Hello all.

I appreciate this is a very public issue as well as a particular subject I have no experience with, I don't have any friends or family in the Blue Badge criteria so please do educate me where possible.

I have been wondering though what better use there is for the Stonegate repaving budget, there's many different things to do but not all priorities.

I mocked up a route as an idea of thinking outside the box, have attached it; my curiosity is whether town can have a safe 1 way route (with contraflow cycling as a shared space) for blue badge parking which works equally and effectively for both cyclists & pedestrians.

It will mean some minor adjustments but nothing too bold or unfit for York's character, and addressing the vehicular terrorism issue at the same time it keeps cars in general away from the more crowded areas. This should mean no future costs of the obnoxious barriers currently hired at least for this part of town.

 Replace the current bollards on Aldwalk & St Andrewgate with retractable ones, electronically controlled with key fobs that are linked to the users vehicle the same way the blue badge displays that info. 

Badge Holders can enter the loop through Aldwalk: swipe fob at the Monkbar end and also by St Andrews Church (where parcel vans currently block the route), bollards lower, badge holder drives through each and cruise around to Colliergate. Parking could be outside Barnitts, it's already a 1 way street in that same direction.

Retractable locking bollards could be installed between Cafe Nero & Chocolate Story for various council vehicles / cash vans needing access leaving town but during footstreet hours they are raised in line with the potential anti terrorism issue.

Maybe it needs more thoughts and planning but there is no harm in putting an idea forwards. The St Andrewgate bollards behind Wagamama are already in consideration of being altered in width to accommodate cargo-trike access so this would tie in nicely, instead of widening one pair the whole lot of them could be updated to benefit this step forwards.

So replace the current bollards on Aldwalk & St Andrewgate with retractable ones, electronically controlled with key fobs that are linked to the users vehicle the same way the blue badge displays such info. 

To clarify, the budget allocation for the suggestion should be what is currently earmarked for the Stonegate repaving, putting it to much more beneficial community use.

 Regards,

Steve. (IndieGo Delivery)