York Cycle Campaign and related dates for your diary

Glow ride

22 October at 6:30pm, York Barbican. 

It’s nearly here! The Campaign is organising a  ‘Ride to Light Up the Night’ which will cross Walmgate Stray and Hob Moor and end with a social gathering at the Carlton Tavern in Acomb. All ages welcome but under 16s should be supervised. There will be music, prizes for best-lit bikes and a party atmosphere. Participation is free but please sign up so we have an idea of numbers for insurance purposes. Be rewarded for taking part in the Glow Ride with BetterPoints York! Download the free BetterPoints app to earn points and prizes for walking, cycling and taking the bus in York. Points can be traded for shopping vouchers, York Gift Cards, or donated to charity. Record your Glow Ride journey to earn a bonus 250 BetterPoints.

Cycle security marking

Free bike marking at York railway station between platforms 1 and 3, from 4-6 pm (with British Transport Police):
Wednesday 15 October

• Tuesday 11 November
• Thursday 18 December

And with North Yorkshire Police:

• Sat 18 Oct from 10am-midday at Acomb police station 
• Sat 22 Nov from 10am-midday at Acomb Community Housing Office, 217 Lindsey Ave, YO24 4HA

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

Friday evening social ride

31 October at 6:30pm, York Minster – On the last Friday of the month cyclists meet up for a short ride around the city before ending up at a cafe or pub. All welcome.

York Environment Festival

Continues until Sunday 2 November 2025 Various events

York Cycle Campaign AGM

Friday 21 November at 7pm, Cycle Heaven, Hospital Fields Road

This will have a brief business element followed by cycling stories from some of our members and time to mix socially. The bar will be open. We will review our several significant achievements in 2025, but also acknowledge it is often a story of ‘two steps forward and one step back’. Such stuttering progress is almost always for want of human resources at all levels of the campaign. Personnel changes are inevitable, but this year we will find ourselves short at committee level if a few people from our 300 plus membership base do not step up. See “Opportunities and Actions” section for how you can help.

Highlighting critical issues in active travel schemes

11 (11:15-12) or 27 November (11-11:45), online

Active Travel England’s inspectorate team will introduce 16 safety-related critical issues (defined as a street layout or condition associated with increased risk of collisions for people walking, wheeling or cycling). The webinar is aimed at transport professionals, urban designers, town planners and those with an interest in inclusive street design.

Recent events

Future of York cycle infrastructure

Councillor Kate Ravilious (Executive Member for Transport) and transport officers Tom Horner and Greg Morgan came to tell members about highways maintenance and sustainable travel improvement in York. They explained the council approach to active travel when resurfacing and junction improvements take place. 

Rates of cycle theft falling

The BikeRegister events continue (see Dates for your diary for upcoming slots), with free marking helping reunite owners with their stolen cycles – and deter thefts in the first place. The British Transport Police report a 15% drop in bicycle theft in York over the last year. One prolific thief has already been handed a jail sentence and another is awaiting a court hearing.  

St Nicks Fair

YCC had a stall at St Nicks Fair on 11 October. It was warm and sunny with no repeat of last year’s finale of heavy rain and so still for once paperweights weren’t needed for the leaflets. There was a constant stream of interest at the stall and, thanks to our position on the field, we had the pleasure of live musical accompaniment. Remember all members are welcome to help at our stalls – no special knowledge needed, just a friendly manner.

News

Riverside Path update

There was an update to the Riverside Path project on 22 Sept at a public meeting at St Barnabas Church. The plan is still to have a segregated walking and cycling path and the aim is now to build it next Spring for opening Summer 2026. There will be some limited resurfacing of the walking track and improved lighting, but there are currently no plans for CCTV. The level of the path will be raised enough to reduce the number of flooding events to be impassable on average four days per year instead of nine currently. 

York Central latest

The St Barnabas meeting also gave an update on the York Central development. The plans include a new western station entrance with cycle parking and a cycle hub. Concerns were raised about the potential amount of through traffic from Water End to Marble Arch tunnel. The planners favour a bus gate (a short section of road that only buses can use) at the Marble Arch tunnel but this has not yet been agreed. 

More barriers come down 

A member informed us about barriers that have been removed in the Clifton Moor/Rawcliffe area with the photos above showing the much improved access for cyclists, pedestrians and those using mobility aids.

