At the end of 2022, we learnt that cycling had dropped in York by 29% since 2014. This new data coincided with the council deciding to shelve many of the Active Travel plans, which of course we protested about. Not long after that, we submitted a Freedom of Information request and learnt that City of York Council had (to our minds) over-marked themselves on their self-assessment to Active Travel England. We noted several controversial claims and asked them to withdraw it. The council rated themselves in the second-best category. In the end, ATE placed the council in the second-bottom of five levels for its performance, so we felt somewhat vindicated.

In more cheerful news, our carefully-nurtured baby 42 Ways to Transform York was launched in January and publicised across York’s media outlets, BBC Look North, and in Cycling UK. We’ve had enquiries from other cities who want to use our manifesto as a template for their own proposals. And to our great pleasure, we were shortlisted for Cycling UK’s “Going the Extra Mile Volunteer Awards” in the category “Most Inspiring Campaign Activity”. Unfortunately we didn’t win, but as they say, it’s an honour just to be nominated, and we were genuinely thrilled to learn that our hard work has inspired other campaigns around the country.

Over the course of the year, we joined forces with a few different organisations. We joined the Disability Inclusion Access Group, and we also added our names to support Blue Badge Access within the city centre. We spoke at Extinction Rebellion’s presentation against dualling the outer ring road, to explain why the plans which were then being presented would have actively hindered cycling and active travel in York. We held a joint ride with Empowered People. And we co-hosted two events at the York Festival of Ideas, including a repeat of the 42 Ways launch, and a workshop on imagining Just Transition Futures. We welcomed several new corporate sponsors including Giant the bike shop, and Circus Skills. And outside of York, we were invited to visit Leicester, where several of our members learnt how this inspiring city tackles active travel. Spoiler alert: it’s better than us.

As ever, we held various events throughout the year. Members organised several fun rides over the summer, and we had our annual Kidical Mass protest ride in September which numbered over 150 people. We held our first members’ forum on controversial topics including 20 mph limits and cycle routes through the city centre, which have informed our updated and more representative position on several issues. We hosted a talk about cycling for health, and another talk earlier this month with the (comparatively) new Executive Member for Travel and the Economy, Councillor Pete Kilbane. And we held various recruitment stalls and drives, all of which have combined to increase our membership from 250 this time last year to a whopping 355, which is the highest it’s ever been!

Much of our work is still in responding to the various planning applications and proposals which pop up for developments, roads, junctions and so on across the city. This year those included Bootham Park Hospital, York Access Control Barrier Review, stopping up Leeman Road, the level crossing at Copmanthorpe, and the Local Transport Strategy. We also joined stakeholder discussions for the new LCWIP.

And finally, I feel like a bit of a pillock noting this in my own report but I was named one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling, which followed my erstwhile co-chair Kate Ravilious’s inclusion a couple of years previously. At risk of turning this into an Oscar’s speech, I don’t deserve it – this campaign’s success is entirely down to the hard work of everybody else, and I just get to stand up front and take credit. So on that note, I’d like to thank my fellow committee members, Juliet, Gavin, Andy, James, and Lizzy, and our co-opted member Leah. An equally huge debt of gratitude goes to the people who help out behind the scenes: Pam, who writes our newsletter, Caroline, who’s in charge of our email inbox, Dorinda, who does an amazing job on social media, and the various wonderful people who have led rides, read our responses at council meetings, acted as marshalls on our rides, contacted their local councillors, worked on stalls, and otherwise supported cycling in York.

We literally couldn’t do it without you.