Draft Local Transport Strategy

 

 

 

 

York: A Smart Travel City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 2023

                                                                                                                                                    

 

 

Foreword

In polling of York’s residents in 2021[1], 81% of people said they agreed with the ambition for York to become carbon neutral by 2030.  74% of people said that building an efficient and affordable transport system should be the most important part of York’s Climate Change Strategy. 

This document begins the major piece of work to respond to those challenges. It seeks to build on a legacy of sustainable transport initiatives in York to tackle the challenges of today. In the decade since York’s current transport plan (LTP3) was adopted, the impact of climate change has become ever clearer, with an accelerating urgency to make unprecedented cuts to daily carbon emissions.

York’s 2022 Climate Change Strategy requires a 71% reduction in emissions from transport. Government transport policy and the duties it places on local authorities are also rapidly moving to require significant progress on carbon reduction, with much future funding likely to be dependent on evidence of effectiveness of measures in achieving major carbon reductions from transport. A step change in the way we live and get about is needed to respond to the long term challenge, but this relies on the active participation of residents, who already seem keen to play their part, as shown in surveys and consultations undertaken recently.  

We need to decide how best to make those changes in York, in a way that is achievable, takes residents and communities with us, provides the greatest social, economic and health benefits through the process and passes a transport system on to future generations which is fit for purpose in the long term.

Electrifying road transport is part of the solution – and the council has already made progress on this via electric buses and EV charging hubs. However, total car use also needs to fall by making alternatives more attractive.  Further detailed modelling for York is underway – however, many authorities in the UK have concluded that car use will need to fall by around 20% - and in some cases more – to achieve carbon net zero, even alongside widespread electrification of the vehicle fleet.  While travel patterns have changed since the covid lockdowns, current trends show a return to car travel which will have to be reversed through a major shift towards increasing active travel and use of public transport. This needs to be delivered through the agreed Strategy.  To reduce car use by 20% it is likely that walking and cycling rates will have to double and bus use will have to increase by 50%. 

This draft strategy sets out a range of potential interventions, which we think could be the first steps to be taken to achieve the changes required to deliver York’s carbon reduction plan, whilst also supporting economic prosperity, improving health and wellbeing and enabling access for all. It seeks to build a transport system in which improved public transport, walking and cycling provision will make alternatives to the car the obvious choice for most people, most of the time. In turn, this will reduce car use and reduce congestion in York, so that those who need to use a motor vehicle can do so in conditions which are uncongested. 

Politicians of all parties agree that action has to be taken to improve York’s transport system. There is generally agreement on the objectives and policy strands in the draft strategy– with some differences of opinion on the specific policy interventions, for example on the longer term impact of increasing roadspace as a means of tackling congestion and carbon emissions. Whilst there is generally agreement on the positive improvements to York’s transport systems that we need, more debate as to exactly how we make those happen will clearly take place throughout the consultation on this draft Strategy.

This document is not a finished Strategy – it presents a range of policy options and begins a major consultation that will enable us to produce a strategy to reach the targets set in York’s draft Local Plan and approved Climate Change, Economic Development and Health and Wellbeing strategies. It is crucial that the strategy and interventions are able to deliver multiple benefits in the longer term, reducing congestion, supporting the economy and improving health.

These ideas and the wider context of York’s transport are laid out in this document to enable residents, businesses, organisations and partners to contribute to the delivery of the strategy and eventual decisions. Please read the document and get involved in the conversation by giving us your feedback through the engagement and consultation which will take place throughout the year.

 

 

Council Leader Councillor Keith Aspden

 

 

 

Executive Member for Transport Councillor Andy D’Agorne

 

Executive Summary

York may have a long history but it is currently experiencing a period of great change.  At a time of extra-ordinary technological and social change the city must decide how it will address the challenge of climate change and accommodate the growth set out in its Local Plan.

This document proposes a transport strategy for York.  It is rooted in the city’s new climate change, economic development and health and wellbeing strategies, and its Local Plan.  The strategy also looks to address the many challenges with York’s existing transport system, as identified by residents in the city’s 2021 consultation – “Our Big Conversation”.

Traffic patterns in York are complex.  In some locations, traffic levels have been falling for many years, but in others they rise.  Over the last 20 years the number of bus passengers, and pedestrians and cyclists, has been rising steadily, despite some reductions during the covid pandemic.  In some locations, however, traffic congestion worsens year on year.  Indications from the data collected in Our Big Conversation suggests that York residents see themselves as driving less in future, and that many would like to walk, cycle and use public transport more than they do now.

 

City of York Council is already progressing a series of projects to provide new transport infrastructure in the city. These projects include schemes to deliver the York Central development, rebuild the area around the rail station and dual the York A1237 outer ring road between Shipton Road and the A64 at Hopgrove. The city has also won £40m to improve its bus service and electrify many of York’s bus fleet.  It is delivering a new rail station for Haxby and a £6m programme of improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposed transport strategy, however, looks to achieve a reduction of 71% in York’s transport CO2 which York’s adopted Climate Change Strategy requires.  A change of this magnitude cannot simply be achieved by replacing conventionally powered cars and vans with their electrical equivalents.  There must also be widespread change in how we travel, with an increasing proportion of trips in York being undertaken on foot or bike, or by public transport.  Only 19% of residents say they do not plan to change their travel habits to reduce their carbon footprint.

 

In doing this, the proposed strategy is clear that it will take place over a 10 year period and much will change in that time. In a period of rapid growth, we have the opportunity to establish sustainable and active travel habits from the outset as new families and individuals arrive in the area. Much of the environmental and quality of life benefits, such as reduced travel during covid lockdown and work from home, can be made available within new settlements from the outset. Where such travel habit changes can be established the negative consequences of commuting patterns can be significantly reduced.

Future Policies

The proposed strategy has eight objectives and seven policy strands, as per the table below. The table represents a high-level initial assessment made by officers as to how each theme supports each objective. More detail is provided in Section 5 of this document.   Further work on establishing the direct impact on, for example, accessibility, will take place during the consultation by involving appropriate organisations and groups.

Objective:

 

Policy strand

Inclusive, accessible city

Climate Change

Economic Develop-ment

Health and Wellbeing

Our Big Convers-ation

Local Plan growth

Looking after our assets

Central Gov’mnt policy

Reduce car use

0

++

+

++

++

++

++

++

Improving alternatives to car

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

Provide Strategic links

0

++

++

0

+

++

-

++

Behaviour change

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

Tackle emissions

+

+

+

++

+

++

0

+

Improve streets

++

++

++

++

+

++

++

++

New technology

+

++

+

0

0

++

+

++

(++=strong support; +=supports; 0=neutral effect; -=tension; --=strong tension)

What happens next?

This document presents a draft strategy. Further work will follow to refine the individual elements of the strategy following feedback from York residents, employers, service providers and other consultees. Following the consultation, further work will take place during 2023 to finalise York’s Transport Strategy based on the feedback received. This will underpin the York Delivery Plan which will become part of the new statutory draft LTP4 for the new Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire (if approved) to be submitted to the Government by April 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

1.   Introduction

2.   Transport in York

3.   Progress since York’s last Local Transport Plan

4.   Change in York

5.   York’s new Transport Strategy

Appendix A: Detailed policy tables

Appendix B: Our Big Consultation Summer 2021 results

 

 

 

 

 

York’s Transport Challenges People responding to Our Big Conversation in Summer 2021 saw the following principal problems with transport in York: • 90% see congestion as a problem • 82% say air pollution from traffic is problem • 80% say transport in York has a negative impact on climate change • 76% want safer cycling routes • 69% want a more frequent/ reliable/ more extensive/ cheaper bus service • 64% want more secure cycle parking • 54% want more charging points for electric vehicles

1.       Introduction

York has prepared a draft Local Plan and adopted new Climate Change, Economic Development and Health and Wellbeing strategies.  These are parts of a wider “Ten Year Plan” for York, the vision for which is that “York will be a vibrant, prosperous, welcoming and sustainable city, where everyone can share and take pride in its success.”. 

How transport in York is organised and delivered will help the city achieve its strategic objectives.  In particular, the Climate Change Strategy’s target to reduce carbon emissions from local transport in York by 71%, at a time when the city’s population is anticipated to increase by 15%, requires York’s transport strategy to be re-assessed.  This is timely as local transport authorities need to prepare a new Local Transport Plan, for submission to central government, by Spring 2024.  Accordingly, this document sets out a proposed “Local Transport Strategy” for York for consultation. 

As well as being a delivery mechanism for York’s Economic Development, Climate Change and Health and Wellbeing strategies, it is vitally important that York’s new transport strategy addresses the shortcomings with transport in the city.  To do this the strategy presented here for consultation builds upon the views expressed in the “Our Big Conversation” consultation in Summer 2021.  It also takes the extensive data collected about transport in York – the trends over time and forecasts for the future – and looks to combine them and plot a way forward for transport in the city.

York’s transport vision: York will have a transport plan which enables and promotes modal shift to sustainable transport. It supports the Climate Change, Public Health and Economic Development strategies, and mitigates the transport consequences of the growth of the city. It will support the equality, health and wellbeing of York’s current and future residents, businesses and visitors and enables inclusive economic development whilst respecting the city’s heritage. Through the plan, York will seek to minimise any negative environmental impacts of transport. A key part of the strategy will be supporting measures which reduce the need to travel, as well as those promoting modal shift. Taking this information into account, a new Vision for transport in York has been agreed by a cross party group of councillors, with assistance of CYC’s transport officers.  This sits behind the new Local Transport Strategy. 

 

The Vision seeks to encapsulate the clear aspiration to reduce congestion, pollution and traffic levels and make active travel and new modes of travel more attractive.  This document begins the discussion towards identifying a way to achieve this. 

Over 2023 there will be further consultation and engagement on York’s new transport strategy.  This will include general citywide consultation, events in specific parts of the city and with users of the transport network, including those who have special requirements of the network – such as businesses or people with impaired mobility. 

