York transport vision unveiled: Two new bridges, a city centre shuttle bus and e-cargo deliveries

York has unveiled its transport vision for the next ten years.

The aim is to cut cars on the road, reduce jams, improve air pollution and hit the city’s target of being net zero carbon by 2030.

Many of the measures are about encouraging people to leave their cars and walk, cycle or use public transport.

Among the proposals are:

• a new footbridge, across the Ouse, between North Street and Coney Street
• a new footbridge, across the Foss between Tower Street and Piccadilly
• a city centre shuttle bus
• cutting lorries in the city centre by creating a freight hub and having onward deliveries by electric vehicles or e-cargo bikes
• Bus Rapid Transit routes from Park & Ride sites and the university
• a green tourism strategy to reduce trips to York by the car
• the closure of Castle car park to reduce the number of vehicles inside the inner ring road.

Traffic blackspots are also addressed. The jams around York Hospital would be addressed by “travel behaviour change programmes to reduce car use to the sites”.

“It is likely that we will look to improve the bus service to the Hospital so that it can divert car journeys away from the Hospital’s congested site on Wigginton Road,” the document says.

More ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’ like the one in the Groves would be introduced to York’s suburbs, which would also benefit from better cycle routes.

71% cut in emissions

The ideas are outlined in a draft Local Transport Strategy which has just been published.

It has been prepared by officers with input from councillors, including a cross-party working group.

Feedback from a consultation called Our Big Conversation produced thousands of comments from residents, and these were fed into the plan as well.

Short on detail , the plan will go to the council executive on Tuesday (14 February) for approval. Then it will feed into a more detailed ten year Local Transport Plan.

The vision is based on these five strategies:

• reaching net zero by 2030 – requiring a 71% cut in transport emissions
• strengthening the economy post Covid
• improving the health and wellbeing of residents
• accommodating the growth set out in the Local Plan
• and addressing the existing shortcomings with transport in York.

Transport and traffic modelling has been fed into the plan too.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, deputy leader of City of York Council, said: “The Local Transport Strategy is the starting point for work with residents and organisations across the city to implement these changes.

“We can rise to the challenge of achieving zero net carbon by 2030, encourage more active travel and deliver a transport plan which sets out a range of measures to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and make sure our environment is protected for future generations to enjoy.”

You can read the plan as part of the documents for the City of York Council executive meeting which are here.