Photo Credit: Dorinda Gear

York Cycle Campaign and related dates for your diary

Cycle security marking

Weds 28 May from 4-6 pm at York Railway Station 

Sun 15 June from 10-12 at Acomb police station

Sat 12 July from 10-12 at Acomb library

Sun 10 Aug from 10-12 at Acomb police station

Note: these events are subject to last minute changes in time, so please double-check beforehand.

York Pride

7 June  March 10:30 for 11 – meet Hungate, march starts Blake Street. Then till 1930 on the Knavesmire (see more in Opportunities section).

Friday evening social ride

30 May at 6:30pm – short ride sets off from York Minster at 6:30pm and ends in a cafe or pub (last Friday of each month). All welcome.

Save the dates 

20-22 June: York Cycle Rally – York’s annual cycle festival on the Knavesmire 

29 June: West Bank Park fair (Holgate/Acomb)

2-3 July Active City York Conference – the annual networking event for Active Travel professionals is coming to our city! There will be lots of fringe cycle-related activities and YCC will be fully involved including:

Wednesday 2 July Millennium Bridge at 6pm, mass ride through the streets of York, past the Minster and along Terry Ave to end up with a picnic at Millennium Bridge. If it’s a nice evening perhaps we will have a bit of a party! We’re expecting this to be one of the biggest-ever cycle rides through York with the conference delegates joining in. We want a hefty representation from York so tell all your friends, work, schools etc and look out for more publicity soon. If you can offer to marshal please get in touch. 

Recent events

Bike marking events continue

SecureCycleYork, the YCC collaboration with three local police forces, University of York, York College, York Bid, cycle shops, etc which aims to tackle cycle theft in York. A dedicated webpage on YCC’s website is due soon, explaining the aims and listing forthcoming BikeRegister events. A leaflet with information and advice on anti-theft measures is also in the pipeline and will be handed out at events and displayed throughout York. If you are interested in setting up a BikeRegister marking event in your area, please contact Leah Bennett. Bike marking is already making an impact: at the most recent event 55 bikes were registered and eleven of the people spoken to were already bike registered. Hooray! This has never happened before. A massively impressive 235 bikes have been marked in the events in April and May to date. Kudos particularly to YCC co-ordinator Leah.

Terrific turnout for bike party

York Bike Party (a collaboration between York Beer & Bike and Cambridge Bike Party) on 4 May was an outstanding success. This all-age bike party ride around town, accompanied by music, attracted 50-60 participants. Thanks to Campaign members who helped marshal the event.

May Mela

The multicultural York Health Mela was even more popular this year than last. The pop-up bike parking provided by York Cycle Campaign was very well used. Thanks to the volunteers who kept watch over the bikes.

News

Barriers start to vanish

As long-promised by the Council, barriers to cycle (and walking) paths are starting to be removed, increasing accessibility. Examples include Bootham Stray and Clifton Backies. Before the barriers were removed, it took three people to wrangle Cycle Campaign member Rob Ainsley’s cycle with heavily laden trailer through the combination of cattle grid and barrier exiting Bootham Stray at Alder Way, New Earswick. Rob had no such problems recently after the Council removed all the cattle grids and barriers on 1 May (cattle will not be going back on that part of the Stray). The kissing gate on the parallel entry/exit for pedestrians has also been removed,  opening up the route for people in mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

York Central update

Within next month Leeman Rd  will close with all traffic diverted onto the link and new spine road, with a segregated two way cycle route alongside it. Temporary traffic lights under Marble Arch will allow work to start creating the segregated cycle route on the inbound lane which will eventually allow the walk/ cycle tunnel to become pedestrian only. Progress on Jubilee Terrace path is slow due to further structural investigations. The bridge over the railway line to connect to Water End is unlikely to be complete until 2027 but work is also starting on the new Severus pedestrian/cycle bridge. More information is available online.

YoCo (York Central Co-Owned) is a project which will create a community-led development of affordable homes and workplaces as a small part of the redevelopment of the York Central site, and also help shape the wider development. Contact them if you are interested in getting involved.

Bootham Park gates swing back to open

We reported in the April newsletter that NHS Property services had once again been leaving the main gates locked, forcing cyclists to use the narrow pedestrian gate. Thanks to campaign member action, we’re delighted to report that the main gates have been re-opened. 

