Park and Ride suggested for hospital 'corridor'

The site, which would serve the hospital and the Wigginton Road corridor, would be the city's seventh.

The plans, contained in a council report, will be looked at over the next 12 months with the aid of detailed assessments.

If council chiefs decide the scheme is justified, the new Park&Ride site could be built by 2006, as long as enough cash is available. No decision has yet been made on possible sites.

The report, to be discussed at a public meeting next Tuesday, also proposes bringing forward plans to build a site on the A59 by two years.

Council officers have recommended this because of severe congestion on the road and, particularly, because of delays to buses.

A shortlist of appropriate sites is now being prepared and the council expects to consult the public by late spring.

The new site, which would include improvements to the A59 roundabout, is expected to be completed by 2005.

Park&Ride has become the council's preferred choice of integrated transport solutions for York.

Moves are also being discussed for a further Park&Ride site at Monks Cross.

A City of York Council spokesman said: "Park&Ride has proved to be one of York's most successful transport policies, carrying over one million people a year.

"Park&Ride will be built at Monks Cross and the scheme for the A59 Harrogate corridor is being brought forward by two years.

"This new route has the added advantage of making a massive contribution to alleviating the hospital's congestion problems.

"In addition, it is proposed to build a loop into the service to carry passengers to Clifton Moor, providing a ten-minute service for this part of the city for the first time."

Peter Edwards, First's commercial manager in York, said: "We are in discussion with the council and the hospital about these travel plans. We are exploring ways of alleviating the parking problems at the hospital and Park&Ride is a fairly obvious solution."

Updated: 10:54 Thursday, March 07, 2002