Transport and Devolution If agreed in February by City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council, in the Autumn of 2023, York will become part of the newly established Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire. Under this arrangement, a Combined Authority will be created, with a Mayor for the region elected in May 2024. The Mayor will become responsible for the control of a Key Route Network (of the principal roads in York and North Yorkshire), and setting a new Strategic Transport Plan to cover the existing areas of York and North Yorkshire Councils. The individual local authorities will outline their own transport priorities, which will be expressed in Local Delivery Plans, covering each unitary authority area. York’s current Local Transport Plan, written in 2011, covers the period to 2031. North Yorkshire County Council’s most recent LTP was adopted in 2016 and covers the period to 2045. The Strategic Transport Plan, set by the Mayoral Combined Authority, will replace both documents, with each authority Local Delivery Plan linking to the new Strategic Transport Plan. The Delivery Plans are likely to have a 5 year duration.

 

 

 

2.       Transport in York

York’s Climate Change Strategy requires a 71% reduction in carbon emissions from the transport sector by 2030. Founded by the Romans in AD71, York has a transport network which in places still shows signs of its Roman origins.  In the city centre a medieval street layout dominates, with many building plot boundaries still in the places set by the Vikings. 

However, outside of the footstreets area, York’s transport network is principally a creation of the Victorians.  They decided to retain the City’s walls, put the railways and railway station where they currently are, build the three road bridges in the city centre and clear dense Medieval alleyways to create Duncombe Place, Deangate, Parliament Street and Piccadilly.  The Victorians also gave the character to the major roads in and out of York, with tree planting, areas of cobbles and varying widths and constrained narrow sections as their chief characteristics.   Not all the changes made by the Victorian’s survived.  York’s narrow gauge tram network started operation as a horse drawn system in 1880, upgrading to electric trams in 1910, but was removed in 1935.

Unlike, however, many towns and cities, York did not embark upon large scale urban road construction in the mid-20th century – although it was considered and ultimately rejected.

In 1972 a Public Enquiry was held over York City Council’s proposals to build an Inner Ring Road. The plan was ultimately rejected, after intervention by the Secretary of State. However, at the time of its rejection, funding had been made available for its construction and its rejection was seen as a major political upset. Had it been implemented the new road would have fundamentally changed the character of York – the route diagram to the left advocated moving the rail station to a new position and a dual carriageway in front of Micklegate Bar. The plan’s rejection is a crucial inflexion point for transport in York. Had the new road been built there would undoubtedly have been more car traffic in the city centre, fewer bus users, pedestrians and cyclists, higher noise pollution and significantly poorer air quality.

 

The abandonment[1] of the Inner Ring Road scheme in the mid-1970s led to a new approach to transport in York[2].  An emphasis on encouraging walking, cycling and public transport use led to the building, over the last 45 years, of one of the most substantial sets of sustainable transport assets in the UK, and some of the highest levels of walking, cycling and bus use for cities of comparable size to York.  York now has 6 park and ride sites, extensive walk and cycle networks and lies at the centre of the UK’s rail network, with York Station the third busiest rail station in the Yorkshire region, after Leeds and only just behind Sheffield.

The abandoned Inner Ring Road scheme also left the city centre with vestigial parts of incomplete 20th century schemes which are hostile to cyclists and pedestrians.  Perhaps the most obvious of these are the short stretch of dual carriageway on Tower Street/ Fishergate and the gyratories at Fishergate, Foss Bank and Lendal Arch.

On the edges of York can be found late 20th century office/ retail developments, particularly at Clifton Moor, Monks Cross and Fulford Designer Outlet.  These developments, designed in the late-20th Century around an assumption of car use, present difficult places to travel around on foot and by bike, and in some cases, especially Clifton Moor, they are difficult and time consuming to reach by bus.  The city centre attracts and generates many trips in York, but there are a number of other significant attractors outside the city centre – for example, the Hospital, universities, suburban centres like Acomb and large villages like Copmanthorpe, Poppleton, Haxby and Dunnington.    

Further out, York is ringed by smaller villages in rural settings.  They are attractive places to live and work – however, bus services to the villages are of variable quality.  Many villages are bisected by main roads which can carry traffic travelling at excessive speeds.  Cycle and walk links to built-up York are often absent and the high-speed, unlit rural roads which link the villages to York are intimidating for cyclists and pedestrians to use.

Our Big Conversation asked York residents how they travelled to work: § 31% drive § 28% walk § 23% cycle § 10% use the bus § 10% go by rail § 8% are car passengers § 2% use park and ride § 1% use taxi § 1% use e-scooters or “other” means (nb – percentages sum to more than 100% because some people use more than one mode to commute) 37% work in York city centre; 29% in York but not the city centre; 33% work outside of York 63% see themselves as working at home more often following the covid pandemic Respondents under 40 are more likely to walk/ cycle/ use the bus. Respondents over 40 are more likely to use cars.

York has two outer orbital roads – the A64 southern bypass and A1237 northern outer ring road.  The A64 features grade separated junctions around York and carries substantial volumes of through traffic.  It was constructed in the mid-1970s and is managed by National Highways.  The A1237 was constructed in the 1980s and is managed by City of York Council.  It has a more local role than the A64 and is largely single carriageway with at-grade roundabout junctions.  York’s outer orbital roads have a key function of keeping traffic out of the built-up city centre (without them, vehicles travelling from, say, Leeds to Scarborough, would have to travel through York city centre, as they did before the orbital roads were constructed).  Without the orbital roads, the centre of York would be more congested and bus services would be less reliable and walking and cycling less pleasant and more dangerous. 

The pattern of development in the Local Plan places some development adjacent to the outer ring roads. The projected increase in traffic congestion from these new developments has strengthened the Council’s case used to secure Government funding to dual the A19 - A64 section of the Northern ring road and get agreement from National Highways for a new junction on the A64 to serve Langwith. Whilst this will increase capacity with the aim of easing congestion, in order to avoid a commensurate increase in traffic levels over time (including induced traffic), alongside dualling, work will be needed (as indicated elsewhere in this draft strategy) to ensure that sustainable modes of travel are improved within the ring road and wherever possible short local trips to schools, shops/village centres etc are facilitated by active travel modes (bike, walk, e-scooter) in the vicinity of the ring road.

 

Transport Planning in York now

York’s current transport plan is “LTP3”, which was written in 2011 and is valid until 2031.  The box below gives more detail of LTP3,

The Local Transport Plan has many functions.  Although it sets out transport policies it is also the chief management document for the many transport assets within a local transport authority.  In York this comprises (amongst other things):

§  1,200 km of public highway

§  104 bridges and subways, plus many other highways structures like retaining walls, street lights, traffic signals, signage and road drains

§  A highway maintenance budget of £7.5m per year

§  125 km of off-road cycle and walk routes

§  Access to 2 rail stations and development of a third

§  6 park and ride sites (including one shared with the Mc Arthur Glen Designer Outlet in Fulford)

§  1,200 bus stops and an annual local bus support budget of approximately £750,000 pa.

 

The Local Transport Plan also has a crucial role in bidding for funds.  Whilst it is not itself a “bid” to central government, it is crucial in establishing the strategic case for making interventions in York, and it is very difficult to make a successful funding bid for an intervention if it is not part of the Local Transport Plan.  This is as true for innovative bids (for example, for providing vehicle charging infrastructure) as it is for conventional transport spend – for example to reconstruct a major road whose condition has deteriorated.  In York the Council has been relatively successful in attracting funding for interventions because LTP3 has provided a supportive policy environment to do this, but also because the LTP has been successful in relating the need to intervene in transport in York with other government priorities – for example, funds unlocked by devolution have helped fund the large projects at the Rail Station, York Central and Outer Ring Road. 

As the Local Transport Plan is developed, we should remember that, although it is a statement of policy, those policies need to be articulated as a response to central government priorities and local needs if they are to attract funding from central government to allow many of them to be enacted.  

 

Local Transport Plan 3 York’s third Local Transport Plan was adopted in April 2011 and covers the 20 year period to 2031. As of 2022 it remains valid. LTP3 has governed transport provision in York through a crucial period in the city’s development. The policies within it have informed the specific policies set out for transport in the Local Plan. LTP3 also set out the framework for delivering the big transport schemes undertaken since 2011, particularly the expansion of the park and ride network through the “new” Askham Bar site and the Poppleton Bar park and ride in 2014; development of York Central and the reconstruction of the front of York Rail Station; York Castle Gateway; a range of walk and cycle interventions, but particular the improvement to Scarborough Bridge and new cycle path between Haxby and Clifton Moor and Knapton and Rufforth; and the improvements to the A1237 Outer Ring Road. At the heart of LTP3 is a hierarchy of transport users, which places pedestrians at the top and car commuters at the bottom. The vision in LTP3 is underpinned by 5 strategic themes, to: § Provide quality alternatives (to car travel) § Provide strategic links § Implement and support behavioural change § Tackle transport emissions § Improve public streets and spaces A review of LTP3 in 2021 by York Civic Trust found that large numbers of the schemes within LTP3 had either been delivered or were in the delivery phase with funding secured. Critically, the central tenets of LTP3, to develop alternatives to car travel, are expected to be aligned with the forthcoming DfT guidance for development of the new LTPs. The implications of this for the Local Transport Strategy are that LTP3 continues to be valid as a broad basis for further transport planning in York. However, given the delivery of many of the key schemes in LTP3 and the ever greater emphasis on carbon reduction imply the need for a heavy refresh of LTP3. A new programme of schemes will need to be delivered aligning local transport in York with the emerging Economic and Climate Change Strategies.

 

3.       Progress since York’s last Local Transport Plan

Transport in a city constantly changes.  This has never been perhaps more than now as the vehicle fleet electrifies over the next 20 years, new modes such as e-scooters and e-bikes become available and people adopt new patterns of movement associated with online working, business, shopping, education and leisure.  These trends have often been accelerated, and in some cases induced, by the covid pandemic.

