TRANSPORT expert Anna Semlyen is a woman with a mission to cut down traffic and promote cycling in York which she hopes will make people even more proud of the city.

LEAFLETS: Anna Semlyen with the leaflets she has designed and distributed in her campaign to reduce traffic congestion and promote cycling in York

So determined is Anna to free York of congestion and pollution that she has designed and distributed thousands of leaflets pointing out the costs of car use and the benefits of alternative transport.

And she has entered her crusading idea into the Residents category of the Evening Press Proud to be York campaign, in which we champion the efforts of those striving to make the city an even better place in which to live and work.

With the financial backing of her local residents' group, Fishergate Neighbourhood Forum, and the City of York Council's Travelwise department, Anna has distributed her flyers to 2,050 of York's 40,000 motorists.

She explained why she felt the need to start her campaign: "York's inner ring road is very bad for pollution and congestion. On St Leonard's Place the levels of nitrogen dioxide are nearly two-and-a-half times the legal limit that has been set for the year 2005. And traffic is set to increase by up to a third in the next eight years.

"I am proud to be living in York because it has high levels of cycling, but I want to see many more people out of their cars. In York's German twin town of Munster there are double our amount of cyclists.

"I am glad my ward of Fishergate was able to help because it is an inner city area where the car is not always necessary."

Anna's leaflet comes in two parts. The first page carries a cartoon of a car user and points out the costs of running a motor, from depreciation to parking, and lets the motorist know how much he or she could save.

The second leaflet tempts drivers from behind the wheel by illustrating all the things people could do in the time they are driving somewhere, like reading on the train or chatting with friends.

Anna, a transport consultant, of Grange Street, York, is inviting those who want to find out more about her campaign, or even join it, to attend her open day at the Friends' Meeting House in Friargate today between 2 and 5pm. She will then move on to the Light Horseman pub in Fishergate from 7 to 9.30pm.

You don't have to be quite as pro-active as Anna to be eligible for our Proud to be York campaign, backed by Railtrack and Yorkshire Water.

To stand a chance of winning one of four cash prizes of £500 and a special plaque, you or your group just need to have a solid plan of action that could improve York in any way. There's still plenty of time to get your coupons in, with winners to be announced on August 1, Yorkshire Day.

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