“Pick and mix” approach to next stage of Front Street regeneration

Adapted seats for the disabled were provided as part of the first phase of the upgrade

The York Council has produced a list of changes that could be made to Front Street as part of the second phase of its regeneration plans. The Council is utilising £570,000 from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund to pay for the work. The project has to be completed by March 2025

The first phase of the work took place last spring and concentred on levelling off the pavements, improving drainage , new seating and adapted cycle racks. More bollards were provided to protect the footpaths. These proved to be unpopular with some residents.

Options for consultation

The new proposals would see £40,000 spent removing some of the bollards. There will be many who would think that the money would be better spent repairing the roads.

Consultants have been appointed and design and management costs are put at £100,000.

£42,500 has already been committed to upgrading the public toilets (rightly).

That doesn’t leave much money for the other changes.

The shopping list produced by Council officials doesn’t include the adoption of the forecourts outside the shops. These would have to be brought up to an adoptable standard at a cost of £350,000. That would use up all of the remaining budget. Having a level surface outside the carriageway was one of the top priorities identified by residents during previous consultation.

That isn’t going to happen nor is 24/7 pedestrianisation which is both controversial and hugely expensive (over £1 million)

So the bulk of the proposed funding is for improved blue badge parking and larger speed tables.

 It is far from clear why painting new blue badge markings should cost over £100K. Many would prefer to have free access on at least one day a week so they could park outside their preferred destination (as now happens in the City centre). It would be much easier to do in Acomb

Extended full-width raised tables appear only to offer the prospect of a level site for part-time market stalls or entertainers. Emergency service vehicle access would have to be maintained anyway.

The list conspicuously fails to do anything for cyclists. The current cycle track down Cross Street is wholly inadequate. It dumps cycles onto a footpath and pedestrian crossing.

Full public consultation is promised. The options offered seem very limited.

NB. Those with long memories will recall that a pedestrian crossing established near the Morrisons car park entrance had to be moved further away (to near Vyner House) following a campaign by Labour council candidates!

So what does £1.4 million buy you in transport improvements?

Click to read

Officials have now confirmed how the £1.4 million Tadcaster Road budget has been invested in ”bus, cycle and pedestrian” improvements.. The money came from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. It was supposed to be ring fenced to improve (mainly)active travel options.

In addition, £5 million of government grant was used to improve drainage systems. The combined costs of the scheme are now put at more than £7.9 million. The overspend, which led to key safety features near the York College being shelved, was blamed on groundwork
conditions and efforts to reduce traffic congestion during working periods

There is a growing feeling among observers that parts of the scheme have been over engineered and don’t represent value for money.

No fewer than 3 additional pelican crossings are being installed at a cost of nearly £1/4 million each. One is already in use. The others, plus the replacement near the College, are being commissioned this week.

The carriageway on the approach to the College is now narrower. It could make congestion issues on that section of Tadcaster Road even worse.

Changes at the  Slingsby Grove shops have also been labelled a “dogs dinner”

The design probably reflects a desire to placate the, mutually exclusive, demands of various lobby groups. In the end, no one will be satisfied while resentment, about the lack of safety improvements between the Tesco roundabout and London Bridge, will be an ongoing source of irritation.

Officials at the York Council say that lessons have been learned.

With the preparation of a new local transport plan underway it is to be hoped that Councillors also will be more realistic about budgets in their demands for change.

More bad news for Tadcaster Road, cyclists and pedestrians

Pedestrian steps omitted from latest cycle path improvement plans at London Bridge

Pedestrians are set to lose out again under new plans for improvements to the cycle track access at London Bridge on Tadcaster Road. The latest plans reveal that a plan to provide a separate set of steps for use by pedestrians have been scrapped.

Instead, walkers and wheelers will continue to share the spiral path which will be widened to 3 metres.

2021 proposed improvements

2024 proposals for spiral path access (no separate stairs for pedestrians)

The original proposal, which was submitted for planning approval, provided separate facilities for walkers and wheelers. The planning application was subsequently refused in November 2021.

Improvements to the path are a condition of a planning approval for the provision of football pitches nearby. The condition required the developers (effectively the York Council) to published plans before the pitches were brought into use. That never happened. The proposals became mired in controversy as costs for the project, which was mainly taxpayer funded, soared to over £2 million

Promises of action over the last four years failed to materialise. Vegetation was cut back in the area 12 months ago with a promise that the contractors working on drainage improvements on Tadcaster Road would undertake the  spiral path work while they had specialist plant in the area.

That also hasn’t happened. The contractors are due to leave the site in March.

No new contractor has been appointed to undertake the London Bridge cycle path work.  