At a national level people now make fewer trips and are reducing the amount they drive.  Although this is partly a reflection of the population of the UK ageing, there are also increased propensities for people to work from home, shop and do personal business online and to learn to drive later in life.  A recent (but pre-pandemic) study[3] concluded that:

§  Overall, there are 16% fewer trips per person than in 1996.

Local trend data for York (see below) is similar to the national picture.  During the Examination in Public of York’s Local Plan it became clear that a substantial growth in York’s population over the 20 years to 2019 had not been accompanied by a proportionate increase in traffic levels in the city, which had been largely static.[4]

Local trends in York: falling car use in the city centre

Through analysis we can see that trends in traffic levels in York vary by location.  Figure 3.1 shows small ongoing year on year increases in overall traffic volumes across York (albeit with some small declines from 2016 onwards).  However, it can also be seen that there has been a one-third decline in the number of vehicles crossing the city centre bridges between 1965 and 2019, and figure 3.2 shows how the proportion of people crossing the river in central York in a car has fallen too, from 54% in 1991-3 to 48% in 2017-9.  Over the same period the proportion in buses has increased from 32% to 37% and on bikes from 6% to 8%. 

Figure 3.3 shows relatively little change on the main radial routes (e.g. Fulford Road, Malton Road and Tadcaster Road) whilst Figure 3.4 shows a growth in traffic on the A1237 and A64 outer orbital routes. 

 

The figure above shows vehicles counted on York’s city centre bridges between 1965 and 2022 in a 12-hour (7AM to 7PM) weekday period. Up to 1991 CYC only hold data on the total number of vehicles counted (and then only for some years); since 1991 an annual classified count has taken place. The bridges monitored are Scarborough (pedestrian/ cycle) bridge, Lendal, Ouse, Skeldergate and, from 2001, Millennium (pedestrian/ cycle) bridge. The total number of vehicles counted falls by 35% between the peak value (1973) and 2022. Between 1991 and 2022 the absolute number of cars/ vans/ HGVs and motorcycles combined falls by 27%, whilst the number of buses and pedal cycles falls by 13%. Pedestrians are not counted but volumes would probably be similar to all the other modes combined. Only one mode (pedal cycles) shows an increase in absolute numbers between 1991 and 2022. See figure 3.2 for an analysis of mode shares between 1991 and 2019. Arrows show important dates: 1976 - A64 opens; 1987/8/9 – A1237 opens, Deangate closes as a through route, pedestrianisation of central York, first park and ride opens (Askham Bar); 2001 Millennium Bridge opens; 2013 Lendal Bridge bus gate trial; 2019 Scarborough Bridge improvement; 2020 Covid.

 

Figure 3.1: Overall change in traffic volumes in York

 

Figure 3.2: Person mode shares on York’s city centre bridges 1991 – 2019


Figure 3.3: traffic on radial routes 2000-2019

Figure 3.4/ 3.5: traffic volumes on the A64/ A1237

 

Changing car use as seen in Our Big Conversation: 88% of respondents to Our Big Conversation say they make fewer than 50% of their journeys by car. Only 17% say they use a car every day. 18% say they use a car less than once a month. 70% of people say they walk at least several times a week; 32% cycle at least several times a week; 16% use bus/ rail or taxi at least several times a week. Only 19% say they are not planning to make changes to their personal travel to reduce their carbon footprint. 34% of respondents say they are looking to reduce their car use over the next 5 years. Only 16% thought their car use would increase.

These trends are corroborated by the information collected in “Our Big Conversation” in 2021.  Respondents to a question about whether they saw themselves driving more or less in future saw 34% of respondents saying they foresaw a reduction in the amount they drove over the next 5 years with only 16% saying they foresaw an increase, and many said they were already changing the way they travelled to reduce their carbon footprint. As such, it would appear that York residents often foresee a reduction in their car use in the city.  This will help to deliver the carbon reduction targets the city seeks in its Climate Change Strategy.

Local Trends: increasing rail, bus and cycle use

In terms of non-car traffic, there have been substantial increases in the number of trips on rail, bus, cycle and walk in the 20 years before the covid pandemic.  Rail trips from York Station increased by 15% from 8.8m in 2015 to 10.1m in 2019.  Bus trips increased by around 65% between 2000 and 2019.  Cycle trips increased by 40% between 2009 and 2019 (albeit with the same reduction during the covid pandemic as seen in many other towns and cities) and walk trips in the city centre by about 10% over the same period.  Sustainable mode access to the Railway Station has also increased.  Use of public transport has fallen back since the covid pandemic – nonetheless, we expect recovery to pre-covid levels of use in the medium to long term – in particular as the measures in the council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, and the committed improvements to rail services and access at York Station, are delivered.  York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan contains a target to increase bus use by 2025 to 125% of 2019 levels.

 

Figure 3.5: Bus Trips 2000-2019

   

 

Figure 3.6: Cycle Trips 2009 – 2021


 

Figure 3.7: Walk Trips to City Centre 2009 -2021

Figure 3.8: Sustainable Mode Use to York Station

    

 

 

Why has this change taken place?

The increase in use of bus, rail and cycle in York, and the accompanying fall in city centre car use, is likely to reflect in part the cumulative effects of substantial investment in those modes over many years – locally in the case of bus and cycle; national investment in the case of rail.  Consequently, we must assume that the change since 1990 reflects people shifting the way that they travel to non-car modes of transport as well as wider changes to employment, land use and attitudes to car use in the last 30 years.

Implications of these changes to demand

The changes outlined above have clear implications for the transport network in York, principally:

§  Perhaps we should begin to plan for a future where there is falling car use and increasing use of bus, cycle, walk and rail?  There is plentiful evidence for falling car use in York, especially in the city centre, and we should look to develop the knowledge we have accumulated to reduce car use elsewhere in York – particularly the other large trip attractors, such as the University and Hospital, which large numbers of people need to travel to.

§  As the size of travel “peaks” declines, should we consider moving away from designing the transport system around accommodating peak motor vehicle use – and better balancing provision across the different modes of transport?  This may mean space required to accommodate peak hour traffic queues can be reallocated to other modes of transport such as buses or cycles.

As such, we can see a picture emerging where, in future, there’s likely to be less reliance on cars in York and more use of non-car means of transport, especially in the built-up area of our city.  Achieving this change may mean congestion for private vehicles initially increases in some areas as more highway space is given over to non-car modes – but in the longer term this could deliver multiple benefits for health and the economy as well as carbon reduction, as traffic levels reduce.

 

What do York resident’s think?

The “Our Big Conversation” public consultation exercise began in Spring 2021 to examine public attitudes in York and inform the development of the city’s Climate Change, Economic Development and Local Transport strategies.  This work has continued with focus groups to look into some of the more complex areas of consultation taking place in Summer 2022.  The results from this exercise are quoted throughout this document, but this section of the strategy provides a fuller summary (and the results of the full survey are given as Annex B of this document).

The charts below are a selection from the large data collection exercise undertaken through Our Big Conversation.  They show that York residents see an important role for City of York Council in acting to reduce climate change and viewed an effective transport system which improved buses and active modes as key to delivering this.  This corroborates the view set out earlier in this document that there should be public support for reconfiguring York’s transport network to favour sustainable modes, because use of these modes is increasing.

Figure 3.9 “What should be most important in the city’s Climate Change Strategy”

 

Figure 3.10: “how serious do you think each of the problems listed below is in York?” 

Figure 3.11 – what change would make you more likely to use bus services?

 

Figure 3.12 – what change would make you more likely to use active modes?

How do the results of the consultation fit with York’s ten-year strategies for Climate Change, Economic Development and Health and Wellbeing?

The consultation results supporting more sustainable transport fit with the Climate Change Strategy because this sets a target of reducing carbon emissions from local transport in York by 71%.  The Economic Development Strategy highlights shortfalls in non-car transport provision to some key employment sites, such as Clifton Moor.  The Health and Wellbeing Strategy sets out an aspiration to increase physical activity levels in York – and the barriers to cycling identified in figure 3.12 are clearly constraints to increasing cycling levels – something which is also crucial to delivering the Climate Change Strategy and, because cycling offers cheap and flexible transport to those able to cycle, the Economic Development Strategy too.  Irrespective, such measures also improve safety and security, which should be at the heart of any transport policy.  As such, many of the measures which reduce carbon emissions in York are also key to achieving good economic development and health and wellbeing outcomes.  In this way the three strategies are mutually reinforcing.  This is corroborated by more recent research[5] which refutes the view that economic growth and carbon reduction are opposed to one another – in fact they are supportive if taken forward in combination.

York Civic Trust’s transport activity: In 2019, York Civic Trust established a Transport Advisory Group, drawing together members with expertise in a wide range of aspects of transport and land use planning, led by Professor Tony May, who has many years’ experience of advising cities on urban transport policy. In September 2019, the Trust conducted a survey of transport needs and aspirations, obtaining responses from over 1800 residents, commuters and visitors. Those responses largely matched those from the Council’s Our Big Conversation in 2021. Respondents saw congestion, pollution and impacts on climate change as the three most serious problems caused by transport, with over 80% considering each a serious problem. While residents and commuters expected to be using their cars more in the next five years, most wanted to be able to use their cars less. They saw improvements to public transport and additional costs for car use as the most effective ways of achieving this, but also wanted enhancements to active travel, a vehicle-free zone, and more effective parking enforcement and traffic management. The Trust invited respondents to join a Citizens’ Transport Forum to discuss these concerns in more detail. From the 440 who offered to do so, the Trust drew a representative sample of 100 members from across the city. The Forum’s first meetings reviewed the survey results, discussed a vision and possible transport policy objectives, and formulated an outline strategy. In early 2021 the Trust offered advice to the council advice as it started developing its own new Local Transport Plan. The Forum contributed to the Trust’s advice. During 2021 the Trust carried out a review of the Council’s 2011 Local Transport Plan and submitted seven strategy documents for different modes of transport. At the Council’s invitation, it also produced nine case studies of cities in the UK and elsewhere in Europe to draw out potential courses of action that York might follow in future. In February 2022 it published A Transport Strategy for York, drawing together its findings over the previous three years, which can be found at https://yorkcivictrust.co.uk/home/planning/a-transport-strategy-for-york-2022 The Strategy proposes a vision for York and nine transport policy objectives to help achieve that vision. It reviews the problems which York faces, and trends in the scale of those problems and in travel. It offers a set of targets for 2027 and 2037, both for the objectives, such as congestion, pollution and carbon reduction, and for patterns of travel. It proposes a six -part strategy involving: • Reducing the need to travel • Improving active travel • Improving public transport • Managing the road network • Managing freight operation • Modifying car use. On that basis it offers suggestions for actions which the Council might take by 2023, 2027 and 2037. Finally, it considers the challenges of financing the strategy, gaining political and public support, and ensuring that it can be delivered in ways which allow everyone to benefit from improved access and reduced environmental impact. The Trust is publishing an abridged version of its Strategy as its contribution to the consultation on the Council’s proposals.

