Agenda item

This report presents a proposed Implementation Plan for York’s new Transport Strategy, covering the period up to the end of 2026. 

Councillor Coles left the meeting at this point.

Officers introduced the report, they confirmed that the Implementation Plan is meant to outlined what the Council needs to do to achieve the vision set out in the Transport Strategy. They confirmed that the Council did not currently have funding for everything outlined in the plan, however, unfunded schemes were included to allow the Council to progress them if future funding becomes available.

The Committee enquired as to why the implementation plan covered only two years and whether a longer-term implementation plan could be produced. Officers explained that the proposal for a two-year plan was due to the work on the Movement and Place plan which when completed would outline a lot of the longer-term schemes to be implemented and this current plan allowed the Council to have a plan in place while to the Movement and Place plan was developed.

The Committee discussed how accessibility was being considered within the implementation plan. Officers confirmed that the Council was applying equal weight to the Inclusive Mobility Department for Transport Document as it did to LTN120 and confirmed that they would clarify this within the report, as well as review the documents to ensure they complied with the Social Model of Disability. Officers confirmed that with the city centre sustainable transport route they planned to go out to consultation in January 2025 on who requires access to the route.

Members discussed the plans need to ensure that the Local Transport Strategy made approves across the city including outside of the city centre. It was noted that the plan as well as the Movement and Place plan would seek to deliver across the city. An important area to this that was discussed was access to bus travel. Officers noted the Council had taken action to stabilise the network and the task now was to grow patronage. Improving the use of park and ride sites were discussed with the proposed creation of multimodal hubs.

Members enquired about the Council seeking powers from central government regarding traffic enforcement powers. Officers noted that the government had granted enforcement powers that are held by the police to some councils around traffic offenses, however, the Council had been unsuccessful and were seeking an opportunity to reapply. Members suggested that the Council might seek the support of the combined authority in lobbying for these additional powers of enforcement.

The Committee discussed the monitoring of accident data. Members enquired as to whether the Council could monitor slight as well as sever accidents when monitoring road safety. This data Members believed could provide useful data in determining the success of schemes in reducing danger on roads. Officers noted that there were challenges in collating data on slight or near miss accidents as these were often under reported but agreed that they could review whether it was possible to collate and include this data when monitoring road safety.

The implementation of 20 mph speed limits across the city was discussed. The Committee proposed that the implementation plan should seek to implement 20 mph where appropriate across the whole of the city and surrounding villages. They noted that there was evidence from elsewhere showing the success of 20 mph. The Executive Member for Transport informed the Committee that the Council would be going out to consultation and would ask residents which roads they believed shouldn’t be 20 mph and therefore hoped this would assist the Council in establishing where 20 mph could be implemented across the city.

Resolved:

                      i.         That the Committee requested that Officers reviewed the Local Transport Strategy Implementation Plan 2024-2026 to ensure it followed guidance from the Social Model of Disability and that it gave equal weight to the Department for Transport’s Inclusive Mobility Guidance as it did to LTN120;

                    ii.         That the Committee recommended that the Local Transport Strategy Implementation Plan be expanded to a longer-term implementation plan, while acknowledging the role the Movement and Place plan will have in the planning of the implementation of the Local Transport Strategy;

                   iii.         That the Committee recommended that monitoring road safety include data on slight incidents as well as sever;

                  iv.         That the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee write to the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire asking that the Mayor support the Council’s request to Government for Highway Enforcement Powers to be granted to the Council;

                    v.         That the Committee recommended that the consultation on the rollout of 20 mph speed limits be included within the Local Transport Strategy Implementation Plan 2024-2026, with a view to deliver a rollout of more 20 mph speed limits across the whole of the city and surrounding villages where appropriate.

Reason:     To support the deliver of the Local Transport Strategy.