I AM sorry that Mr Bryant didn't bother to read the whole of the article on York's traffic successes (Letters, July 14). If he had he would have quite clearly seen the figures that we have to produce each year to satisfy the Government and obtain our grant for transport activities.

So that he can be in no doubt I will repeat my comments that people in York are leaving their cars at home and using Park & Ride and buses to get about the city.

Park & Ride saw a 21 per cent increase in patronage last year, carrying 2.3 million passengers; 1.1 million cars were kept out of the city centre.

Buses carried 2.5 million more passengers last year, there has been a 50 per cent growth in bus use since 2000, and York has six out of the seven fastest growing bus routes in England.

Forty per cent of daytime parking now takes place at Park & Ride sites and added to those parking in the city centre means that the number of cars parked overall remains the same.

People are choosing to access the city centre but they are doing it in more sustainable ways, to the benefit of all.

With regards to cycling, if I lived as close to the city centre as Mr Bryant I might walk but for people like me, living in the suburbs, cycling is a good choice. Last year 6.4 per cent of journeys to work in the city centre were made by bike.

We will continue to invest in cycling facilities to encourage even more people to cycle.

Coun Ann Reid,

Executive member for

planning and transport,

Grassholme,

York.

Updated: 11:01 Monday, July 18, 2005