Agenda item

This report provides an update on the progress of the Cycling City Project since the previous report to Executive in September 2008, sets out progress on spend and provides an indication of the priorities for the second year of the project.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the progress made on the Cycling England Project in Year 1 be noted.

                        (ii)        That the delivery plan for Year 2 be approved, subject to the receipt of detailed reports on significant schemes, and to the completion of the cycle track along the whole length of Beckfield Lane being added to the list of schemes to be undertaken.

                        (iii)       That a further progress report be received in six months’ time.

                        (iv)       That it be noted that a further report on the Lendal Hub Station will be prepared after listed building approval has been obtained and cost estimates have been finalised.

                        (v)        That the proposed allocation of funding set out in Annex C to the report be agreed in principle, with an allocation of £270,000 towards the Lendal Cycle Hub and £54,000 towards route maintenance, but that Officers be requested to develop further a predictive modelling system aimed at establishing the increase in cycle usage that individual improvement schemes will produce.  Such a model to be used to inform the final choice of capital schemes to be implemented.

REASON:      To ensure that the project stays on track and delivers the measures necessary to increase levels of cycling, and to ensure that funding is allocated to schemes most likely to deliver the project objectives.

Members considered a report which provided an update on the progress of the Cycling City Project since the last report to Executive, in September 2008, and indicated priorities for the second year of the project.

The Cycling City strategy, attached as Annex A to the report, had been finalised in December 2008, following the official launch of the project on 10 December.  It aimed to increase the overall level of cycling in York by 25%, the number of people cycling to work by 10% and the number of children cycling to school by 100%.  Six objectives had been set to help achieve these targets.  The report highlighted key aspects of the delivery plan for the strategy, which included:

• Linking marketing of existing opportunities for cyclists with targeted improvements to the network and other better cycling facilities
• Detailed analysis of the results of city-wide consultation on overcoming barriers to cycling
• Delivery of new sections of improved cycling facilities on key routes
• Training, marketing and other events.

A permanent Project Manager had now been appointed and a Transport Manager to support the project would take up post on 8 April.  Significant progress had already been made on delivering improvements using the additional funding in 2008/09, and in January the Council had submitted a claim to Cycling England for £183k.  A second claim would be submitted in March for £320k, taking the total up to the full allocation of £500k.  An internal review was under way to prepare the work programme for Year 2.  Key priorities for Year 2, including items which might be funded through the project, were set out in paragraph 52 of the report.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the progress made on the Cycling England Project in Year 1 be noted.

                        (ii)        That the delivery plan for Year 2 be approved, subject to the receipt of detailed reports on significant schemes, and to the completion of the cycle track along the whole length of Beckfield Lane being added to the list of schemes to be undertaken. ¹

                        (iii)       That a further progress report be received in six months’ time. ²

                        (iv)       That it be noted that a further report on the Lendal Hub Station will be prepared after listed building approval has been obtained and cost estimates have been finalised. ³

                        (v)        That the proposed allocation of funding set out in Annex C to the report be agreed in principle, with an allocation of £270,000 towards the Lendal Cycle Hub and £54,000 towards route maintenance, but that Officers be requested to develop further a predictive modelling system aimed at establishing the increase in cycle usage that individual improvement schemes will produce.  Such a model to be used to inform the final choice of capital schemes to be implemented. ⁴

REASON:      To ensure that the project stays on track and delivers the measures necessary to increase levels of cycling, and to ensure that funding is allocated to schemes most likely to deliver the project objectives.