Place Scrutiny Committee	24 March 2026
Report of the Director of City Development

Update on Implementation of the Local Transport Strategy

Summary

1. Since approval of the Local Transport Strategy (LTS), Implementation Plan officers have progressed several workstreams identified within the plan. This note seeks to provide an update, acknowledging challenges with implementation and how these have been responded to, progress against workstreams and detailing out the future of the LTS following the creation of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA). 

Background and Approach

2. Summary of delivery against policy areas so far:

Accessibility

· Additional Blue Badge parking has been provided at strategic locations in the city centre with further projects to increase this provision at the city’s extents within our park and ride sites. Further steps to increase or improve provision will be identified as opportunities through capital projects arise.

· Accessible cycle parking – Inclusive cycle parking has been trialled successfully in Acomb and more inclusive cycle parking has recently been installed at Blake Street.

· 15 barriers to access have been removed to date with an additional 65 identified for delivery within the 2026/27 financial year. This will continue to be a rolling programme over the next three years.

· 127 Real Time Information screens have been installed at bus stops all of which have the capacity to output audio descriptions either through push buttons or QR codes.

· Bus stop accessibility improvements, which includes, kassel kerbs, seating and shelters.

· Pavement enhancements (incorporated into the highway maintenance programme).

· Disability equity training undertaken by Council officers.

Active Travel programme

· Review of capital programme to deliver highest priority schemes (currently underway).

· The highway maintenance programme has been reshaped with the criteria for selection now giving greater weight to sustainable travel routes, and funding earmarked to deliver highway improvements at the same time as maintenance, helping to reduce disruption to the travel network and deliver stronger sustainable travel outcomes.

· Improved travel information (revised cycle map now underway).

· 20mph for Bishopthorpe village.

· Riverside path active travel route.

· School safety and danger reduction schemes (Huntington Road South, Hamilton Drive, Osbaldwick Primary, Manor School, Alness Drive, Grassholme)

· 2025/26 Local Transport Grant secured – £1.9m funding for delivery of Secure Cycle Storage, School Streets, Speed Reduction, Sustainable Travel Neighbourhood, Active Travel Route Enhancements and Pedestrian Crossing Facilities. Delivery of these projects is to commence in the 2026/27 financial year, as agreed with YNYCA.

· York Central sustainable travel routes.

Healthy Places

· Bus network review being undertaken by YNYCA.

· SPD transport – This has been postponed due to the Local Plan review

· Healthy Streets exemplars – This approach is being built into the sustainable travel neighbourhood programme, with Huntington Road South and Hamilton Drive both using this approach.

· Speed reduction programme – Bishopthorpe village 20mph scheme. Dunnington 20mph coming forward 2026/27. Additionally, speed reduction being incorporated into most schemes as standard as part of the healthy streets approach.

· Resident Parking scheme process streamlined and its objectives aligned to sustainable travel and place-making outcomes.

Public Transport

· Rougier Route.

· Park and ride improvements, including overnight parking. Delivery 2026/27 onwards.

· Bus fare initiatives – Work being undertaken with the YNYCA to deliver £1 fares for under 19s, concessionary fares for NHS staff, extended hours for disabled bus pass holders. Aligned city centre parking fees with bus fares.

· Bus service initiatives – Work undertaken with YNYCA to extend opening hours of the park and ride service. Continued investment to maintain evening services and routes to rural areas.

· Dial and Ride – A study has been commissioned to establish a sustainable model for delivering this service.

· Haxby station – Government spending review concluded in 2025 with announcement of funding for Haxby station. This scheme is to be delivered by Network Rail.

Safeguarding our environment

· Gillygate air quality scheme – Adjusted traffic signals to reduce level of standing traffic on Gillygate.

·  Electric vehicle (EV) charging strategy – Reviewing feedback received from scrutiny. Revised strategy to be presented later in the year.

·  EV charging – Neighbourhood charge point programme. Delivery of first schemes scheduled for 2026/27. Additional EV charging also included in park and ride upgrades.

Movement and Place

· Movement and Place Plan is currently at tender stage. This will include a revised Highway Design Guide, and two pieces of place-making work: Reimagining York and the Movement and Place Plan for the city.  