St Sampson’s Square – image from “York: A study in Conservation”, Viscount Esher/ HMSO, 1968
York city centre: Given that there were around one-third fewer trips across the city centre bridges in 2019 than in the late 1960s is it really necessary for the same road capacity to be provided to accommodate that traffic. Reallocation of roadspace can be contentious, but in York we have seen this before, when Deangate was closed in the late 1980s and much of the city centre was pedestrianised. These changes took place at the same time the A1237 opened and traffic could rerouted away from York city centre. Removing traffic from Deangate and much of the city centre improved the environment of these areas. There was more space for people to walk and browse. In Deangate a safe and rapid route for cyclists was created. At the time the measures were extremely contentious, but now few people would wish to see the changes reversed. More recently the closure of parts of Micklegate Bar, Fossgate, the Groves and Navigation Road have reduced traffic in these areas. In December 2019 City of York Council passed a motion to reduce traffic in York city centre by 2023, and there is potential to reduce traffic on the remaining through routes within the city. Reducing traffic on these routes could be achieved through a mix of measures – which could range from making changes to signage and street layouts - such as widening footways - to discourage through vehicle traffic, but leaving compliance voluntary; to actively enforcing measures which sever routes, like bus gates. Removing a substantial amount of traffic from the routes within the city centre would allow a re-engineering of their environments – providing more space for pedestrians and cyclists because there are many locations where roads are wider than they would need to be if traffic levels were reduced. Reducing traffic on routes in the heart of the city centre would make bus services, most of which travel through the city centre more reliable by reducing delays imposed on buses by other vehicles. For private vehicle users some journeys would become longer and less convenient, whilst enabling more active travel options to be explored This balance is something that needs to be considered as part of long-term transport planning for York.

4.       Change in York

We hope this document has made it clear that York is changing.  Effective transport is a way of delivering these changes and the wider policies they support.  In December 2022, City of York Council adopted new Climate Change, Economic Development and Public Health Strategies and the city’s Ten Year Plan.  Furthermore, the city has completed the final phase of the Examination in Public of its Local Plan, which prepares for a 15% growth in York’s population by 2033.

The Climate Change Strategy looks to reduce CO2 emissions from transport in York by 71% by 2030.  This is an ambitious target which will require significant change to how we travel in York, probably over and above the general declining trend in car use set out in section 2 and attitudinal change set out in Section 3.  Electrifying transport will not be enough to achieve this level of reduction – as well this strategy must set out: 

§  How we can enable patterns of development, working and shopping which enable people to live their lives whilst reducing their reliance on car use

§  How we can improve the alternatives to cars so that they are more effective and enjoyable ways to get around York than they are currently – and attract a higher proportion of trips than they currently do. To give an example of the change implied, many of the cities looking to achieve similar carbon reduction outcomes to York are looking to increase public transport use by 50% and double levels of walking and cycling; measures which combine to reduce car use by around 20%.  It is likely that similar levels of change would be needed in York.

Work to specify infrastructure to accommodate the Local Plan growth has been going on for some time, so the Local Transport Strategy needs to address these factors and take account of the impact of the number of already committed and funded large transport schemes (with a collective value in the hundreds of millions of pounds). The schemes will make a significant impact to the transport system of the city.  Specifically, projects which are committed, and in many cases funded and being delivered now include:

§  Dual the A1237 Outer Ring Road between the A19 Shipton Road and A64 Hopgrove junction

§  Provide a new junction on the A64 to serve development by Elvington, together with improvements to the interchanges between the A64 and Fulford Road and Hull Road

§  Build a new access road through the York Central development, replacing Leeman Road

§  Rebuild the area in front of York Railway Station to provide new public squares and a better interchange for buses and taxis, as well as improving the area for cyclists and pedestrians

§  Regenerate the south-eastern quadrant of the city centre around Clifford’s Tower and Piccadilly

§  Providing a new railway station at Haxby

§  Improve bus routes along Wigginton Road, Fulford Road, Boroughbridge Road and through the city centre

§  Rebuild the park and ride terminals to offer more services, overnight parking and better interchange with cycling, car share schemes and longer distance bus and coach services

 

 

Large schemes being led by other bodies which will influence transport in York are:

§  National Highway’s scheme in development to dual the A64 between Hopgrove and Barton Hill (east of York)

§  Various rail industry projects to increase train speeds and frequencies on the lines radiating from York.  Some of these projects, such as the new LNER and Trans-Pennine rolling stock and higher frequency trains on the Harrogate line, have already been delivered.

 

Although not yet funded, the Council is also developing business cases for other large projects which align with LTP3 priorities.

Collectively, these schemes represent significant investment in York’s transport infrastructure, including for non-car modes of transport. The Local Plan incorporates a “Community Infrastructure Levy” (CIL) whereby developers in York will make payments to the Council to fund infrastructure required due to the growth of the city.  Potentially this could fund some of the interventions required to improve sustainable transport in the city.

What are other towns and cities doing?

The challenges York faces are not unique. In the 1990s and 2000s many smaller, historic cities responded to the challenge of managing traffic on constrained road networks by doing what York did – improving provision for cyclists and pedestrians and constructing park and ride networks to provide new, high quality, bus services.  Now the same towns and cities are now responding to the need to change their local transport systems to reduce carbon emissions whilst promoting economic growth in line with their emerging climate change and economic development strategies/ local plans.

This has led to a number of different initiatives and approaches.  Several towns and cities have, or are considering, the introduction of road pricing or workplace parking levies (charges made on parking provided at workplaces).  Others are re-engineering city centres to reduce car use.  The changes being seen are part of a global movement – our namesake city New York[6] has re-engineered many of its streets to incorporate cycle lanes; Paris has embraced the principle of 15 minute neighbourhoods whereby people can access most of the shops and services they need within a short walk; London has its congestion charge; Birmingham and Manchester are boosting public transport and active travel to carry greater proportions of the trips in those cities.  The box overleaf sets out what towns and cities in the UK which are comparable to York, are doing, and some information about cities in Europe of a similar size to York is given in Section 5.

 

How are other cities developing their transport strategies? From across the UK, measures which have been introduced to date (December 2022) include: § Oxford has pedestrianised/ detrafficked large parts of its city centre and increased city centre parking prices. A pilot “Zero Emission Zone” has been introduced whereby virtually all internal combustion engine powered vehicles must pay a charge to enter the zone. At the moment this only covers a small amount of the city centre (roughly equivalent to the area around the Minster in York) although it is a pilot for a proposal to introduce the charge over a large area of central Oxford. § Nottingham introduced a workplace parking levy in 2012, charging workplaces with more than 10 parking spaces an annual fee of £522 per parking space. The funding collected this way has been used to support public transport, including delivering the city’s new tram network and better bus services. § Edinburgh has pedestrianised large parts of the new town to the north of Princes Street and introduced many new cycleways across the city. A tram system opened in 2014. § In Durham a road pricing system was introduced in 2002 to control access to the narrow roads in the heart of Durham city centre, an area similar to York’s footstreets. The revenue collected from the road pricing scheme helps to support the city’s park and ride and city centre shuttle bus service § In Bristol an overhaul of the bus network saw the number of bus passengers in the city nearly double between 2014 and 2019 § In Cambridge a ban on cyclists in the footstreets in the centre of Cambridge has been revoked, making it possible to use the city centre for through cycle journeys and promoting access to the shops and services there. § In Leeds the city centre has been extensively reconfigured over the last 4 years. Through traffic has been removed from the area inside the city’s Inner Ring Road with much highway space reallocated to sustainable transport modes. A network of LTN1/20 compliant cycle routes has been constructed through the city centre with some vehicle streets pedestrianised. Many footways have been widened and/ or remodelled. § Coventry is developing a very light rapid transit system which could be a future model for other towns and cities. It is entirely electrifying its bus network as the UK’s first “All Electric Bus Town” Measures which are being developed and/ or consulted on include: § In Oxford the council is consulting on introducing a series of traffic filters which will restrict through movements of traffic in the city and extending the small Zero Emissions Zone to cover much of Oxford city centre. These changes would substantially reduce the number of car movements in the centre of Oxford. § Cambridge is consulting on a “Sustainable Travel Zone” covering the city centre. Initially, bus services and walk/ cycle routes will be improved, then road user charges for cars introduced after two years. Other proposals being considered across the UK are: § Cambridge is also considering various forms of rapid transit for linking suburbs and new developments to the city centre as upgrades to the existing bus network. § The Oxfordshire Transport Strategy has set a target to reduce car travel by 25% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. § Norwich’s Local Transport Strategy aspires for 50% of journeys in urban Norwich to be by walk, cycle or bus. The city council has a stated objective to reduce the amount of parking in central Norwich. § Bristol is developing bus rapid transit corridors across the city, as well as improving conventional bus services and walking and cycling networks. The city’s new transport strategy, adopted in 2019, sets a target of 50% of trips in Bristol to be made on foot, by bike or on public transport by 2041. § The Welsh Assembly has a target to reduce car traffic in Wales by 20%, the Scottish Executive has a target to reduce it by 10% in Scotland.


