Agenda item - Emergency Active Travel Fund

The Executive Member will consider a paper which discusses a number of schemes taken forward by City of York Council under the Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF), a DfT programme launched in May 2020 to help promote social distancing and

greater use of active travel especially where previous capacity of the public transport system has been significantly reduced - as a result of the covid 19 pandemic. Funding could also be used to make changes to street layouts and footway widths to allow pedestrians to socially distance more effectively.

Resolved:

That the Executive Member:

(i) Noted the updates on the Emergency Active Travel 1 shown in Table 1.

(ii) Agreed that the temporary one way restriction on Coppergate be extended and a consultation/ design process commenced to assess the feasibility of making the restriction permanent through a scheme in CYC’s Local Transport Plan capital programme

Reason: The temporary scheme has successfully facilitated social distancing on Coppergate and offers the potential to improve the amenity of Coppergate and economic viability of businesses postpandemic. The provision of a contraflow cycle lane in the scheme also helps cyclists making East-West trips across the city-centre.

(iii) Agreed that the temporary cycle lane at Castle Mills Bridge on Tower Street be removed, but consideration be given to bus priority measures and cycle lanes as part of the Castle Gateway improvements to the area.

Reason: cyclists make up a small proportion of road users on this busy section of the inner ring road, and delays experienced as traffic levels have built back up particularly for buses at peak times can be reduced by removing the lane pending consideration of bus priority measures.

(iv) Agreed that the proposed scheme for improvements to York’s North – South cycle route be taken forward to implementation, with the proposed restriction to Navigation Road taken forward to a consultation and normal decision making process.

Reason: This will allow timely delivery of the majority of the scheme whilst allowing a transparent decision to be made about the key safety element which requires a Traffic Regulation Order to implement the measures on Navigation Road.

(v) Agreed that the proposed scheme for improvements to cycle lanes on Bootham be taken forward to implementation, with a consultation commenced on the rest of the Shipton Road cycle lane scheme, including the element which would require changes to residents’ parking on parts of Bootham.

Reason: This will allow timely delivery of the cycle route south of Clifton Green to tie in with proposed the St Mary’s – Bootham crossing, whilst allowing a transparent decision to be made about changes to parking and lanes on Bootham and Shipton Road north of the junction with Rawcliffe Lane, through the normal decision making process.

(vi) Noted the list of schemes applied for to DFT under Emergency Active Travel 2 and agreed to write to the Secretary of State and request this scheme is fast tracked.

Reason: To enable work to commence as quickly as possible implementing new safe routes within the timescales required.

(vii) Agreed to commence design work on some of the schemes within the EATF 2 programme, with initial design work on the A1237 scheme for safer walking and cycling on the bridge over the river and railway in particular, with a decision about implementing these schemes to be made at a future Decision Session, if funding is identified.

Reason: This would allow timely delivery of the schemes if EATF tranche 2 funding is forthcoming or schemes are otherwise identified as priority for other funding.

The Executive Member considered a paper which discussed a number of schemes taken forward by City of York Council under the Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF). The paper made recommendations on the future of a number of temporary schemes within the EATF programme, specifically whether some of the traffic management measures in the programme should continue to be provided, or should be removed, and how capital schemes within the programme should be developed towards implementation.

The report explored individual measures in respect of the following schemes:

· The current one-way restriction (and contra-flow cycle lane) on Coppergate

· The Castle Mills Bridge provision of a westbound cycle lane

· The North-South city centre cycle route

· The Shipton Road park and pedal scheme

with a range of options and recommendations as set out within the officer report.

A written representation had been received on behalf of the York Bus Forum, who had made specific suggestions in relation to

new temporary close to the existing stops in Piccadilly/ Merchantgate, and permanent bus stops to form part of a review of the current bus stops in the Clifford Street /Piccadilly/Merchantgate area. They were also supportive of the introduction of bus priority measures, both as part of the Castle Gateway improvements, and to minimise the additional journey time for eastbound bus services diverted from Coppergate and had a number of suggestions in relation to how these measures should include bus priority on the Tower Street diversion. Finally, they suggested that, as part of the Castle Gateway improvements, consideration should be given to replacing the current park and ride No 3 bus stop in Tower Street. The Executive Member confirmed that these points would be added to the list of considered actions.

The Executive Member had noted the concerns of Mr Dave Merrits in his oral submission, regarding the removal of the ghost island and various right turn boxes between the Rawcliffe Lane junction and the Rawcliffe Bar and confirmed that all options would be explored to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

Regarding extending the scheme on the current one-way restriction (and contra-flow cycle lane) on Coppergate, the Executive Member confirmed that the Council would purchase the cones and relevant equipment rather than make costly payments to lease this. Improvements to signage would also be made.

The second tranche of EATF funding:

Officers reported that no further information had been received, beyond the generic response to all local authorities, which had been published as a supplement to the agenda for this meeting, regarding the second tranche of EATF funding which the Council applied for in early August. The November Decision Session would consider the capital implications should this funding not be awarded.