YORK: Public urged to have a say on council's transport plan

A local transport plan, devised by City of York Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy and transport Cllr Pete Kilbane, is set to be approved for public consultation on November 14 at an executive meeting. 

The plan outlines a number of schemes to improve transport in York, while also reducing emissions in the city, including reducing car dependency. 

People who live outside York but work in the city will also be encouraged to participate in the public consultation, which will close in February. 

Speaking ahead of the executive decision session, Cllr Kilbane said: “We’ve put a really important set of policies forward to executive, and in them, set out our ambitions for the long term future of transport in York. 

“If signed off at this decision session, these policies will go out for public consultation which has been designed to look – for the first time since 2010 – at York’s transport as a whole, not just individual projects. 

“I’d encourage everyone to look out for news of the consultation’s launch, come along to our events, and take part in the conversation.”

Cllr Pete Kilbane

The council’s climate change strategy from 2022 until 2032 notes that emissions from transport represent 27.9 per cent of York’s emissions and of this, 88 per cent come from car travel or public transport.

Policies included in the strategy set an objective to increase the share of vehicles on the road that are electric or hybrid.

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It sets an objective to reduce carbon emissions from transport by 71 per cent and reduce car miles travelled by 20 per cent.

Feedback from the public will inform the council’s plan that will be submitted to the Department for Transport, as well as discussions with the incoming mayor of the combined authority.

The plan is split into four sections.

'Deliver bold and ambitious proposals':  

• Develop a city-wide Movement Plan as a statement of intent for discussion with the new mayor, to mitigate the carbon impact of upgrading and dualling the A1237, reducing congestion and enabling active travel.  

• Develop Local Transport Plan 4 and the Local Cycling, Walking and Infrastructure Plan (in line with government guidance and aligned to the Air Quality Action Plan) to help people travel easily in a sustainable, safe, and healthy way.  

• Launch an inclusive and accessible draft Local Transport Strategy consultation programme.  

• Deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan, including a new provider of bus shelters with real-time information and lobbying for improvements in York’s bus services.  

• Launch and deliver Air Quality Improvement Plan 4, taking bold action to reduce air pollution beyond national regulations and aim to meet World Health Organisation targets. 

'Reduce carbon, enable residents to choose alternatives to petrol or diesel cars':

• Seek to extend the Clean Air Zone to include freight and taxis, covering York Central and responding to the need for freight deliveries, considering additional action such as taxi licensing.

• Promote subsidised upcycled bike schemes and seek to expand ebikes to connect villages to the city centre.

• Become a fully electrified bus city, refresh the EV strategy including ebikes & e-scooters.

• Introduce traffic calming and anti-idling patrols around schools to reduce traffic and remove harmful pollutants.

• Improve York’s access to rail, completing the Station Frontage scheme and continue to support a station at Haxby. 

'Make the city accessible for all':  

• Listen to the disabled community and review Blue Badge access to the city, refreshing the access plan.

• Co-design a plan for Our City Centre to make foot street more welcoming and accessible, including management of freight deliveries as part of the Movement Plan.

• Provide concessionary bus fares for ages up to 25.

• Promote sustainable transport routes to York Community Woodland. 

'Improve the condition of highways and infrastructure': 

• Improve streets, cycleways and footpaths for walkers and wheelers, as part of the Highways Improvement Asset Management Plan.

• Review the business model for transport enforcement including local regulations, such as yellow-hatched boxes and illegal parking and anti-idling enforcement to improve air quality.

Opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Stephen Fenton has supported the transport strategy. 

“I am pleased to see that a lot of the good work done by the previous administration is reflected in the proposals going out for consultation,” he said.

“It’s important that we try to build consensus across urban, suburban and village communities around a strategy that will underpin measures to give everyone better access to reliable, sustainable and affordable means of transport and also deliver on our climate change commitments.

“It will be important for the consultation exercise to meaningfully engage with residents and businesses across the city so that people have a genuine stake in creating a transport network that meets everyone’s needs. 

“The consultation exercise must be designed and delivered in a way that makes it easy for residents in all parts of the city, and from all backgrounds, to participate, and not be dominated by those with the loudest voices or the sharpest elbows.”