Change in York: an example – the bus network The last three years have been extremely difficult for bus services. To combat this, City of York Council is working with bus operators and central government to develop York’s buses to increase their resilience. This will also be essential in the medium to long term to accommodate Local Plan growth, improve air quality in York and bring about the modal shift to non-car modes required by the Climate Change strategy. Starting in mid-2020, 23 new electric double deck buses were introduced on York’s park and ride network, allowing 5 of the 6 sites in the city to be fully electrified. In March 2022 the Council learned that its application to the Department for Transport for £8m funding to purchase a further 42 electric buses had been successful, and funding for a further 9 electric buses was won in January 2023 – sufficient to electrify the whole First York network. That will allow conversion of almost all of the frequent bus services in the city to electric power, reducing CO2 emissions in York by 6,000 tonnes per year, compared to when all the routes were diesel. Noise and air pollution in the city centre will also fall as routes are electrified, adding to the substantial improvements in air quality already seen in the city centre from introduction of a clean air zone, which required all frequent buses in York city centre to meet the highest emissions standards, in 2020. In April 2022 the Council won a further £17.5m under the National Bus Strategy to further improve bus services in York. This funding will support new bus priorities, passenger information, improvements to the park and ride network and a range of network improvements and targeted fare reductions and network improvements. The projects above should be added to a series of other committed projects in York to improve bus services, principally: § New bus services funded by new developments at Germany Beck and Monks Cross § New bus services and stretches of new bus priorities associated with York Central and developments on Boroughbridge Road § Improvements to traffic management through York’s new urban traffic control systems § Complete replacement of all the bus stops and shelters around York Station as part of the Station frontage development. This will also include a loop to turn buses at York Station – something which is not currently possible and will improve flexibility of operation for the network. § Improvements to bus stops on Clifford Street and Tower Street as part of the Castle Gateway project § More general bus fleet replacement which has seen many bus operators in York – including Reliance, East Yorkshire, York Pullman, Transdev and First York introduce brand new buses serving York. § Also, through the National Bus Strategy, the partnership behind bus services in York has been upgraded into an “Enhanced Partnership” with greater powers to improve services. This has happened in all local authority areas, so bus services in York will also benefit from improvements bought in to bus services in North, East and West Yorkshire. As stated above, all of these projects are funded and some have already been delivered. The developers of many of the sites in York’s draft Local Plan – and all of the large sites – are also expected to make contributions towards improving the bus network. These will be in the form of travel plans encouraging new residents to use the bus, and in the case of sites without bus services now, contributions towards providing new or extended bus services to serve the new developments. For the large development sites these contributions are multi-million pound. York’s Community Infrastructure levy is also likely to contribute to improvements to the bus network. Cumulatively all of this is an investment of over £50m in the bus network over the next 10 years. It will result in a step change improvement to services. The proposed new station at Haxby will also enhance the public transport network, with connecting bus services from north and east York. In the next two years City of York Council will retender its park and ride service and the University will retender its bus service. Both are further opportunities to improve service quality if the case can be made to do so. Initiatives may also come forward through central government’s Nation Bus Strategy, such as the £2 fare cap for January to March 2023. Local employers may also look to encourage bus use by their employees as parts of their own climate change plans. Given all of this investment and change it can be seen that the question for the Local Transport Strategy with regards to bus is not so much “what can be done to improve bus services in York?” as “what additional needs to be done, above the enhancements for which funding has already been obtained?”. This is true of many of the areas of transport in York – because in many areas the Council is already starting to deliver large projects which, when delivered, will make a huge difference to transport in York – and the Local Transport Plan will be about how to make the most of them.

Central Government Policy UK government policies are changing. The policies with most relevance to Local Transport Plans are the Transport Decarbonisation Strategy and Levelling Up Strategy. The Transport decarbonisation plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) was published in the lead up to COP 26 in Glasgow. It sets out a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions from transport, alongside several linked policy documents, such as the National Bus Strategy Bus back better - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and the “Gear Change” strategy for walking and cycling Cycling and walking plan for England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Transport Decarbonisation Strategy sets out how LTAs will be required to submit new LTPs which include quantified carbon reductions from transport. This has informed the approach taken in York’s proposed local transport strategy (LTS). The Levelling Up Strategy Levelling Up the United Kingdom - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) sets out to reduce inequality in Britain by improving areas of the country which are currently economically disadvantaged. Two parts of the strategy are particularly relevant to the LTS. First of all, it looks to develop “London style public transport” throughout the UK. This implies a clear need to improve bus services in York to offer similar levels of public transport accessibility and quality to those found in London. The measures set out in the National Bus Strategy and the £17m awarded to York’s Bus Service Improvement Plan are the key to achieving this outcome in York, although in the medium to long term there is scope to do much more. Secondly, the document sets out the need for public authorities to use advanced techniques to monitor and evaluate their plans, and be unafraid to change tactics if a plan is not achieving the targets set for it. This poses a challenge for local authorities in how they collect data, analyse it and manage the political process for changing a course they have set out upon if it is not achieving its objectives. The Levelling Up agenda is also challenging for York more generally. The city is highly productive, exhibiting many of the qualities of a successful local economy. Although that is not to say the city does not have deprived areas and communities, it is less deprived, in aggregate, than many northern communities, some of which are located near to York, such as the former mining areas to York’s south and west and coastal areas to the east. In this way there is clearly a role for York in being an engine for wider regional growth, something which implies inter-urban trips to and from York as much as trips within the city. In climate change terms, these trips should be by public transport rather than private car, and the opportunities presented by York’s economy should not, in any case, only be available to those with access to a car if the Levelling Up objectives are to be achieved. It is also important to minimise trip growth on inter-urban roads to control congestion. Consequently, discharging a successful Levelling Up policy for York will require effective and affordable inter-urban public transport into York. This will be by a mix of bus and rail. Because bus and rail routes are concentrated on the city centre there will be a need for imaginative options – such as hired scooters or bikes – to allow commuters to fan out from bus and rail hubs to dispersed employers.

 

Changing transport, as seen in Our Big Conversation: 65% of respondents think the council should promote use of public transport 62% think they should provide more opportunities to walk and cycle 51% think there should be more support for EVs and charging 33% of respondents say the council should discourage use of private vehicles 65% of respondents say they have already made changes to their personal travel to reduce their carbon footprint. 16% of people say they are planning to. Only 19% say they have not made changes and are not planning to make changes. The most common barrier people perceived to reducing their carbon footprint was the perceived cost of doing so (55%), lack of alternatives to the way they currently use transport (33%) and lack of infrastructure (32%). Only 6% of respondents said they had no interest in reducing their carbon footprint. 94% of respondents say they see CYC as being important in delivering zero carbon in York. This was more than any other organisation, except for central government which was seen as important by 95% of respondents – only 1% more.

5.       New Policy for a different future

Introduction

In this section of the document, we set out the Vision, Objectives and general themes for the transport strategy.  We also set out in broad terms the sorts of schemes that would be required to help meet the objectives we set out.

The purpose of this is to inform consultation and engagement through 2023.  At this stage we are not setting out either schemes or policies in detail – that will come later.  The intention now is to consult on the general approach to take.

There will be engagement and consultation throughout 2023 to define greater detail of schemes and views on the speed and degree that the schemes and policies are implemented.

Vision for transport

The Vision York will have a transport plan which enables and promotes modal shift to sustainable transport. It supports the Climate Change, Public Health and Economic Development strategies, and mitigates the transport consequences of the growth of the city. It will support the equality, health and wellbeing of York’s current and future residents, businesses and visitors and enables inclusive economic development whilst respecting the city’s heritage. Through the plan, York will seek to minimise any negative environmental impacts of transport. A key part of the strategy will be supporting measures which reduce the need to travel, as well as those promoting modal shift. The proposed vision for transport followed from discussion in a cross-party group of councillors and was adopted in York’s Ten Year Plan:

 

York’s transport vision, longer term trends in transport use in York, the new policies expressed in the city’s Local Plan, Climate Change, Economic Development and Health and Wellbeing strategies, information collected through our Big Conversation and emerging central government policy all point in one direction – that there is a need to achieve significant improvements to non-car modes of transport to achieve reductions in car use across York – not just in the city centre.  In this section we set out a proposed strategy to achieve that outcome.

 

Comparable European cities Mainland Europe has many smaller, historic cities which have similarities to York. Although we should remember that, outside the UK, local governments have different responsibilities, powers to raise funds and pass bylaws, and national legal frameworks. Of course - climate, culture and legacy infrastructures can also be very different. However, it is instructive to look abroad to see what has been done and whether aspects of it can be applied to York. Research by York Civic Trust has been helpful in identifying many of the examples and collecting information about them. In Ghent (Belgium) a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) was adopted which recognised effective transport as not just a function of economic activity in the city, but an important aspect of its culture and quality of life. In 2017 Ghent introduced measures to reduce traffic in the city’s centre – by dividing it into a series of “traffic cells” and making it impossible for private vehicles to travel through the city centre – whilst retaining car access to all areas of the centre. Complementary measures improved cycle infrastructure and public transport in Ghent, and traffic management for the traffic which was displaced from the city centre. Traffic entering the city centre fell by between 15 and 20% (data collected before covid pandemic). Dijon (France) is twinned with York. In 2012 the local municipality delivered a 20km tram network, alongside improvements to bus services and cycle infrastructure and a ban on through traffic in the city centre. The tram network cost approximately 500million Euros to construct and was carrying 47million passengers three years after opening. By 2015, 53% of journeys in Dijon were by car, 13% by bus or tram, 33% by walk or cycle. Freiburg (Germany) has a legacy of green transport planning, including a long-established tram network. The city has a very clear hierarchy of roads, including extensive play streets where vehicle speeds are limited to 10kmph and parking is controlled. These measures contribute to 63% of trips being by walk or cycle, 16% by bus or tram, 21% by car. Delft (Netherlands) has also produced a SUMP – which focusses on improving cycling facilities and developing green power sources for the city’s tram and bus network. Research in 2005 indicated that cycles and walking made up about 70% of journeys, 20% took place by car and 10% by bus and tram. Munster (Germany) is twinned with York, being a city of similar size and character. Investment in cycling infrastructure – not just lanes and tracks, but also cycle parking - over many years has resulted in a situation where 55% of journeys in the city take place by bike or on foot, and less than 35% by car. Munster has not shrunk from making decisions that would not be acceptable in York. In the 1950s the city demolished Munster’s city walls, replacing them with an orbital cycle way. Lucca (Italy) is a historic city, of a similar size to York, located in northern Tuscany. The area inside the city’s walls, which is a similar size to the area inside York’s walls, is largely pedestrianised, with many narrow streets which are not suitable for motor vehicles. The city’s municipality provides a network of small, electric buses for travel within the walls, although in practice most people walk or cycle. The walls, which are several metres wide at the top, provide a dedicated orbital walking and cycle route.

