PLANS to put millions of pounds of investment into York's transport network have been given the green light by top council chiefs.

A total of £19 million will be spent on projects including constructing the James Street Link Road, and improving the Outer Ring Road, the Askham Bar Park&Ride site, and the public transport network, after members of City of York Council's ruling executive approved this year's transport capital budget.

£9 million will be spent on constructing a new commercial services department at Hazel Court - but a raft of measures to improve the city's highways will also get under way in the next 12 months.

Among the highlights will be a £500,000 plan to improve safety at the A19 Crockey Hill junction, as well as £2.3 million on structural maintenance for road repairs, street lighting, bridge repairs and City Walls maintenance.

A further £635,000 will be spent on public transport initiatives, including developing routes for York's FTR "super-bus", and platform extensions at Poppleton Station.

Expanding Askham Bar Park&Ride site and the relocation of parking at the Designer Outlet Park&Ride, near Fulford, are also part of what council planning and transport chief, Coun Ann Reid, said was a full package of schemes - despite Government funding cuts.

But roundabout improvements and the development of a new Park&Ride site off the A59 west of York have been shelved. "Studies have shown that another Park&Ride site is not justified until the development of York Central has started, and it is also felt that these improvements would make a package that could form the basis of a major scheme bid in the future," Coun Reid said.

"I believe that this programme will bring positive improvements in road safety by improving junctions such as Crockey Hill and Moor Lane. Continued investment in infrastructure underlines our commitment to improving public transport, and the improvements to the cycling and pedestrian networks will see better facilities constructed.

"Officers have worked hard to develop a capital programme that addresses many of our priorities within the budget constraints."

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, shadow planning and transport chief, said: "A number of aspects of this report are very disappointing. I am very concerned that the proposed Askham Bar Park&Ride expansion now only has a provisional allocation for work to begin in 2008 to 2009.

"Given that the council predicts that peak traffic is set to rise by 14 per cent by 2011, this really needs to be brought forward if the Lib Dems really want to properly tackle congestion problems in the city."

Updated: 09:51 Wednesday, April 19, 2006