Summer’s here and there’s plenty of cycling and campaigning activity to get stuck into. A mass ride, consultations and workshops galore, flood defence diversions to get pedalling round … and why looking like (or at) the back of a bus is no bad thing.
Join our mass cycle protest for action on cleaner air!
York Cycle Campaign is organising a mass cycle through the city next Wednesday (16th June) on the eve of Clean Air Day to ask the council where our promised cycle lanes are. We’ve been waiting for over a year for segregated cycle lanes along Bootham. If they were there more people would be able to cycle and Bootham’s air quality would improve. We’ll be meeting at 5:30pm on Clifton Green and pedalling slowly together in a large group down Bootham, doing a little loop around the city centre and then out over Lendal Bridge and heading down Bishopthorpe Road, finishing at the Millennium Bridge. The route will be accessible and everyone is welcome – please join us!
If you’re interested in joining us please sign up via Eventbrite page for the mass cycle protest – this way we can update you closer to the date if any details change but also allows us to collect contact details for Track and Trace purposes.
My City Centre consultation
This is cracking on apace – see details about the vision and chances to get involved at My City Centre consultation and join in the MyCityCentre Twitter debate.
Please take part in the surveys about the City Centre . You can also book for the cycling in York city centre workshop in the daytime (Fri 11th June 10-11:30am)) or the repeat (same content) of the city centre cycling workshop in the evening (Thurs 17th June 6-7:30pm).
Similarly, there are two chances to participate in the Accessible routes in the York city centre workshop. These links take you to booking for the accessible routes in the city centre afternoon workshop (Friday 11 June 2-3pm) or the accessible routes in the city centre evening workshop (Wednesday 16 June 6-7pm).
Do make the most of your chance to have your say.
News from York City Council
Julian Ridge, YCC Sustainable Transport Manager, would like to introduce us to Greg Morgan, who joined his team in mid May. Greg takes over from Andy Vose, who has been promoted to a new role – Transport Policy Manager. In this role Andy will be developing York’s next Local Transport Plan. Greg’s job title is “Active Mode Planner”, looking after both walking and cycling. Tasks which Greg has on his plate just now include the review of barriers across the city (e.g. on Hob Moor) to see how they can be made easier for people with adapted and non-standard cycles to use. Greg will also be working on the development of York’s local cycling and walking infrastructure plan, the Active Travel Fund schemes (on which work continues) and a range of walking and cycling schemes. Julian reports that he and Andy spent a lovely morning cycling around York introducing Greg to the various schemes that are underway in the city.
Greg says “I’m really looking forward to getting involved in York’s walking and cycling network; I believe I bring a set of skills from my previous roles that will be beneficial to the job and together with groups such as York Cycling Campaign I hope to be involved in improving both the quality of and the extent of York’s already extensive Active Travel network”.
In other news, the Council will be undertaking workshops in June (mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter) to look into access to the footstreets area for cyclists and have employed a consultant, Martin Higgitt Associates, to assist with this. There are also new starters in June, to help deliver the Active Travel Fund – they will be introduced next month.
High Petergate cycling during footstreet hours
There is currently an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) in place on High Petergate, which permits pedal cycles to be ridden from Bootham Bar to Duncombe Place during the Footstreet hours. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the evaluation of the ETRO has been suspended as situations have been far from normal, however following the significant easing of Covid restrictions from 17 May, its considered that conditions are close enough to normal to evaluate the scheme.
The review will take place over the next few weeks, with a report being prepared for the Executive Member for Transport Decision Session meeting on 20 July. If you have any further questions comments or observations on the trial you can email them to mike.durkin@york.gov.uk before 21 June.
Are you using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
The campaigning organisation Bike Is Best has a new ad asking if you are using the right tool for the job. And if you or someone you know is new (or even not so new) to cycling, there’s some great advice on starting cycling on their website.
Bus spotting
Our safe passing campaign is now appearing on the back of a bus near you, in collaboration with our friends at Pryers Solicitors. Have you spotted one yet? Share any pics/videos you get of it on social media, or prime examples of good safe passes, using #SafePassYork.
Film review: Why the Dutch Cycle
A large and enthusiastic online audience gathered for the YCC / YoCo / Cycle Heaven screening of this film in May. Juliet kindly provided a review of the Why We Cycle film and the subsequent discussion.
Update: Terry Avenue closure
The Environment Agency eventually closed Terry Avenue to pedestrian and cyclist through traffic on 17 May, and it is due to remain closed for 12 months. You can read more about the flood defence works and implications for cyclists in our blog. We’re continuing to report any issues and have managed to get pedestrian crossings installed outside the park and asked for the diversion signs to be made larger and positioned in more obvious locations.
Please do report any problems you spot. You can contact the community liaison officer, Aimee Ramsden, (Aimee.Ramsden@jnbentley.co.uk) or drop in and see her at the site. Also copy in the Environment Agency (yorkfloodplan@environment-agency.gov.uk), York Cycle Campaign (YorkCycleCampaign@gmail.com) and if it is a breach of planning conditions then please report it to the Planning Enforcement team (planning.enforcement@york.gov.uk).
Update: Wellington Row closure
Wellington Row remains closed, with diversions in place via Lendal gyratory.
Update: Scarborough Bridge area closure
As part of the flood defence works from Scarborough Bridge to Marygate and Museum Gardens, there will be intermittent footpath closures.
York Cycle Campaign 