Plans for bus, walking and cycling improvements to one of York’s busiest roads have been approved by City of York Council’s transport chief.
But it won’t be as radical and different as some cities because there is not enough cash to achieve this.
Tadcaster Road is set for £1.4m of investment between the Askham Bar park and ride and Blossom Street next year.
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More than 500 people responded to a consultation on the designs, which will now be worked up into a more detailed scheme.
Julian Ridge, the council’s sustainable transport manager, said the plans did not represent a “radical overhaul” of the road given the funding available, adding that such plans could cost within the region of £10m-£15m.
The council said fully segregated cycle lanes along the whole route would be too expensive, so is instead looking at putting wands in the road at key points to separate the cycle lane and the road.
Work to start next year
A report to the council adds that there is “an overarching aspiration to create continuous cycle routes in both directions along the constrained road space available” in future.
Bus stop bypasses – where a cycle track runs behind a bus stop – will be created at three stops, along with improvements to bus lanes along the route.
Three new signalised pedestrian crossings will also be built at The Horseshoe, Nelson’s Lane and Knavesmire Gate.
Planned widening of the road alongside the Knavesmire has been removed from the scheme due to opposition from people consulted.
Mr Ridge said: “The fact that we’re taking the scheme forward at the moment is not to say that we don’t have an ambition to make radical improvements in the future, but certainly at this stage we are trying to do as much as we can with a sum of money made available to us.”
The improvements will be made at the same time as £5m worth of Department for Transport-funded maintenance works to drainage, lighting and surfaces, to cut down on disruption, executive member for transport Andy D’Agorne said.
If approved, construction could start in late spring 2022 and be completed in early 2023.