Turning the vision into policies

The vision has led to the identification of eight proposed objectives which will underlie York’s transport policies.  These objectives are that local transport in York will:

§  Support an inclusive, accessible and safe city

§  Support delivery of the Climate Change Strategy

§  Support delivery of the Economic Development Strategy

§  Support delivery of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy

§  Support and mitigate the growth of York foreseen in the Local Plan

§  Address the concerns about transport raised in Our Big Conversation

§  Maintain the city’s current transport assets, including future proofing them in the face of population growth in York and the impacts of climate change

§  Align sufficiently with anticipated central government policy, such that York’s Local Transport Plan can attract funding and be implemented

The objectives then lead to the definition of seven proposed policy strands, which are to:

§  Reduce car use – by making it easier for people to travel around York without needing to use a car and designing new developments so that they are easy to get around on foot or by bike, with good bus services into the city centre This will also need to make alternatives to the car the obvious choice for the majority of road users, whilst enabling those who most need to use private cars or motorised vehicles to get about more easily.

§  Improve the alternatives to the car– so that cycling, walking and using buses and trains is more attractive.  Key to this will be creating new, high quality cycle routes and upgrading high frequency bus services – in some cases into bus rapid transit services or possibly light transit systems.  Effectively integrating new modes like e-scooters into York’s transport network will also be important here.

§  Provide strategic links – these will make it easier to access the networks for longer distance travel by improving sustainable transport links to York Rail Station, and through the delivery major transport schemes in progress.

§  Promote behaviour change – this is an essential complement to our strategies to improve alternatives to the car.  We will support people as they change modes, for example, through travel planning.

§  Tackle transport emissions – we will encourage the take-up of electric vehicles because they have no tailpipe emissions.  However, we know that simply converting existing internal combustion-engined trips to electric vehicle trips will not be enough to meet Climate Change targets, reduce congestion, or improve air quality and health.  We must achieve reductions in the absolute number of car trips too.

§  Improve streets and spaces – we will improve streets and spaces in York for the benefits of all users, including people who have impaired mobility or sight loss.  We will improve district centres so that people can meet more of their shopping and leisure needs locally, without having to travel by car.  We will focus on lighting, surfaces and the quality and feel of streets and spaces in York.

§  We will make full use of new technology to deliver our new transport strategy.  This might be using York’s new traffic models to minimise congestion, or new ways to manage and construct highways to minimise their environmental impacts.

Table 5.1 shows how we believe the eight proposed objectives correspond to the seven proposed policy themes.  The consultation and engagement through 2023 will be used to test this assessment with stakeholders in York including special interest groups in York, residents, employees, transport operators and others in the city. 

Table 5.1: Provisional assessment of transport strategy objectives and key themes 

 

Inclusive, accessible city

Climate Change

Economic Develop-ment

Health and Wellbeing

Our Big Convers-ation

Local Plan growth

Looking after our assets

Central Gov’mnt policy

Reduce car use

0

++

+

++

++

++

++

++

Improving alternatives to car

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

Provide Strategic links

0

++

++

0

+

++

-

++

Behaviour change

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

Tackle emissions

+

+

+

++

+

++

0

+

Improve streets

++

++

++

+

+

++

++

++

New technology

+

++

+

0

0

++

+

++

(++=strong support; +=supports; 0=neutral effect; -=tension; --=strong tension)

 

As can be seen, our high-level assessment, albeit prior to engagement/ consultation is that the seven policy themes are generally supportive of the objectives for the Local Transport Strategy.  Policy themes also appear mutually supporting, as shown in Table 5.2.

Table 5.2: Policy Themes assessed against one-another

 

Reduce car use

Alternatives to car

Strategic links

Behaviour change

Reduce emissions

Improve streets

New technology

Reduce car use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alternatives to car

++

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provide Strategic links

+

++

 

 

 

 

 

Behaviour change

++

++

++

 

 

 

 

Reduce emissions

+

+

++

+

 

 

 

Improve streets

++

++

0

++

++

 

 

New technology

+

++

++

++

++

0

 

 

As the policy themes appear mutually supportive, enacting all of the policies together should provide a cumulative effect which is greater than the sum of the individual policy areas.  For example, providing strategic links (by improving rail, bus and cycle longer distance links) should also help to deliver:

§  Reductions in the need to travel by private motor vehicle

§  Quality alternatives to the car

§  Behaviour change

§  Reduced transport emissions; and

§  Improved public streets and spaces

 

 

 

Developing York’s Walking and Cycling Networks York has been developing and improving its walk and cycle networks for many years, with large projects being the network of paths across the city’s strays, Millennium Bridge and, more recently, the improvements made to Scarborough Bridge, which have tripled the bridge’s use by cyclists. The large new development sites and A1237 proposals include commitments to provide new cycle paths or improve existing ones, and the York Central, Station Frontage and Castle Gateway projects also include significant improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. The Council is developing a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which will be consulted on in Summer 2023. Schemes have recently been delivered to improve conditions for cyclists on Navigation Road, and the Groves low traffic neighbourhood has provided routes to York Hospital which are better for cyclists and pedestrians. The closure of Micklegate Bar in one direction has improved conditions on this historic street for active modes. On Tadcaster Road a £1.7m scheme is upgrading pedestrian crossings and improving cycle lanes along the length of the road from Askham Bar to Blossom Street. Increased levels of physical activity will contribute to achieving the objectives in York’s newly adopted Health and Wellbeing Strategy, as well as contributing to the Economic Development strategy by allowing people to travel easily around the city and access jobs and training without the expense of running a car. Mode shift from car to cycle will help in achieving York’s Climate Change Strategy objectives. Cycling levels in York are high compared to other UK towns and cities. The bridge counts (section 2) suggest perhaps 10% of journeys in York take place by bike. However, the European towns and cities (earlier in this section) suggest it is possible to achieve 40-50% of journeys going by cycle if the right conditions are created. As such, there would appear to be significant scope to increase cycling levels in York if the right infrastructure is provided – even though levels of cycling are high now compared to other places in the UK.

Transport Interventions

Table 5.3 sets out potential policy interventions under each Policy Theme.  The interventions have been informed by the information collected through Our Big Conversation.  Through proposed engagement and consultation, we will refine the list into those measures and any possible additional measures which will be included in the Local Transport Plan.  A fuller table of potential policy interventions, where they are scored against the eight “principles” for the transport plan, forms Annex A of this document.

 

Table 5.3: Potential Interventions

Theme

You said in “Our Big Conversation”

Potential Interventions

What would it address/ achieve?

Reduce car use

58% were/ wished to work from home more, 81% were/ wished to shop more locally to reduce congestion/ carbon.

33% believe CYC should discourage use of private vehicles and 34% believe they will reduce their car use over the next 5 years

16% believe their current broadband does not meet their needs

Improved broadband

 

Better local centres

 

 

Lift sharing schemes

 

Development Masterplanning

 

York city centre strategy

 

 

Reduce the need to travel for work or personal business by providing online alternatives

Make it possible for people to meet more of their shopping/ personal business need by local walk/ cycle trips instead of longer car trips

Reduce car trips through people sharing vehicles for trips more often

Developments will be planned to encourage residents and businesses to use walk/ cycle / public transport

Respond to falling traffic levels in York city centre and further increase the proportion of trips to York city centre by walk/ cycle/ bus/ rail/ electric vehicle

Alternatives to car

74% believe developing an efficient/ affordable transport system is key to achieving York’s climate change plan

 

Respondents identified numerous shortcomings with York’s transport system

Improved bus priorities

Reduced bus fares

Bus rapid transit/ park and ride improvements

Improved cycle routes, lanes and parking

Improved walking routes

Road freight strategy

Provide faster and more reliable bus journeys

Make bus journeys more affordable

Improve/ provide more high-quality bus services to attract trips from car

Ensure a larger proportion of trips in York are by cycle

 

Ensure a larger proportion of trips in York are on foot

Reduce trips by large vehicles into central York

Provide Strategic links

90% saw congestion in York as a serious problem

 

72% were already/ wished to use bus and/ or rail more to reduce congestion/ carbon.

 

54% were already/ wished to cycle more to reduce congestion/ carbon footprints

A1237 improvements

 

Improvements to A64 (through National Highways)

Deliver Haxby rail station

 

Improved rail services (through rail industry)

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

Reduce A1237 congestion between Askham Bryan and Shipton Road

Improve safety and journey times south and east of York on A64

 

Provide a rail station for north-east York and villages.  Divert car trips to rail

Ensure a larger proportion of trips to/ from York are by rail instead of car

Develop a prioritised list of future schemes to improve walking and cycling infrastructure in York

 

Theme

You said in “Our Big Conversation”

Potential Interventions

What would it address/ achieve?