Bishopthorpe cycle path finally re-opened

After many delays, the sustrans/solar cycle path is rideable without diversions again. Read this summary of the painful journey to re-opening from our ward rep Tim. 

YCC response to Barbican housing development plans

The Campaign has broadly welcomed plans for the new housing near the Barbican, but raised questions about access and bike parking. 

Progress at the tip

A Campaign member who has been in correspondence with the Hazel Court tip over accessibility, is delighted to report that the drop-off point for those on cycles or on foot has been greatly improved. You can now enter with bikes/trailers (rather than obstruct the pavement outside) and decant your rubbish and recycling at your leisure.

Opportunities and actions

Wanted: ride marshals (no experience required)

We need volunteers to join a team of marshals for the Active Conference ride on evening of Wednesday 2 July. Please get in touch if you can help.

Help needed for two big events

• YCC will have a recruitment stall at the annual York Cycle Rally and we need volunteers to help us on 21 and 22 June.
• The Active City York Conference will be a really exciting event with national speakers, media interest in cycling and walking, campaign organised ‘fringe’ etc when we will need lots of volunteers! Please put it in diaries now, book time off work so you can help us out and join in the fun!: 2 and 3 July. 

If you can help with either or both of these, please email us. The more who volunteer, the less the load on any one individual. Thank you!

York Pride march: Saturday 7 June

Last year member Dorinda and her son Ben marched in solidarity at York Pride flying a York Cycle Campaign flag, to show YCC welcomes all kinds of cyclists. York Rouleurs also joined the march. Demonstrating the Campaign’s inclusivity seems especially important in a year when inclusion and diversity are being challenged and restricted globally, and the UK has plummeted in the European LGBTQ+ rights rankings. If you’d like to join this positive event, look for the event on the public York Cycle Facebook Page. Meeting place will be Hungate Reading Café off Stonebow from 10 to move to the start at Blake St by 10:30 for the 11am start.

Make a Mate a Member!

Help us grow our influence and bring more cyclists into our membership. We’re delighted to say that after almost doubling our membership in the last 18 months we’re at around 350 strong, but we still need more! More members mean more people to help with all the activities and actions we take to make cycling safer and more accessible for everyone in York. From commenting on planning applications, to organising or helping on group rides, having a stronger collective voice in consultations and decision sessions, writing press releases or appearing on local radio and tv, to taking photos and videos of our engagement events or just ordinary cyclists that represent who we are – there’s loads of stuff to get involved with! Members also get exclusive access to a range of fabulous speaking and social events that make meeting other cyclists great fun and help us pinpoint the issues that matter most. Tell your friends about York Cycle Campaign and try to encourage at least one mate to be a member of our awesome campaign!

Bike marking events

Our recruitment team always welcomes new volunteers to help them at the various events they hold across the year. Also, YCC is now officially a BikeRegister Partner. If you want to be an official marking and register volunteer, or just to help staff the stalls, please contact FAO Leah.

York Environment Festival

If you’re interested in joining the team of volunteers to help create the 2025 York Environment Festival (eg publicity, website, background admin…), please contact them. It’s been extended this year to over a month, from 27 September to 2 November.

And in other news…

Know your rights (and wrongs)

Ever wondered about your entitlements as a cyclist on the road? See this brief and basic legal guide. Also, get advice on avoiding dangerous encounters with drivers (NB the article is written for right hand drive countries so left and right need to be reversed in text to apply here). 

Social justice in active travel

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) has recently published a report on inequality in active travel.

Cambridge creates England’s first cycle street 

A route into Cambridge used by 3000 cyclists every day is being transformed from a regular street. Adams Road will become England’s first Cycle Street, making the route safer for all users. Rain gardens will be planted along the roadside to help with drainage and appearance. Cyclists will have priority over motorists and pedestrians will get wider pavements. Something to dream about when battling the traffic as you cycle into York.

Cycling surge in London’s Square Mile

Last October, official counts in the City of London showed a record 139,000 cyclists daily, a huge rise from 89,000 in 2022. During peak commuting hours, cyclists now make up over half (56%) of all traffic.