Reducing Car Dependency

· Young Independent Living and Transport Skills – Increased the size of this officer team.

· Bid for two behavioural change packages to support sustainable travel and reduce car dependency in the Mayoral Active Travel fund.

Freight

· Currently, there is a lack of officer resource to progress this area.

Maintenance and enforcement

· Highway maintenance programme has been reviewed and now incorporates improvements, such as pavement enhancements.

· Moving traffic offences. Currently underway. Micklegate Bar to be delivered in 2026/27.

Monitoring and evaluation

· Digital pedestrian and cycle counters – In progress. Bid for funding with Active Travel England.

· Monitoring and evaluating data – Reviewing existing cycle count and traffic count data.

Major schemes ongoing

· Station Frontage project.

· York Outer Ring Road, progressing phased delivery approach.

· Castle Gateway.

Emerging Issues

3. Future of LTS Implementation

Following confirmation from the Department for Transport of a multiyear settlement for transport in the region CYC officers are working with YNYCA to develop a capital programme that encompasses 2026/27 financial year through to 2029/30 financial year.

Initial headlines set by the YNYCA on how to apportion this are as follows: (These are subject to change until the final programme is confirmed)

- Active Travel

- Bus Access and Punctuality

- Rail Stations

- Road Safety and Congestion Reduction

- Integrated Corridor and Place schemes.

The benefit of the multiyear settlement is significant and allows CYC to resource teams to match the ambitions of the programme and the LTS. An executive report is planned for this summer to detail this.

4. As part of this report CYC officers requested an update from YNYCA on the adoption and rollout of a regional Local Transport Plan, see below

“The YNYCA Local Transport Plan (LTP) is currently being developed, being led by the Combined Authority (CA), but in close partnership with York and North Yorkshire Councils. The Local Transport Plan is a statutory document, which local transport authorities in England are required to develop and then keep up to date. The LTP for York and North Yorkshire will set out the Mayor's vision for transport, and will explain how the CA and partner councils will work towards achieving that vision.

The YNY LTP is being developed at pace, so will be a high-level strategy, with greater detail to follow in subsequent linked plans and policies. In addition, the York LTS, which is already well developed and adopted by CYC will form a key part of the LTP. It is anticipated that a draft version of the LTP will be ready for consideration by the CA and councils in May 2026. Furthermore, the LTP will be subject to extensive stakeholder and public consideration through a statutory consultation, which will run over the summer. Subsequent to that, it is anticipated that the LTP will be adopted by the YNYCA later in 2026.”

Implications and Risk Management

5. Delivery Resource

To meet the ambitions of the Local Transport Strategy delivery resource (Project Management teams and designers) is critical, a lack of internal resource in this area has led to a slower start in the delivery of capital projects to satisfy key policy areas. The creation of the Transport Projects Team in August 2025 seeks to address this by providing a dedicated service area for capital delivery in transport, since its inception further recruitment activities have taken place with additional project managers recruited in March 2026 and further recruitment of Assistant Project Managers in April 2026.

6. Client Resource

In addition to the above a distinct internal client function is necessary to translate the policy areas into distinct impactful programmes of work and ensure our future pipeline of work has a robust evidence case. Additional proposals are being reviewed to enhance the capacity and capability of the Transport Policy and Travel Behaviour team to undertake this role.

7. YNYCA’s creation mid-way through LTS implementation

The creation of the devolved mayoral combined authority mid-way through the two-year period of implementation caused some disruption to the release of funding and delivery capacity, whilst new ways of working, transfers of powers and governance structures were put in place. CYC was continuing to work closely with YNYCA to develop a multi-year settlement as described in the emerging issues section of this report.

Recommendations

8. Members are asked:

i. To consider the format and frequency of future updates on the Local Transport Strategy Implementation.

Contact Details

Author:	Chief Officer Responsible for the report:
Joshua Singer, Head of Transport Projects Joshua.Singer@york.gov.uk Tom Horner, Head of Transport Policy and Travel Behaviour Tom.Horner@york.gov.uk	Garry Taylor, Director of City Development
	Report Approved	ü	Date	18 March 2026
Wards Affected:					All	ü
For further information please contact the author of the report.

Background Papers

No background papers

Annexes:

No annexes.