Behaviour change

OBC revealed large numbers of people wish to change the way that they travel to reduce their carbon footprints.  See pages 26, 28 and 31 of Annex B.

Travel plans (workplaces, schools, other organisations)

Park and ride/ stride, car sharing schemes, bike to work incentives etc

Personal travel planning

 

Car scrappage schemes

 

Green Tourism Strategy

 

Help new developments/ employers to encourage use of non-car modes

Encourage use of new forms of transport or more innovative ways to use existing transport system assets (e.g park and ride sites)

 

Help residents understand how they might travel in different ways to reduce their carbon footprints

Provide opportunities for willing residents to swap cars for green transport discounts

Increase proportion of tourists coming to York by rail/ bus/ coach/ cycle/ electric vehicle

Reduce emissions

8% of respondents already use an electrical vehicle.  43% are planning to use one in future.

Encourage adoption of electric vehicles

Electric vehicle charging strategy

Increase proportion of vehicles in York that are electric, including cars, buses, freight vehicles

Support adoption of electric vehicles by residents of/ visitors to York

Improve streets

81% wished to/ were shopping more locally, 81% were/ wished to walk for more of their trips. 78% of people wanted improved walking routes and 76% improved cycle routes.  64% of people wanted improved cycle storage. 

Improve footstreets area and district and village centres

Low traffic neighbourhoods

 

Improve highway margins and footways

Improve lighting on footways, at bus stops and shelters

Improve street surfaces in footstreets area to deliver better access for mobility impaired people and improve amenity

Improve local areas which are adversely effected by high through traffic volumes in residential streets

Improve conditions for cyclists where dedicated routes and lanes are not available.  Reduce trip/ slip/ fall pedestrian accidents.

Improve security for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users.  Reduce the number of people discouraged from using sustainable transport by fears about personal security.  

New technology

90% saw congestion as a problem in York.

60% wanted flexible bus ticketing

Improved urban traffic control

E-bike and e-scooter schemes

 

New bus tickets

More reliable journey times for buses, cars and freight in York

Promote a new mode of transport with the potential to reduce the number of trips by car

Use new technology to provide a range of simple multi-operator bus tickets to increase use of bus.

 

Applying the interventions

We propose to focus interventions on the places which generate or attract large numbers of trips and/ or which suffer most severely from congestion, delay, pollution, poor amenity caused by traffic or other adverse impacts from transport.  As set out in Section 2 of this strategy, the location where these problems is experienced most severely is York city centre, but other important locations are:

§  York Hospital and the surrounding area and the city’s universities

§  The business and retail parks at Monks Cross, Clifton Moor and Fulford Designer Outlet

§  In the future the large new developments around York, especially the large developments at York Central, on the edge of the current built up area, and north west of Elvington/ north of Clifton Moor

§  The suburbs and villages where people live, shop and go out.

The text box opposite sets out the sorts of interventions that would be used at each of these locations if the proposed strategy was applied.

 

What the proposed Transport Strategy would look like at: York city centre: under the new strategy, the city centre will have improved access by bike through upgraded cycle routes, and by bus through upgraded bus routes and services, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) style routes from the park and ride sites and other big trip generators like the University. Pavements in the footstreets area will be improved with much of the existing surfaces replaced with new surfaces which are more level/ flatter to assist wheelchair users and others who suffer impaired mobility. Lighting and surface quality will also be improved. The closure of Castle car park will reduce the number of vehicles inside the inner ring road and changes will be made to improve the reliability of bus services. Air quality will be improved by widespread conversion of the bus fleet to electric vehicles. These measures will complement the development of York Central, the improvements to the area around York Station and the Castle Gateway project. We will work to secure funding to construct the new footbridge across the Ouse, between North Street and Coney Street; and across the Foss between Tower Street and Piccadilly, and to provide a city centre shuttle bus. Management of congestion in the city centre will be improved by using the council’s new traffic model to set traffic signals. A green tourism strategy will increase the proportion of visitor trips to York by rail, bike, coach and bus and a freight strategy will reduce the number of large freight vehicles in the city centre by replacing them with a trans-shipment centre which transfers freight to smaller vehicles. York Hospital and the two universities: will also be accessed by upgraded cycle and bus/ BRT routes. There will be complementary improvements to cycle parking at the sites, such as measures to improve security for electric bikes and accommodate non-standard bikes through redesigned racks. The council will work with the organisations to enact travel behaviour change programmes to reduce car use to the sites, which may include reduced bus fares. However, development of effective alternatives to car travel to these sites will be the key to delivering the behaviour change sought. It is likely that we will look to improve the bus service to the Hospital so that it can divert car journeys away from the Hospital’s congested site on Wigginton Road. Potentially, park and ride could play a role in serving the University’s campuses at Heslington, reducing the number of car trips on Hull Road and Fulford Road. The business and retail parks: present a particular challenge. Built in the last 15 years of the twentieth century their layouts are designed around the car – and non-car use for accessing the sites is correspondingly low. Two of the three sites (Designer Outlet and Monks Cross) are on the park and ride network – so enjoy a good level of bus service. However, bus services to Clifton Moor are less frequent and follow a circuitous route from the city centre meaning that using the bus to get to Clifton Moor is not as attractive as it should be. The new transport strategy will improve the bus service to Clifton Moor by combining it with the new service to new development to the north. The services to Designer Outlet and Monks Cross will be upgraded to BRT. Cycle routes to the business parks will be improved and space will be provided on the – generally generously laid out – roads within the business parks to accommodate high quality cycle lanes and cycle parking will be improved. The new developments: will have high quality bus services into York city centre and to nearby trip attractors (e.g. the University for the development near Elvington). The masterplans for the developments will prioritise internal movements by bike and on foot and developments will be, where possible, self-contained, with their own shops, schools and community facilities such as GP surgeries. The suburbs and villages: will benefit from improvements made to pavements and roads so that it is more pleasant to walk and cycle locally. High quality cycle routes will be provided to the city centre and adjacent suburbs and villages and the bus services will also be better. Local centres will be improved and people would be more likely to shop and go out locally. Schools will have good facilities and access for pupils who wish to walk or cycle to them. In some areas traffic levels will fall because low traffic neighbourhoods will have been provided in response to requests from residents. There will be local facilities for charging electric vehicles for people who do not have off-street parking and there will be more car club vehicles for people who need to use a car but would prefer not to own one. There will be more cycle tracks in rural areas to support people who wish to cycle to exercise.

 

What happens next?

This document contains a proposed transport strategy, which is presented here for comment. 

What do you think?  Does this document:

§  Present an analysis of York’s transport problems that you recognise?

§  Address what you think are the shortcomings with York’s transport system?

§  Respond to the changes that you think will happen in York in the next 10 years?

§  Address climate change, economic development requirements and health and wellbeing in York?

§  Propose a plausible set of policies and interventions to tackle York’s transport problems?

Consultation and Engagement

The consultation and engagement plan for the draft Local Transport Strategy is published alongside this document. 

 

  

 

 

Annex A: Detailed Policy Tables

Table A1: Assessment of potential policies and interventions

Strategic Theme 1: New theme: Reducing the need to travel by private motor vehicle

 

Level of fit with transport policy principles:

 

Potential policy and/ or intervention

Where

When

Inclusive, accessible city

Climate change

Economic development

Health and Wellbeing

Our Big Convers.

Local Plan growth

Looking after assets

Central Gov. policy

Notes

Support the role out of high-speed broadband across York

Entire city

Existing policy: Intervention begun and ongoing.

++

++

++

-

++

++

0

++

To support home working and reduce commuter travel

Improve streets and spaces in district/ village centres and central York

Central York, district centres (e.g. Acomb, Haxby, Heworth etc), village centres

Existing policy: Ongoing.

++

++

++

++

++

+

++

++

To support more local shopping and leisure use.  To reduce the need to travel to shop or access leisure.  Part of a “20 minute city” initiative.

Encourage lift sharing schemes

Entire city

New policy: from 2023

++

++

++

+

0

+

0

+

To reduce individual trips by encouraging lift-sharing by people undertaking similar journeys

Development masterplans

New developments

Existing policy: as they are designed. 

++

++

++

++

0

++

0

++

To ensure as many trips as possible in and to/ from new developments can be easily completed on foot/ bike/ bus. Supplementary Planning Document to Local Plan in development

Strategic Theme 2: Provide Quality Alternatives to the car

Improve bus services through better bus priorities

York city centre; congested radial routes in York including Fulford Road and Wigginton Road

Measures in place from 2025

++

++

++

+

++

++

0

++

Funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)

 

Better value bus fares, especially for younger people, job seekers and other vulnerable groups

Across York

Measures in place during 2023

++

++

++

++

++

++

0

++

Funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan.  Includes new flat fare system.

 

Maintain high quality bus information/passenger facilities and infrastructure

Across York

Existing policy: Ongoing

++

++

++

++

+

++

-

++

Continuation of existing policies.  Renewed focus on ensuring bus stops are lit.

New bus routes

New developments.  City centre bus shuttle.

From 2023

++

++

++

+

++

++

-

++

Funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan and developer contributions. As per Local Plan Strategic Site and Transport policies.

Upgrade park and ride terminals to provide more functions

Six terminals across city

From 2022

++

++

++

+

+

++

+

++

Provide overnight parking for rail stations/ overnight stays, improved bus priorities, access to cycles/ shared car schemes, allow parking to access other bus services (e.g. inter-urban).  Funded by BSIP.