The downgraded design doesn’t recognise the increased numbers of pedestrians using the access  from the park and ride site. Many tend to arrive and leave at the same time (football teams and supporters) causing congestion.  The absence of a separate flight of steps will mean that the cycle path – even if it is 3 metres wide – will still be obstructed.

That is a particular issue for cyclists ascending the spiral because of the gradient.

It is also unclear whether the lack of a clear sight line, at the junction with Tadcaster Road, has been addressed. At the moment the hedge effectively blocks visibility.

The nearby cycle path (which is a CYC maintenance responsibility) is also in poor condition. Towards the southern A64 by pass, tree roots have damaged the surface. That section needs to be resurfaced.  

The section from the  A64 onwards towards Riccall was extensively resurfaced by SUSTRANs last year.

It seems that the Council is claiming that condition 14 of the original planning application can be regarded as discharged based on plans having been submitted (rather than the work completed). The Council missed the deadline in any event, with planners allowing the use of the pitches before the condition was discharged. Indeed, it seems that, even now, the plans have not formally been published online, so technically the condition is still outstanding.

Many simply won’t believe that the Council will complete the work by the end of April as they claim. There have been too many false starts.

There has been no consultation about the Councils design plans. Now both wheelers and walkers will be denied the opportunity to comment in response to a planning application

NB. There are significant crime issues in the area and, coupled with the decision to abandon cycle/footpath improvement works near the College, this decision will come as a further blow to “active travel” supporters.

Traffic signals to be renewed at Malton Road/New Lane junction

New Lane/Malton Road junction

A £210,000 scheme will see the renewal of traffic signal equipment on Malton Road at its junction with New Lane.

The preferred layout (see below) would see facilities for pedestrians and cyclists improved.

Full details of the plans can be viewed by clicking here

Proposed layout changes

Coppergate one way system set to be made permanent

In 2020 a one-way direction of travel (Piccadilly to Nessgate) was introduced on Coppergate for vehicles, except cyclists, which can travel in both directions.

Coppergate

It was controversial as it involved the re-routing of buses taking some of them further away from key destinations. The Council hasn’t yet completed a review of the impacts that the change had on bus usage and reliability but it is nevertheless planning to make the one-way system permanent

In 2021 a majority of responses to a resident consultation survey opposed the Council’s plans.

They went ahead with them anyway.

This time only a limited survey of interested parties was undertaken.

Only 6 responses were recorded.

Key conflicts between traffic and pedestrians near the entrance to the Coppergate centre remain with very narrow pavements forcing walkers onto the road.

Many will feel that the narrowness of the pavements could only be mitigated by adding that section of the street to the pedestrian area. Two-way access could be allowed at other times.

Either way, there are no easy solutions but the current set-up benefits cyclists at the expense of pedestrians, bus users. taxis and other modes of transport.

The permanent one-way system is recommended for approval at a meeting taking place next week

Leeman Road to be stopped up

A government Minister has approved a stopping up order for Leeman Road.

The Council proposed to close the road as part of the arrangements for accessing the new York Central development..

The railway museum stubbornly resisted requests to sustain a pedestrian route through the site.

The alternative is a long walk especially when the riverside path is flooded.

There is no doubt that transport and accessibility is the Achilles heel of the York central development.

The Council still persists with its – frankly bonkers – idea of making the Leeman Road tunnel (next to Marble Arch) single lane working.

A proper alternative route for cyclists and pedestrians should be provided.

“WalkYork” represents York pedestrians

The York Civic Trust is promoting a new group which aims to articulate the needs and aspirations of users of York’s biggest transport system. Walking! We wish them well. We have recorded on many occasions that green footpaths, particularly in sub-urban areas, have been neglected over recent years. Many have been heavily used for exercise during the lockdown period, Some now badly need repairs to infrastructure like stiles while work to remedy boggy and flooded sections is also needed. Even well used bitmaced paths like The Mount are overdue for resurfacing The Trust says in an email to its members, “Formed last year, WalkYork is a project that has been developed by Dr Roger Pierce, an active member of the Trust’s Transport Advisory Group, who identified a real need for a devoted online presence to promote and represent walkers in York. Free to join, becoming a WalkYork member provides access to news of city-wide schemes and proposed changes impacting pedestrians who have not previously been consulted about major changes impacting them. Bringing together views, the group can give a voice to individual concerns and suggestions, helping to negotiate improvements and influence Council decisions.  The larger the membership the more influential they can be!”

Damaged stile on popular exercise route in York

You can find out more about WalkYork, and how to join, on their website.

