More on the proposed closure of Lendal Bridge

YES

AT THE first National Automobile Show in the USA in 1900, no one could believe that the “noxious, noisy, unreliable, and elephantine” petrol cars would catch on. These days, people seem equally incredulous about the idea of not using them.

Of your correspondents decrying and mocking the council’s undeniably bold plan to close Lendal Bridge, none propose anything else that might be done to reduce traffic levels in York.

If you’re a climate change denier and don’t really care that more than 160 people die each year as a result of traffic pollution and accidents in York, then you might think nothing need be done. I’m glad the council doesn’t have its head in the sand on this one.

York is congested. Nothing’s going to change that – you certainly can’t build your way out of it. The best thing we can do for our city is to reduce the area that teems with hot metal boxes belching fumes – and doing so will get more people out of their cars and onto buses, bikes and their own two feet.

Give it a chance. The sky won’t fall on your heads. I promise!

Richard Lane, Frances Street, York.

• THE closure of Lendal Bridge is possibly on the right track, but maybe it is the wrong bridge.

Lendal Bridge is situated on the edge of three central bridges, the two outer bridges, Lendal and Skeldergate, being the main transport links north and south. The obvious choice to me would have been Ouse Bridge.

York relies heavily on tourism and if it wishes to improve the centre perhaps Ouse Bridge would be more effective.

The idea that York is pedestrianised is purely official double talk. Stonegate is the only footstreet in York.

For example, it is unbelievable that the medieval north/south axis of York, Bootham Bar through Petergate/Colliergate to Stonebow is open to traffic in the evening.

It is now estimated that vehicle pollution is the second biggest cause of premature death next to smoking.

Due to geographical position, York has never been a good place for those with asthma or bronchial problems. The proposals to add 22,000 households to an infrastructure which already cannot cope is lunacy, closing the odd bridge or tinkering with a roundabout here and there will not do.

Charlie Stone, Southolme Drive, York.

• MOST days Lendal Bridge is more of a linear car park than a road anyway so I’m not sure why car drivers (of whom I am one) would oppose the idea.

At least it would allow other users to make some progress. We car drivers have to accept that we can’t all go wherever, whenever we please – York simply wasn’t built for it.

Peter Huxford, Fulford, York.AT THE first National Automobile Show in the USA in 1900, no one could believe that the “noxious, noisy, unreliable, and elephantine” petrol cars would catch on. These days, people seem equally incredulous about the idea of not using them.

Of your correspondents decrying and mocking the council’s undeniably bold plan to close Lendal Bridge, none propose anything else that might be done to reduce traffic levels in York.

If you’re a climate change denier and don’t really care that more than 160 people die each year as a result of traffic pollution and accidents in York, then you might think nothing need be done. I’m glad the council doesn’t have its head in the sand on this one.

York is congested. Nothing’s going to change that – you certainly can’t build your way out of it. The best thing we can do for our city is to reduce the area that teems with hot metal boxes belching fumes – and doing so will get more people out of their cars and onto buses, bikes and their own two feet.

Give it a chance. The sky won’t fall on your heads. I promise!

Richard Lane, Frances Street, York.

• THE closure of Lendal Bridge is possibly on the right track, but maybe it is the wrong bridge.

Lendal Bridge is situated on the edge of three central bridges, the two outer bridges, Lendal and Skeldergate, being the main transport links north and south. The obvious choice to me would have been Ouse Bridge.

York relies heavily on tourism and if it wishes to improve the centre perhaps Ouse Bridge would be more effective.

The idea that York is pedestrianised is purely official double talk. Stonegate is the only footstreet in York.

For example, it is unbelievable that the medieval north/south axis of York, Bootham Bar through Petergate/Colliergate to Stonebow is open to traffic in the evening.

It is now estimated that vehicle pollution is the second biggest cause of premature death next to smoking.

Due to geographical position, York has never been a good place for those with asthma or bronchial problems. The proposals to add 22,000 households to an infrastructure which already cannot cope is lunacy, closing the odd bridge or tinkering with a roundabout here and there will not do.

Charlie Stone, Southolme Drive, York.

• MOST days Lendal Bridge is more of a linear car park than a road anyway so I’m not sure why car drivers (of whom I am one) would oppose the idea.