Bus Rapid Transit

Upgrade existing high frequency routes and to new large developments

New policy: As the sites are developed

+

++

++

+

+

++

-

++

To achieve the 15% bus mode share target for these sites.  Fund using developer contributions and BSIP

Improve cycle routes

Across York – to be informed by LCWIP

New policy: From 2022

++

++

++

++

++

++

-

++

Ongoing programme – e.g. Tadcaster Road.  New programme of LTN1/20 standard upgrades and new routes

 

KEY:

Existing policy continued

New policy for LTS

Key policy for delivery 2023-33

 

 

++ = strongly supports principle; + = supports; 0 = neutral effect; - = adverse effect on principle; -- = very adverse

Potential intervention

Where

When

Inclusion

Climate

Ec dev’ment

Health

OBC

Loc Plan

Assets

C. Gov.

Notes

Improve cycle parking

Across York – to be informed by LCWIP

New policy: From 2022

++

++

++

++

++

++

-

++

To include parking for a greater range of cycles

Improve walking routes

Across York – to be informed by LCWIP and Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan

New policy: From 2022

++

++

+

++

++

++

-

++

Including new footbridge across Ouse to Coney Street and Foss to Piccadilly

e-scooter/ e-bike hire

Across York

Existing policy: Ongoing TIER scheme

+

+

+

0

+

+

0

++

 

Car sharing/ car club scheme

Across York

Existing policy: Ongoing Enterprise scheme

++

+

+

+

+

+

0

+

To provide access to cars to those who do not wish to own a car

Support taxi and private hire providers

Across York

Existing policy: Ongoing – several providers

++

+

+

++

0

0

0

+

To provide access to cars to those who do not wish to own a car

Dial a ride scheme

Across York

Existing policy: Ongoing York Wheels scheme

++

+

+

++

0

0

0

+

To provide transport to people whose mobility is impaired

Road freight strategy

York city centre

New Freight strategy 2023

0

+

++

+

+

0

-

+

Network of zero emission vehicle (e-cargo bike, cargo bike, portering, small EV)

Strategic Theme 3: Provide strategic links

York Station Gateway

York Station

Existing policy: Delivery from 2022

++

++

++

+

++

++

0

++

To support rail use to/ from York

Joined up accessible walking and cycling network

Across York

New Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)

+ +

++

+

++

++

++

-

++

To support put in place a strategic approach to active travel routes and prioritise interventions.

Haxby Station

Haxby

Existing policy: Delivery from 2026

++

++

++

+

++

++

0

++

To increase rail use from Haxby and surroundings.  To improve access to central York and onward destinations from Haxby and surroundings.

Inter-urban bus services

Across York

New policy: as sites are developed, as park and ride terminals are converted.

+

++

+

+

+

++

0

++

To increase bus use for inter-urban journeys.  To provide interurban connections (e.g. to Leeds and Hull) from new developments.

A1237 improvements (1)

A1237 between A19 Shipton Road and Little Hopgrove and associated active travel improvements

Existing policy: project which is funded and in delivery

+

+

++

++

++

++

-

++

To reduce queuing on A1237.  To reduce number of car trips in central York by increasing orbital route capacity.

A1237 improvements (2)

A1237 between B1224 and A19 Shipton Road

Existing policy: Subject to funding

+

+

++

++

++

++

-

++

As above.

A64 improvements – in partnership with National Highways

Fulford Interchange, Grimston Interchange, new interchange to serve Langwith Garden Village

Existing policy: Subject to funding

+

+

++

++

++

++

0

++

To mitigate queuing and delay on the A64; to accommodate trips from new developments.

Rail connectivity general

Outside of York

Existing policy: Ongoing activity

+

++

++

+

+

++

0

++

Continue to work with other local authorities to lobby for improving rail connections to York – ECML/ TPL upgrades, HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail etc.

Intelligent Transport Systems

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing activity

+

+

+

+

0

+

+

+

Optimise the traffic networks

 

Potential intervention

Where

When

Inclusion

Climate

Ec dev’ment

Health

OBC

Loc Plan

Assets

C. Gov.

Notes

Strategic Theme 4: Implement and support behaviour change

Travel Plans

Large trip generators and new developments

Existing policy: Ongoing

++

++

++

++

+

++

+

++

Work with universities, hospitals, large employers, schools/ colleges and new developments to minimise motor vehicle trips to/ from sites

Promote cycling and walking

Across York

Existing policy: Ongoing

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

Through road safety training to schoolchildren.  Through programmes to encourage walking and cycling (maps, events, festivals, car free days etc)

Localised travel planning

Across York

New policy: Subject to funds

++

++

+

++

++

++

++

++

District by district travel planning using travel diaries etc

Car swap schemes

Across York

New policy: Subject to funds

0

+

+

+

0

+

+

++

Allows residents to swap their cars for bikes, public transport tickets etc

Green tourism policy

Across York

New policy: 2023

0

++

++

+

+

+

+

++

To work with partners to increase “green tourism” to York – access to and travel around city without car.

City centre parking review

York city centre

New policy: 2023

0

+

+

+

0

+

++

+

To review the provision, pricing and management of parking in York city centre to ensure it best supports the city’s Climate Change and Economic Development policies.

Moving traffic enforcement powers

Across York

New policy: once powers available

0

+

+

+

+

+

+

++

Response to DfT proposal to make powers available to non-London authorities.

Improved data collection, monitoring and evaluation policy

Across York

New policy: 2023

0

++

++

++

++

++

++

++

Enhanced data collection, monitoring, evaluation and performance management of York’s transport policy to ensure tactics are achieving objectives and introduce any policy changes required.

Strategic Theme 5: Tackle transport emissions

Encourage private uptake of electric vehicles.

Across York

New policy: from 2022

0

+

0

+

++

+

0

++

Promotional activity only.

Council funded scrappage schemes (could be an option)

Encourage uptake of electric buses

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing

++

++

+

+

++

++

0

++

Approx. 70% of mileage to be electric by 2024 through schemes already funded.

Encourage uptake of electric taxis/ private hire vehicles

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing

0

+

0

+

0

0

0

+

 

Conversion of CYC vehicle fleet/ CYC vehicle use to electric

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing

0

+

0

0

0

0

-

0

 

Vehicle charging strategy

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing

+

++

+

+

+

0

--

+

Hyperhubs, working with grid providers to ensure adequate sub-station capacity. Network of EV chargers in public car parks and complimentary private sector offer

Reduce idling of ICE powered vehicles

Across York, but particularly in city centre Clean Air Zone

Existing policy: ongoing

0

+

+

++

0

0

0

+

 

 

Potential intervention

Where

When

Inclusion

Climate

Ec dev’ment

Health

OBC

Loc Plan

Assets

C. Gov.

Notes

Strategic Theme 6: Improve public streets and spaces

Address problems experienced by people with impaired mobility in York

Across York

Existing policy

++

+

++

++

++

0

0

++

To include programme of works to be developed and taken forward by Access Officer

Gender mainstream transport design

Across York

New policy: Principles to be built into new policy

++

++

++

++

++

0

0

++

Initiated by Council to build partnerships to mitigate traditional bias when designing transport schemes

Improve footstreets in city centre

York city centre pedestrianised area

Existing policy: subject to funding

++

+

++

++

++

+

+

+

To include measures to improve streets for people suffering impaired mobility.  More seating.

Deliver York Station Frontage, York Castle Gateway and York Central projects

Specific projects in/ near city centre.  Also develop future projects (e.g. new Coney St-North St bridge)

Existing projects which are funded and in delivery

+

++

++

+

+

++

++

++

Include large scale improvements to public realm

Improve district centre pedestrian areas/ village centres

District and village centres across York

Existing policy: subject to funding

++

++

++

++

+

++

+

++

Link with intervention in Theme 1

Improve areas around schools for cyclists and pedestrians through schools/ people streets

Across York

Existing policy: subject to funding

++

++

++

++

+

0

0

++

Link with interventions in Theme 1

Low traffic neighbourhoods

As and where needed

Existing policy: ongoing programme

+

++

+

++

+

0

0

++

In response to resident requests and after consultation

Reduce traffic levels within York Inner Ring Road

York city centre

Existing policy.  Potential new policy to create bus gate on the route Rougier St to Tower St, subject to study.

++

++

+

+

++

++

++

++

Link with Castle Gateway programme and closure of Castle Car Park.

Improve perceived and real personal security on York’s transport network

Across York

New policy

++

++

++

+

++

+

0

++

Focus on lighting levels on off road network and at bus stops and shelters

Improve pedestrian crossings

Across York

Existing policy

++

++

+

++

+

0

-

++

To reduce severance effect of main roads

Improve highway margin condition and footway condition

Across York

New policy

++

+

+

++

+

+

--

++

To improve area at side of roads used by cyclists, to improve footway condition to encourage walking and reduce slip/ trip accidents

Strategic Theme 7: Use new technology to reduce climate change

Urban Traffic Control

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing

0

+

+

+

+

++

-

++

Use new real time model to provide virtual bus priorities.  In line with BSIP commitment.  Consider role of traffic gating to place queues in places where they will cause fewest adverse impacts. Implement interventions at poor air quality hot spots

New bus tickets

Across York

New policy

++

++

++

++

++

+

0

++

Use changes in bus service legislation to provide new, easier/ cheaper bus tickets in York – link with Theme 2 and BSIP.

Micromobility (e-bike and e-scooter share schemes)

Across York

Existing policy: ongoing

+

+

+

0

+

+

0

++

In line with Theme 2

Construction material technology

Across York

New policy within Highways Asset Management Plan

 

+

+

0

 

 

 

 

Ensure forward thinking approach to the design of highway and infrastructure construction

Annex B: Our Big Conversation, Summer 2021

 

 


[1] Our Big Conversation, Summer 2021, Annex B of this document

[1] See Conservation and Traffic, Lichfield and Proudlove, Sessions Book Trust 1976.

[2] See Greater York Travel Study, Jamieson Mackay and Partners for York City Council, 1978, York Transport Study, MVA for York City Council 1990.

[3] All Change, Commission for Travel Demand, 2018

[4] See Local Plan Examination Library document EX/CYC/87

[5] Net Zero Review: UK could do more to reap economic benefits of green growth - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[6] See Streetfight, Janette Sadik-Kahn, Penguin 2016