Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on progress made in reviewing the traffic arrangements at York Railway Station and recommends further work with East Coast and Network Rail to investigate possible short, medium and long term improvements.

RESOLVED: That, following the investigation into the traffic congestion issues in Tea Room Square, Officers be authorised to:

(i)                 Engage in discussions with East Coast and Network Rail to see what short term measures can be introduced to improve the traffic situation in the area of the Railway Station Frontage.

(ii)               Continue discussions with East Coast and Network Rail, following the outcome of the East Coast Capacity Study, to see what medium and long term traffic improvements can be identified, and report those findings to a Decision Session of the Executive Member for City Strategy.

(iii)             Explore what options are available and could be implemented to improve the visibility to the right when exiting Tea Room Square.

REASON:      To overcome the concerns raised about traffic congestion in the Tea Room Square area of York Railway Station.

Members considered a report which provided an update on progress made in reviewing the traffic arrangements at York Railway Station and recommended further work with East Coast and Network Rail to investigate possible short, medium and long term improvements.

The report referred in particular to the concerns about traffic in this area raised in a motion approved at Full Council on 2 April 2009.  Suggestions to address these concerns had been discussed at a meeting with representatives from Network Rail and East Coast, who had now commissioned a Capacity Study on all stations on the East Coast mainline, which would include car parking arrangements at York.  Further issues had been identified by Officers during visits and observations to the area and a meeting with Taxi Operators had resulted in a number of suggestions for improvements, as set out in paragraph 19 of the report.

Paragraphs 22 to 24 highlighted a number of actions that could be initiated to address the problems raised, including:

• Setting up a working group comprising East Coast, Network Rail and Council Officers to review short, medium and long term initiatives.
• Discussions with East Coast to improve signage inside the station so as to direct pedestrians to the pedestrian crossings at either end of the Portico.
• Review the docking position of the ftr bus and the lane markings alongside it, to improve the view for drivers exiting Tea Room Square.

It was noted that the outcome of the East Coast Capacity Study would be fundamental to any long term improvements and that any recommendations for changes to the area would need to be drawn up in consultation and agreement with the rail industry.

RESOLVED: That, following the investigation into the traffic congestion issues in Tea Room Square, Officers be authorised to:

(i)                 Engage in discussions with East Coast and Network Rail to see what short term measures can be introduced to improve the traffic situation in the area of the Railway Station Frontage. ¹

(ii)               Continue discussions with East Coast and Network Rail, following the outcome of the East Coast Capacity Study, to see what medium and long term traffic improvements can be identified, and report those findings to a Decision Session of the Executive Member for City Strategy. ²

(iii)             Explore what options are available and could be implemented to improve the visibility to the right when exiting Tea Room Square. ³

REASON:      To overcome the concerns raised about traffic congestion in the Tea Room Square area of York Railway Station.