.
The A1237 over the Ouse scheme involves taking space from the carriageway on the Outer Ring Road bridge over the Ouse near Rawcliffe Bar, and creating a segregated cycle facility and improved footways.
The city centre N-S route is intended to create a cycle route from North to South that avoids footstreets but also the Inner Ring Road.
It will use High Petergate, Minster Yard, Deangate, Goodramgate, Aldwark, Hungate, Navigation Road, and Walmgate.
The city centre bridges project relates to Skeldergate, Ouse, and Lendal bridges, and involves cycle logos in the carriageway, coloured surfacing, and 'Do Not Overtake Cyclists' signage.
The University Road minor pedestrian works involve resolving the problem of damage to the pedestrian path by tree roots.
The Hospital Fields Road cycle scheme involves a segregated cycle route on Hospital Fields Road. It will link the New Walk riverside path/Millennium Bridge to the barracks path towards Walmgate Stray and the University.
The Tang Hall Lane Foss Islands path access scheme is designed to make the junction of Tang Hall Lane and the Foss Islands cycle path safer and more convenient.
The Manor Lane/Shipton Road scheme involves looking at crossings of Manor Lane, and of Shipton Road at its junction with Manor Lane. Problems with the current layout include a 40mph speed limit, and wide kerb radii, in a location where a lot of schoolchildren are crossing.
The Orbital Cycle Route at Lawrence Street project is a scheme to reduce conflict between people on foot and those on bikes where the Orbital Cycle Route crosses from Regent Street over Lawrence Street to James Street.
The proposed Wheldrake to Heslington path would provide an active travel route from Wheldrake to Heslington.
There are five possible routes.
The Fishergate gyratory P&C scheme is intended to provide for walking and cycling on Fishergate between the Fulford Road/Maida Grove junction and the Fishergate/Paragon Street junction.
Fulford Road Frederick House is a developer-funded scheme to improve conditions for walking and cycling on Fulford Road in the immediate vicinity of Frederick House.
Cycle route improvements could include:
St Georges Field Crossing is an ATF T2 scheme for a Toucan crossing of Tower Street by the St Georges Field car park entrance.
Rougier Street Tanners Moat gap refers to the modal filter between Rougier Street and Tanners Moat. There are plans to reduce vehicle use, make it more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, and minimise conflict between different user groups.
The Skeldergate cycle improvements relate to two build-outs, and plans to improve cycle safety without loss of priority.
Navigation Road was part of the initial Emergency Active Travel Fund early on in the pandemic, and has been delivered.
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