Image Credit: Dorinda Gear

York Cycle Campaign and related dates for your diary

York Cycle Campaign AGM

Friday 21 November at 7pm-9pm (doors open 6:45pm), Cycle Heaven, Hospital Fields Road

This will consist of a brief business element including and introduction to the new committee and the Chair’s Update; an update from the council’s Executive Member for Transport Kate Ravilious; followed by cycling stories from some of our members; and time to mix socially. There will be free food and you can buy drinks at the bar. Please RSVP for catering purposes. 

Festive glow ride

Friday 14 November, departing at 7:00 pm from the Minster Refectory 

YCC will host a social ride to celebrate the opening of the Christmas Market and highlight our cycle parking offering. We will ride around the city centre a few times, and finish at a local pub. Festive lights, decorations, and music are encouraged.

Christmas cycle parking

Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November (4-7pm), and weekends of 15-16 and 22-23 November from 10am- 5pm, Minster Refectory

As we did last year, YCC will be operating free secure cycle parking to coincide with York’s Christmas market. 

Cycle security marking

Free bike marking at York railway station between platforms 1 and 3, from 4-6 pm (with British Transport Police):
Tuesday 11 November

Thursday 18 December

And with North Yorkshire Police:

Saturday 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

28 November 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.

Friends of the Earth social

Saturday 15 November, 6.30 for 7pm till 9, Cycle Heaven Cafe, 31 Hospital Fields Road, YO10 4FS

Join Friends of the Earth for a simple vegan meal, and music by traditional blues and folk local band Steam Pigeon Check Instagram @steampigeon for a taster of their music. Tickets cost £11, or you can optionally pay more, to raise funds to support York Friends of the Earth actions to protect people and planet. Buy tickets at this link.

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

Glittering glow ride

The Campaign-organised Glow Ride on 22 October was a huge success. Well over 100 riders, complete with brightly illuminated lights and party music, set off from the Barbican at dusk. They crossed the Millennium Bridge and Hob Moor Stray to finish up at the Carlton Tavern in Acomb. Cycling UK coordinated rides across the country to demonstrate the widespread concerns about safer nighttime routes for cyclists, as well as the need to well-lit bikes. North Yorkshire Police were on hand to security-mark cycles at the end of the ride. 

News

Surface improvements

The shared cycle/pedestrian link route between Foss Island Road and James Street (alongside the bus lane at Morrisons) reopened in early November after resurfacing work. Around the same time, resurfacing works were completed on the stretch of Albemarle Road that leads off the Mount. Both now provide a much smoother (and therefore safer) ride for cyclists.

Barriers come tumbling down 

More of the obstructive barriers have been removed in suburban York, making access easier for all. We have compiled some before/after photos to celebrate this positive news. Send us any examples in your area.

Barrier research study

University of Westminster has been funded by the Motability Foundation to conduct a study on the impact of barrier removal on use of the routes. They have recruited disabled participants in York to undertake interviews whilst walking or wheeling routes which no longer have access controls. 

Cycle magic: read all about it

The recently published book “Cycle Magic”, by Get Cycling’s Jim McGurn, is ambitiously subtitled “An Illustrated Guide to Everything Cycling”. YCC Member Rob Ainsley assesses how the book matches up to this promise in his review, and explains how members can get a special discount.  

York Air Map

Readers may remember that YCC members were asked if they could help with a project to map air pollution by attaching sensors to their bikes whilst travelling the streets of York. Find out more about what the research was all about.

Geothermal energy project could mean more cycle facilities

The University of York is looking into the potential for geothermal energy to power Heslington East Campus. The primary drill site will be in the middle of the York Sports exterior cycle track. As part of the agreement to explore this energy source, the university will be working with British Cycling to build a new cycle track, community hub and ‘learn to ride/cycle skills’ track in its place once they’ve installed an energy shed in the centre, to manage the supply. There could also be an MTB track behind it, closer to the A64. 

Opportunities and actions

Coming soon: voting in a new committee

YCC is holding elections soon for the next committee. Ballots will be sent via email on 14 November and voting will be open until noon on 21 November. Candidates cannot post on YCC channels in a personal capacity during the election period from 7-22 November. This moratorium will also apply to reposts of any candidate’s material by any member. Content in violation may be removed at the Committee’s discretion. Only current members who joined by 3 November are eligible to vote. Winners will be decided using first-past-the-post rules for Officer roles and multiple non-transferable votes for the remaining positions. Ties will be resolved at the AGM by a show of hands. The ballot will look different this year because we are switching to a new election platform, OpaVote, as we evolve the campaign’s digital infrastructure. Please look out for the email in your inbox from 14 November, and get in touch if you’ve changed emails recently!

Volunteers needed: Christmas cycle parking

We will once again host free, secure cycle parking at the Christmas Market from 13-16 November and 22-23 Nov outside the Minster Refectory. Volunteers are needed to staff the operation. Please contact Andy D’Agorne if you are able to help out. No experience is necessary.

York city centre sustainable transport corridor: consultation …

The City of York Council will reveal plans for and begin public consultation on the City Centre Sustainable Transport Corridor on 11 November. This is a key element of the new transport plan for York. We expect to support the plans because they will increase cyclist safety, reduce congestion, and improve bus reliability in the city centre. Keep an eye out for an email shortly after the 11th with our analysis and instructions on how to comment yourself. Join our Whatsapp chat group for cycle infrastructure if you want to be involved in the initial discussions.

… and chance to be a video star

The Campaign is making short videos to share our members’ support for the Sustainable Transport Corridor. We’d like your input! Please contact our Social Media Team if you can share your thoughts.

Have you say on local flood strategy

The Council has developed a draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy with partners including the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water. Flooding can have major consequences for cyclists and the routes they use: members may want to respond to the consultation which closes on 11 January 2026.

And in other news…

Carry on communicating

It’s always worth contacting the “powers that be” about cycling issues that are concerning you, because you may be pleasantly surprised by their response. A member recently emailed Sisk contractors about inadequate changes to the signage around the construction work for the new multi-storey car park at the station, as well as a near-collision with a digger, as she cycled from the city centre towards Holgate. Within 3 working days Sisk responded saying they had ordered additional signage, removed a misleading sign, and reminded all workers about pedestrian/cyclist safety and spoken directly to the individual they thought was responsible for the dangerous driving. 

B&Q can do it…

Another member has been communicating with B&Q over a much greater time period. Initially (2014) it was to install cycle parking at their store in Rawcliffe. This was finally done to a high standard (ie with covered Sheffield stands replacing initial butterfly stands) in 2022. Our member then suggested B&Q installed signage to direct cyclists to the provision, and alert drivers to the possibility of pedalling to the shop. This was completed last year, both as part of the entrance sign and with repeater signage on the side of the store.

French lessons

Whilst on holiday in a sleepy coastal corner of Western France, your newsletter editor was delighted – as someone who often finds that cycle stands are too high or too low for her bike – to find parking posts designed for bikes of different heights. Brilliant for families cycling to the nearby beach.

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