£500k for walking and cycling improvements in York

Coronavirus: City of York Council sets out long-term plan

A reduction in traffic and national guidance on social distancing measures has led to an increase in cycling and walking in York, so City of York Council now plans to invest £500,000 in long-term improvements.

The council has implemented short-term measures to provide more space for residents to social distance whilst cycling and walking. Measures include:

• extending the footway outside shops on Bishopthorpe Road
• temporarily keeping the lane closure on Castle Mills Bridge, in order to provide a cycle lane and pedestrian safety
• encouraging cyclists to avoid the busiest shared use paths and use roads if possible
• encouraging cyclists and pedestrians to visit iTravel York to download the cycling and walking maps and plan routes
• introducing Park & Pedal at the Rawcliffe, Monks Cross or Designer Outlet park & ride sites allowing people to cycle to their destination.

The new funding will be used on longer-term schemes to make routes safer by:

• resurfacing roads with hazardous potholes for cyclists
• improving footways
• creating pedestrian crossings
• introducing dropped kerbs
• creating smart travel options
• improving cycling.

The £500,000 funding was agreed following a budget amendment last year. This amendment included an allocation of £1m for improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. £500,000 of this funding has been devolved to ward members for specific improvements within their wards for cyclists and pedestrians leaving a further £500,000 for more general schemes.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Executive Member for Transport, said: “There’s never been a more important time for people to cycle or walk, either for exercise or as option for active travel. We have some excellent cycling and walking provision in York, but we are keen to do more to ensure people feel confident and able to get to their destinations safely during the Coronavirus pandemic, but also longer term.

“These additional measures will all be subject to more detailed design and the usual consultation processes, but will start to address gaps in our network where people feel less safe.”

Schemes to be developed or delivered include:

• improvements to access the University of York, including improved links between East and West campuses
• improvements to a north-south link along the edge of the city centre but inside the inner ring road
• Rougier Street to Tanners Moat cycle gap, including improvements at this junction
• Fishergate Gyratory, including further investigations of improvements for pedestrians and cyclists
• better cycle facilities between New Walk riverside paths and the route through the Barracks to the University
• Orbital Cycle Route including improvements at the James Street/Lawrence Street/Regent Street junction
• accessibility improvements including investigation of amendments to various barriers on the network
• ramped path from the riverside to Bishopthorpe Road opposite the Chocolate Works site
• Skeldergate involving investigation of improved measures for cyclists at the two build-outs
• Fulford Road with measures to compliment the improvements delivered by the developers of Frederick House
• Tang Hall Lane including improvements to the access onto the Foss Islands Path
• South Bank/Bishophill areas cycle route Improvements
• Manor Lane and Shipton Road improvements
• additional funding for pedestrian crossing investigations and implementation
• cycle margin works at various locations.