York is to invest £500K on improving cycling and walking routes around the city.
The City of York Council funding will be used on longer-term schemes to make routes safer by resurfacing road with hazardous pot-holes for cyclists, making improvements to footways, pedestrian crossings, introducing more dropped kerbs, smart travel options and improving cycle across the city.
This is part of a £1 million package agreed by the council last year. Half of this money will be spent on local schemes within each ward.
The remaining £500K goes on more general schemes.
“There’s never been a more important time for people to cycle or walk, either for exercise or as option for active travel,” said transport executive member Cllr Andy D’Agorne.
“These additional measures will all be subject to more detailed design and the usual consultation processes, but will start to address gaps in our network where people feel less safe.”
The schemes
Schemes to be developed or delivered include:
- University of York – further investigations in partnership with University staff and students of improved links between the East and West campuses
- Improvements to a north-south link along the edge of the city centre but inside the inner ring road using High Petergate, Minster Yard, Deangate, Goodramgate, Aldwark, Hungate, Navigation Road and Walmgate
- Rougier Street to Tanners Moat cycle gap – improvements at this junction to make it more pedestrian and cycle-friendly and to prevent vehicle use
- Fishergate Gyratory – further investigations of improvements for pedestrians and cyclists to make the gyratory less initimidating
- Hospital Fields Road – investigation of potential for segregated cycle facilities between the off-road path at the western end and the Fulford Road junction at the eastern end
- Orbital Cycle Route – improvements at the James Street / Lawrence Street / Regent Street junction to clarify the status and raise awareness of the shared facilities
- Accessibility improvements – investigation of amendments to various barriers on the network to make them accessible to more people.
- Ramped path from riverside to Bishopthorpe Road opposite the Chocolate Works site – improvements to make this path wider and easier to use if at all possible
- Skeldergate – investigation of improved measures for cyclists at the two build-outs
- Fulford Road – measures to compliment the improvements which will be delivered by the developers of the Frederick House site
- Tang Hall Lane – improvements to the access onto the Foss Islands Path near the crest of the humpback bridge
- Improvements to the cycle route through the South Bank / Bishophill areas
- Manor Lane / Shipton Road – improvements to the junction to make Manor Lane safer to cross for pedestrians and cyclists
- Additional funding for pedestrian crossing investigations and implementation
- Cycle margin works at various locations (to be decided)
Some of the £500K funding may need to kept to one side as the Executive Member has indicated he would like further discussions with other party representatives about whether a scheme for Sim Balk Lane should be funded or not.