£44 million to be spent on transport in York this year

Large budget but little being invested in west York

The Council has revealed its transport investment budget for the new financial year.

£44.2 million has been allocated to a range of improvements although the vast majority of the budget has been earmarked for dualling the outer ring road (£21.3 million) and improvements to the railway station frontage (£13.5 million). Neither of the schemes will be completed during the year as extensive preparatory works are required.

£1.2 million will be spent on the ongoing programme of modernising traffic signals (this will include replacing the Front Street pelican crossing along with lights at 8 other locations across the City).

Residents of the west of the City will be disappointed to see that their neighbourhood has been snubbed when allocations from the pedestrian and cycling budget have been made. Not for the first-time investment, is being focused on the central and eastern parts of the City.

A welcome, but very modest, allocation has been made for bus shelter replacement (£100k). Many of the council owned shelters are looking very tatty now with a belated repainting programme proving to be “too little, too late” and failing to bring about a lasting improvement.  

Similarly, a £50,000 allocation for Public Rights of Way (PROW) structural repairs is long overdue.  Sadly, the budget will barely make a dent in the backlog of work need to stiles, signage, and repairs to flooded sections of path.

All in all then, a mixed picture.

Hopefully the highway maintenance allocations – which have still not been publicised – will be targeted at repairing the worst roads and paths many of which are located in west York.

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  Too many PROWs are inaccessible

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  Bus shelters are in poor condition

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  Cycle lanes are neglected

Have your say on improvement plans at Bootham Bar

Bootham Bar junction

City of York Council wants to hear what residents and businesses think of a new scheme improve pedestrian access at one of the busiest junctions in the city centre.

Works will take place later this year on the Gillygate, Bootham and St Leonard’s junction, which is all part of the Traffic Signal Asset Renewal (TSAR) Project. 

The TSAR project involves installing new signalling equipment and ducting, but also provides an opportunity to consider different options that could enhance the whole area for pedestrians and cyclists.

Two possible designs have been prepared, both would replace all the signals and increase the width of space for pedestrians waiting to cross Gillygate.

Option ‘A’ is the simplest design with little change to the existing layout while option ‘B’ would provide more pedestrian space and improve the historic setting of the area.

It would also allow for an ‘all green’ pedestrian phase across all arms of the junction, with no need to wait half way across when crossing from the Art Gallery to Bootham Bar and a less traffic dominated area.

However, the removal of the left turn lane from St Leonard’s Place to Bootham, and the changed signal phasing, would increase traffic delays and queues at peak times, with potential impact on air quality in Gillygate and Bootham.

Tell us what you think

Views are being sought on which design residents and businesses prefer and why, between Monday 1 March until Wednesday 31 March, and can be submitted, by:

• Completing the short online survey 
• Emailing views to: TSAR@york.gov.uk
• Writing to: TSAR Programme, Transport Systems, Corporate Directorate of Economy and Place, West Offices, York, YO1 6GA.

In addition to the above, over 650 properties in the immediate vicinity of the junction will be sent details of the consultation and offered assistance if they cannot view the design options online.

Have your say on improvement plans at Bootham Bar

Bootham Bar junction

City of York Council wants to hear what residents and businesses think of a new scheme improve pedestrian access at one of the busiest junctions in the city centre.

Works will take place later this year on the Gillygate, Bootham and St Leonard’s junction, which is all part of the Traffic Signal Asset Renewal (TSAR) Project. 

The TSAR project involves installing new signalling equipment and ducting, but also provides an opportunity to consider different options that could enhance the whole area for pedestrians and cyclists.

Two possible designs have been prepared, both would replace all the signals and increase the width of space for pedestrians waiting to cross Gillygate.

Option ‘A’ is the simplest design with little change to the existing layout while option ‘B’ would provide more pedestrian space and improve the historic setting of the area.

It would also allow for an ‘all green’ pedestrian phase across all arms of the junction, with no need to wait half way across when crossing from the Art Gallery to Bootham Bar and a less traffic dominated area.

However, the removal of the left turn lane from St Leonard’s Place to Bootham, and the changed signal phasing, would increase traffic delays and queues at peak times, with potential impact on air quality in Gillygate and Bootham.

Tell us what you think

Views are being sought on which design residents and businesses prefer and why, between Monday 1 March until Wednesday 31 March, and can be submitted, by:

• Completing the short online survey 
• Emailing views to: TSAR@york.gov.uk
• Writing to: TSAR Programme, Transport Systems, Corporate Directorate of Economy and Place, West Offices, York, YO1 6GA.

In addition to the above, over 650 properties in the immediate vicinity of the junction will be sent details of the consultation and offered assistance if they cannot view the design options online.

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