York’s Transport Strategy Implementation Plan is Fizzing with Ideas
York Council has published a draft Local Transport Strategy Implementation Plan 2024-26. It will be discussed at a council meeting today.
The Implementation Plan is fizzing with ideas.
Most council plans contain platitudes about ‘encouraging sustainable travel’, but lack the commitment to follow through with detailed proposals.
York, on the other hand, has produced a serious, intelligent plan with all the things you would wish to see. It implements a clear strategy; there are measurable targets and a plan to collect data to actually measure progress; and there are packages of ambitious schemes for delivery.
Foreword
In the Foreword, Executive Member for Transport Kate Ravilious outlines some of the measures that the council intends to start on in the next two years. They include:
- bus priority
- reducing speed limits
- implementing a parking strategy
- defining a freight network
She also mentions a Movement and Place Plan, which is to be ready by the end of 2025.
These measures are the start of a journey to a more accessible, affordable, sustainable and healthy city.
If anything, the detailed Implementation Plan is more ambitious and exciting than suggested by the Foreword.
Introduction
The Implementation Plan represents first steps in implementing York’s Local Transport Strategy.
The majority of the measures in the Plan will be delivered or well under way by the end of 2026.
The overall vision is to make walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport the default ways of getting around York. This will lead to falling car use.
Strategy to 2040
The Strategy to 2040 section of the Implementation Plan includes a 2040 Vision from the Transport Strategy.
The Vision refers to the way transport can contribute to four key priorities:
- Equality
- Affordability
- Climate and
- Health
The EACH priorities will support a thriving economy for decades to come.
By 2040, it is expected that there will be segregated walking and cycling networks in York, so that 40% of trips in the city are by active travel.
There will be less vehicle traffic overall, and much less vehicle traffic in the places where there are lots of cyclists and pedestrians.
This will require ingenuity, bold decisions, reallocation of road space, and investment over the long term.
Funding and governance structures are currently fluid, but there is expected to be support for active travel and carbon reduction programmes from central government; and the Mayoral Combined Authority may get more powers and funding.
Objectives and Targets
The Implementation Plan recites the ten Objectives from the Local Transport Strategy. They echo the EACH priorities, and give a little more detail.
The council has interim targets for the ten Objectives, and intends to collect data to measure progress. This is part of the table of Objectives, with metrics, baselines, data and targets.
Measures
York has developed ten packages of measures to address ten Policy Focus Areas (PFAs) in the Local Transport Strategy. There is some overlap among the areas.
The PFAs are:
- Accessibility
- Walking wheeling and cycling
- Shaping health places
- Improving public transport
- Safeguarding the environment
- Creating a Movement and Place Plan
- Reducing car dependency
- Improving freight and logistics
- Maintenance and enforcement
- Funding, monitoring and evaluation
There is also a spreadsheet of schemes and initiatives.
1) Accessibility
The Accessibility package includes more city centre Blue Badge parking, and removing barriers from cycle paths so that they are accessible to adapted cycles.
2) Walking, Wheeling and Cycling
There has to be a big increase in walking, wheeling and cycling in York, approximately doubling active travel trips by 2040.
Schemes include:
- comprehensive active travel measures along one radial route and the neighbourhoods adjacent to it. This includes continuous protected cycle infrastructure along the route, and priority crossings of side streets
- village pilot where active travel links are improved
- upgrade active travel infrastructure to a district centre in one of York’s suburbs, plus a travel hub
- cycle hangars in residential streets
- a secure cycle parking hub in York city centre
- training for the highways team in inclusive design principles and LTN 1/20
There is a list of cycle routes which is being considered in preparing a Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), and a cycle network map.
The draft LCWIP will be considered by the Executive in November.
3) Healthy Places
Healthy places have reduced traffic and air and noise pollution, and are easy and safe to walk, wheel and cycle around.
Schemes include:
- developing exemplar Healthy Streets
- Vision Zero
- 20mph city
- Home Zones
4) Public Transport
The public transport measures include:
- a city centre sustainable transport route from the station to Tower Street, with substantial reductions in private motor vehicle traffic. The Castle Car Park will be transformed into public space
- additional bus priority and better enforcement of existing bus priority
- improve Park & Ride sites, and offer overnight parking and better cycle parking facilities
- completion of Haxby Station (medium to long term)
5) Environment
- electrify the rest of York’s buses
- Garden City programme – a biodiversity strategy for highways assets. The assets include verges, roundabout centres, central reservations and Park & Ride sites
6) Movement and Place Plan
York will develop a Movement and Place Plan, to guide transport changes in the years to come. The Mayoral Combined Authority is likely to fund the plan.
Other documents to be prepared and published include:
- a Highways Design Guide, with guidance on accessible infrastructure and walking, wheeling and cycling design
- a transport supplementary planning document, including a ‘decide and provide’ approach for new developments
The documents will be completed by the end of 2025.
7) Reducing Car Dependency
All the measures in the Implementation Plan will help reduce car dependency, but specifically the council will:
- pursue a School Streets programme
- increase the car club offer
- review prices at council car parks
- design new developments to enable walking, wheeling and cycling
- enable more sustainable travel to the Hospital and reduce congestion on Wigginton Road
8) Improving Freight and Logistics
Where freight movements need to access built-up areas of York, the Plan says York will make sure they take place using the smallest and least polluting vehicles.
Otherwise, freight movements should be kept to the routes best able to handle them. York plans to designate freight networks for medium (3.5T) and large (7.5T) vehicles.
The council intends to explore options for allowing cargo cycles access to the city centre/footstreets.
9) Maintenance and Enforcement
York will buy equipment including:
- a mini-gritter and
- a narrow road-sweeper capable of accessing segregated cycle infrastructure
It will also:
- increase the proportion of maintenance spend dedicated to footways and cycleways
- use maintenance projects as opportunities to improve active travel provision
- seek powers to enforce against moving traffic offences
10) Monitoring, Evaluations, Development and Funding
York will collect data to monitor progress against its transport objectives. There will be an annual statement of progress, with:
- key inputs (e.g. staff and spending)
- outputs (e.g. schemes constructed) and
- outcomes (e.g. changes in rates of driving, cycling and walking)
The council intends to recruit a dedicated team to support the Transport Strategy, including writing funding bids, managing consultations, and producing promotional materials and newsletters.