At least it would allow other users to make some progress. We car drivers have to accept that we can’t all go wherever, whenever we please – York simply wasn’t built for it.

Peter Huxford, Fulford, York.

NO

• THE answer to the word pyramid in The Press of May 1 is a perfect name for the new council offices*.

Not content with the foolish proposal for thousands of new home largely on green-belt land with inadequate improvement to transport networks, they now want to close Lendal Bridge to cars and motorbikes.

All these proposals will do is cause chaos. It is about time we had a sensible, well-balanced transport policy in this city instead of just listening to the anti-car brigade who think the biggest sin in the world is to own and run a car.

Ian Foster, Haxby.

*Editor’s note: the answer was cloud-cuckoo-land

• SO Coun Dave Merrett believes the closure of Lendal Bridge is in response to residents.

Could I ask how many residents have asked for this and what, if any, proof there is of any such meetings with residents, what comments, concerns were raised and who has thought through this decision?

What will the alternatives be for traffic, where will it go... or will it just disappear?

If the council was really interested in solving traffic problems, they would ask people who travel round the city every day; who know the outer ring road should be dualled; who know the traffic lights are not in sequence; who know bus lanes do not work; who know more cut-ins are needed for bus stops – and not just listen to some residents who remain unknown.

The sooner we get a council who drive cars and not just ride bikes, the better. Instead of living in a cloud come down to the real world. I believe there is more to this bridge story than we are being told.

Dave Williamson (White van man), Belmont Close, Clifton, York.

• HAVING just returned from holiday I see, unfortunately, that City of York Council has not been away and is still sitting in its ivory tower dreaming up hare-brained schemes. I refer to the Lendal Bridge proposal.

Coun Andy D’Agorne (Letters, April 30) claims this “is a sensible initiative to reclaim our centre from unsafe levels of pollution and congestion” – from which we assume he is in favour of moving this pollution and congestion to other areas.

I would like to remind him that the council is elected to look after the interests of everyone, including those affected most by these changes.

As for the buses being able to move more freely, they may whiz over Lendal Bridge but they will soon be caught up in the increased congestion in Bootham, Gillygate and Bridge Street caused by traffic trying to find an alternative route.

Every scheme put forward by this council to ease congestion and reduce pollution seems to have the opposite effect. If they want to make a difference, why not do a survey of the sequence of changes at traffic lights where, in some cases, the lights change in favour of non-existent traffic, pedestrians or cyclists.

AP Cox, Heath Close, Holgate, York.

• WITH the closure of Lendal Bridge looming, the council does not really need to carry out a six-month survey on how it would work. They need only carry this out for one day to see what havoc would be created. Each one of the Labour councillors could make a sign with pen and paper, pop it in a plastic bag and place it in position along the route and then stand there all day with a clipboard noting down the chaos. At least they would be doing something useful for once and it would not cast a penny!

Jenny Hilton, Holgate Lodge Drive, Holgate, York.

• I AM against the closure of Lendal Bridge as it will cause major disruption and inconvenience to pedestrians and road users who use this route in and out of the city.

Terry Smith, Fourth Avenue, York.

• AS a motorcyclist who uses the roads of York regularly, I feel the idea of closing Lendal Bridge, albeit temporarily, to motorcycles as well as four-wheelers is poorly devised.

Powered two-wheelers take up a tiny percentage of the road space used by a car and emit a tiny percentage of the emissions a car produces.

Many forward-thinking authorities actively encourage the use of powered two-wheelers and open bus lanes to them – not so in York.

The only way to reduce traffic in York is to reduce the cost of bus fares, promote the use of motorcycles/mopeds/scooters and actively reduce single occupancy of cars with restrictions on the entry into the city of cars with only the driver inside.

This can be done with a little planning and a good dose of common sense.

Mark B Smith, York.

• THE planned closure of Lendal Bridge is a disgrace. This ancient river crossing is as needed now as it was when first constructed 150 years ago.

Access to services and businesses will be severely affected. It will be particularly hard on the elderly and those with walking disabilities to access the hospital, railway station, theatre and churches.

We love our ancient and beautiful city, and are happy to share it with day-trippers and tourists, but York residents needs must come first. This one step too far.

John Simpson, Long Marston, York.