Agenda and draft minutes

An opportunity to discuss the proposals and ask questions with officers from the City of York Council Transport Projects Team.

1.     Main meeting – welcome and introductions (6:30pm)

The meeting was chaired by Councillor Taylor who welcomed everyone, set out the housekeeping rules and reminded residents that the meeting was non-political.

2.     Hamilton Drive road safety improvements

Councillor Taylor outlined the issue with high volume of traffic and inconsiderate parking on Hamilton Drive at the start and end of the school day. The challenge is beyond what the City of York Council (CYC) could address on its own, however the proposal aims to improve the situation in a tangible way.

Councillor Taylor invited Ben Potter, CYC Senior Engineer to outline the proposal. Complaints have been raised over the years about safety outside Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School (OLQM) entrance, traffic speeds on Hamilton Drive and difficulty with crossing the road at key points. To address this a scheme was drafted proposing to make the area more pedestrian friendly whilst maintaining access for residents. The proposal is designed to improve facilities for walking, wheeling and using mobility aids, and at the same time help reduce the speed of traffic to improve safety for all road users. The proposal is not final, and comments obtained during the consultation will directly influence what happens next. The proposal is split into three elements, and it is hoped that sufficient budget will be available to deliver it as one scheme. The first element is the school zone outside OLQM and it is to include the following:

·       redesign the school safety zone;

·       raise the road surface closer to footway level;

·       install gateway buildouts to reduce traffic to a single lane and reduce speed;

·       school warning signs marked on road;

·       tidy up the junction with Harlow Road;

·       simplify parking restrictions by installing double yellow lines with a loading ban for school start and finish times;

·       highlight the school crossing patrol location;

·       replace existing speed cushions with speed humps spanning between kerbs. 

The second element is the Hamilton Drive West section where it is proposed to:

·       extend the 20mph zone through Hamilton Drive to connect with the existing 20mph zone on Hamilton Drive West;

·       create better crossing points by installing raised tables at New Lane and Nursery Drive;

·       install additional speed humps throughout the area to reduce speed.

The third element is to redesign the section where Hamilton Drive East meets with Holly Bank Road. At this location it is proposed to:

·       realign the junction with Holly Bank Road to improve crossing facilities and reduce speed. A small green space will be created with a potential to plant few trees;

·       extend 20mph along Hamiton Drive East through to Holgate Road. 20mph signs will be installed and no additional traffic calming measures are proposed.

Provision of a zebra crossing is being considered by the project team and views are being invited on which of the following locations would be preferred by residents:

·       Nursery Drive Junction – rear access to Acomb Primary School;

·       New Lane junction area – to serve West Bank Park;

·       OLQM existing school crossing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.