City of York Executive Transport Meeting 19th July 2022
York’s Active Travel Programme (ATP) was discussed at an Executive Meeting of City of York Council (CYC) today.
Page 11 of the Agenda set out a Summary of the matters to discuss at the meeting. Those matters included:
- adding 3 new schemes to the ATP
- an update on the overall programme timescales
- recommendations for decisions on individual schemes
Recommendations and Decisions
City Centre Cycle Parking
This is a new scheme that results from an Active Travel Fund 3 bid. It is feasibility work on cycle parking and a cycle hub, and was added to the ATP.
People Streets at Clifton Green and Badger Hill
Executive Member for Transport Andy d’Agorne agreed with the recommendation to proceed with feasibility work on these schemes.
Navigation Road ETRO
The Navigation Road Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, involving a one-way plug and cycle lanes with light segregation, was made permanent.
City Centre Bridges Scheme
This is a small scheme, with a budget of just £15,000. It is designed to reduce close passes of cyclists on the bridges.
The measures being suggested include:
- ask permission from the DfT to use a ‘Give Cyclists Space’ sign
- paint cycle symbols on the carriageway
- engage with North Yorkshire Police about a close-passing operation
A1237 Bridge Scheme
The recommendation was to abandon this project and reallocate the money to other projects in the ATP. The public speakers at the start of the meeting, including Coucillors Vassie and Melly, and York Cycle Campaign, were against this and wanted proper provision here.
Officers said they are unable to find an engineering solution to the necessary improvements to this cycle route. They want the matter to be left until York Outer Ring Road dualling happens.
Councillor d’Agorne asked for work to be done to cost up a pedestrian and cycle bridge alongside the road bridge, and not to reassign the money. He also said CYC needs advice from the DfT and/or Active Travel England about the most appropriate way forward.
Wheldrake to Heslington Path
Again, officers recommended reallocating the money to other ATP projects, because the objectives cannot be achieved within the budget. They said completing the feasibility work would cost £200,000, and the total cost of the scheme is around £2 million.
One problem is that two landowners have not yet agreed to the route going over their land. The estimated cost of buying the land is £161,000.
Cllr D’Agorne suggested asking for advice from DfT/Active Travel England about the best way forward to deliver this project, and reducing the scope of the feasibility work if necessary. He did not want the money allocated away to other projects.
Ostman Road
There was a recommendation to do more feasibility work at a cost of £60,000. Cllr d’Agorne wanted ward Councillors to be asked their views before committing to spending more money.
New Timetable
There is a new timetable for the Active Travel Programme. (None of the deadlines on the old one were met).