Good news from the villages Part 1

The GP practice in Copmanthorpe has recently replaced the old, unsheltered “butterfly style” cycle parking with sheltered “Sheffield stands”. Although there is a slight issue with the placement near the disabled parking bays, there is now a space between the cycle and car parking whereas previously there was none, which made parking a bike even harder. 

Good news from the villages Part 2

Meanwhile, the football season is back under way at Bishopthorpe White Rose pitches. Most Saturday mornings, when the girls play matches the cycle parking is nearly full. This suggests it’s the girls and their families who are cycling to play and watch, which is very encouraging given that statistics show that girls are less likely to cycle than boys.

If anyone else has any noteworthy images/stories about cycle parking for the newsletter, let us know. Positive stories are always welcome, but if you have a particular bugbear contact us as well. 

Good news from the villages Part 3

The trial speed limit of 20mph across Bishopthorpe that has been in place since June 2024 is to be made permanent with some alterations following a decision in September. Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport, said further measures were required to cut excessive speeds on the village approaches. She acknowledged there have been calls for 20mph limits in other villages, and hopes to move next to a similar trial in Dunnington.

Goodbye to York Cycleworks

We are sad to say farewell to York Cycleworks, an independent cycle shop that first opened its doors as a workers co-op in 1980. The Lawrence Street shop closed for the last time in September citing overwhelming online competition. But I think we’d all agree there’s no substitute for the experience, expertise and advice from an in-person cycle specialist. We’d like to wish its staff all the best for the future. Thanks for the service.

Secure cycle parking in city centre

The cycle parking in Evans on Coney Street, mentioned in the last newsletter, is now operational. It’s on the first floor, but shop staff can help carry heavy cycles.

Online membership system

We reported issues with the system in the last newsletter. Since then, the committee has agreed a change to our current arrangements and details will be available soon.

Opportunities and actions

YOUR CAMPAIGN NEEDS YOU!

As outlined earlier, we’re currently short of committee members. If you can at least spare an evening a month (for meetings) and can offer some extra time to address a particular portfolio please consider applying. It’s not especially arduous and doesn’t demand high-level skills. We particularly need:

• a new secretary to take the minutes at our monthly committee meetings 
• a recruitment co-ordinator – organising recruitment stalls and the volunteers to staff them

These are two vital roles within the campaign, please get in touch if you’d like to join our committee. 

If the committee isn’t for you, we really need volunteers to help us across the board. Many hands make light work! Do email us if you feel able to help in any way.

Volunteers needed: Glow ride

We need more marshals for the light-themed Glow ride on the evening of 22 October. No experience necessary, instructions will be given at a briefing for marshals at around 5.45pm, in advance of riders gathering. Please get in touch if you can help. 

Volunteers needed: Christmas market secure cycle parking

As we did in 2024, York Cycle Campaign plans to operate volunteer-led bike parking during some of the Christmas Market so that you can cycle in to do your shopping without the worry of bike theft. Provisional dates are 13-16 and 22-23 November at Minster Refectory on Deangate. The first evening will be until 7pm, and weekend hours 10am- 5pm. We need volunteers to cover slots of about 2 hours each – it’s a great opportunity to meet other campaign members and learn more about what’s going on with transport in York. If you can help please email and outline the times you can join us. 

York city centre bus route

The council tells us the consultation on this proposal may start by the end of the month. The Campaign would encourage members to respond in support of tackling traffic levels in the centre for the safety and comfort of all.

And in other news…

A rose by any other name?

For those of you who haven’t heard, Sustrans has changed its name to Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. Like any name change this has been somewhat controversial. If you have an opinion on the matter, tell them not us! 

British Transport Police: decriminalising bike theft?

Media coverage recently suggested the British Transport Police (BTP) has effectively decriminalised bike theft at railway stations. The BTP have denied this, saying if it was available they would review around 2 hours of CCTV to try to “identify” the offence but further time would be disproportionate when there are more serious crimes to police. Cycling UK suggests admin staff do the scanning and the time window for the theft can be narrowed down without going through footage in real-time.

Attitudes to welfare link to views on cycle lanes 

Joanna Syrda, an economics researcher at the University of Bath, has completed an analysis which suggests people’s views on transport infrastructure proposals are related to their political ideology, particularly their attitude to welfare spending. The most politically charged policies were narrowing roads to widen pavements and building new cycle lanes. 

Come across anything you think other members would like to share? Contact us via social media or email.