Issue - meetings

This report advises Members of the results of consultation undertaken on proposals to introduce cycle facilities on Water End from Clifton Green traffic signals to the junction of Salisbury Road.

Members are asked to approve the implementation of cycling improvements as detailed in option one of the report.

Members considered the following options:

Option One – implement the proposals as shown in Annex A of the report;

Option Two – make any changes to the proposals that Members consider   necessary;

Option Three – no cycle improvement measures to be implemented.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

(i)                 That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to approve Option One, to implement the proposals as detailed in Annex A of the report;

(ii)               That Officers undertake a separate examination of the problems reported in relation to traffic leaving the city wishing to turn left into Water End, turning left at the traffic lights rather than using the slip road onto Water End thereby causing additional congestion.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            These proposals will provide significant improvements for cyclists on Water End, and contribute to the aims of the Council as a Cycling City.

Members considered a report, which advised them of the results of consultation on proposals to introduce cycle facilities on Water End from Clifton Green traffic signals to the junction of Salisbury Road.

It was reported that proposed cycle improvements for Water End would form an important part of the orbital cycle route around the city and would immediately link up with existing cycle facilities west of the Salisbury Road junction with other cycle routes starting in the Clifton area. The proposed route would also connect with the existing on-road cycle lanes along Clifton Road and Bootham.

Officers had found that the main problem in providing improvements was the relatively narrow carriageway width, which cyclists had to share with heavy flows of traffic. Following feasibility work it had been found that the best arrangement would be for westbound cyclists to be on-road and eastbound off-road.

Consideration was also given to the following documents circulated at the meeting:

• Email from Cllr Simpson-Laing welcoming the scheme and requesting that a pedestrian crossing with a DDA compliant island was included at the junction with Salisbury Road and Water End.
• Letter from CTC North Yorkshire, commenting on the proposals.
• A3 plan of the proposed scheme.

Officers confirmed that the pedestrian crossing would be DDA compliant with tactile paving.

Some Members expressed concern at the proposal to reduce the current two-lane approach to the traffic signals at Clifton Green as they felt that it could lead to traffic relocating to other routes to bypass queuing traffic. Members also referred to existing problems with traffic leaving the city wishing to turn left into Water End, turning left at the traffic lights rather than using the slip road onto Water End causing additional congestion.

Members considered the following options:

Option One – implement the proposals as shown in Annex A of the report;

Option Two – make any changes to the proposals that Members consider   necessary;

Option Three – no cycle improvement measures to be implemented.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

(i)                 That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to approve Option One, to implement the proposals as detailed in Annex A of the report; ^1.

(ii)               That Officers undertake a separate examination of the problems reported in relation to traffic leaving the city wishing to turn left into Water End, turning left at the traffic lights rather than using the slip road onto Water End thereby causing additional congestion. ^2..

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            These proposals will provide significant improvements for cyclists on Water End, and contribute to the aims of the Council as a Cycling City.