CYCLISTS in York today claimed safety will increase after responsibility for York's outer ring road was handed over to the City of York Council.

Paul Hepworth, spokesman for the North Yorkshire area's Cyclists' Touring Club, said the moves would mean more safe crossing places on the road.

He said: "Cyclists are more concerned about getting across this road safely than riding along it, and we are particularly concerned to see places like Skelton safely connected to the York area without cyclists having to pedal for their lives at the existing crossings.

"I think the council is more committed to cycle safety than the Highways Agency were. Their long-term plans are to install safe crossing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians on busy roads, and they will now be able to do that to this road."

He said if the work was carried out it would increase the numbers choosing the bike rather than the car in the area.

He said: "If they had safe crossing places more people would be willing to come into York by bicycle from outside the ring road, and more people who live within the road would be happier to travel by bike to the countryside beyond the road."

Meanwhile, a question mark hangs over funding for road maintenance work after the Government announced proposals to "de-trunk" several key routes in North Yorkshire.

The New Deal for Trunk Roads in England will mean local authorities taking responsibility from the Highways Agency for the A19 between Thirsk and Selby; the A59 York-Harrogate-Skipton route; the A1079 York to Hull road; and the A1237 York Northern ring road.

Mike Moore, North Yorkshire County Council's director of environmental services, said: "It remains to be seen whether the Government, after handing over responsibility for these roads to local authorities, also makes the money available to carry out the essential maintenance for them."

At Selby, a delegation now plans to put pressure on the Government for an early start on the town's bypass.

The £28 million project was given the green light by the new Transport Minister, John Reid, in the Commons yesterday.

Now that funding is secure, Selby MP John Grogan, district councillors and Selby Industrial Association plan to turn the heat up to make sure the scheme is nearer the front of the queue than the back.

There are 37 projects in the Government's new roads programme - all of which, says Mr Reid, can be started within seven years.Mr Grogan told the Evening Press he would be faxing a letter to new Roads Minister, Lord Larry Whitty, the former Labour Party general secretary, first thing Monday morning.

He said: "I will be asking Lord Whitty if he will meet a Selby delegation to discuss the timing of the bypass."

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