It’s been a whirlwind year for York Cycle Campaign, filled with energy, successful initiatives, and clear demonstrations of what a dedicated community can achieve. Looking back over the last twelve months, we are immensely proud of the collective effort that has driven tangible improvements and kept cycling firmly on the city’s agenda.

This year has shown that when something needs doing, we get it done. When we were told to “wait until next year” to trial pop-up cycle parking, we simply said: “No, we’ll do it ourselves!” And that is exactly what we did.

We organised two major mass rides this year. First, the Millennium Bridge 25th Anniversary Ride, which began at the Active City York conference and rolled through the city centre with over one hundred riders. It was a brilliant celebration of a landmark that means so much to York’s cycling community. And then just last month we had our spectacular Glow Ride, with 115 glowing, blinking, sparkling cyclists lighting up the night together. It was a joyful, colourful reminder of how cycling brings people together.

These events, along with our campaigning, generated significant local attention. Our bike park and the Glow Ride featured in the local media, both radio and online, and we even secured a half-page article in the York Press highlighting the inadequate cycle parking provision at the proposed Barbican development. We also gained some wider visibility, including a Guardian article on the York Central development. And we were lucky enough to have Amanda Prosser make us an excellent film, showcasing our work and our volunteers. Thank you, Amanda, for helping amplify our message.

One of the most impactful initiatives this year was the launch of SecureCycle York, our partnership with North Yorkshire Police and York BID. Our biggest thanks go to Leah Bennett, who has truly driven this project forward. I’m happy to report that this year, bike crime in York has already been reduced by 15 percent. That is an extraordinary achievement, and we hope to see it keep heading in that direction.

We undertook our most ambitious data project yet: the York Cycle Parking Survey. Using an app written specifically for this task by our very own Michael Driscoll, sixteen dedicated volunteers visited over 600 cycle parking sites across the city. We collected photos, assessed their condition, and submitted a full report to the Council with recommendations for repairs and improvements. This is grassroots advocacy at its finest; systematic, practical, and constructive.

Our work even went national, when Andy D’Agorne and Andy Farndale presented at 2025’s Active Travel conference, which as I’m sure you’re aware was hosted this year in our own fair city. The two Andys shared lessons learned from last year’s Christmas Market parking project, and four of our members attended in total, sharing valuable feedback from the conference’s many events. All of this helps to ensure that York remains part of the national conversation about active travel innovation.

Behind the scenes, our Policy and Infrastructure group has had a very busy year. They’ve submitted dozens of responses to planning applications and Council consultations, often in collaboration with the York Civic Trust’s Transport Action Group. This quieter, technical work is vital, and I want to thank everyone involved for the countless hours spent reading documents, preparing responses, and influencing decisions.

We continue to build partnerships, including a wonderful joint ride with the Cambridge Bike Party, and we look forward to strengthening these relationships in the year ahead.

It’s also been a good year for infrastructure improvements in York. Highlights include:

• The opening of York Central
• A newly flood-proof Millennium Bridge
• The long-awaited resurfacing of Albemarle Road
• The Holgate Road station access reopened, after we were originally told it would be shut for nine months
• Access to Bootham Hospital restored, thanks to effective community pressure
• And the major Sustrans upgrade along Haxby Road and Wigginton Road

When progress happens, it’s important to celebrate it, and we thank everyone who made their voices heard along the way.

Our regular newsletters have continued to keep members well-informed and engaged. I want to offer huge thanks to Pam, Gavin, and everyone who contributes to these updates every month. And whilst we’re at it, let’s offer our group thanks to Gavin, Oliver, Pam, Caroline, Dorinda, Andy F, our friends at Cycle Heaven, our corporate sponsors, the entire committee, and to every single volunteer who has turned up, spoken up, taped a sign to their basket, written an objection, staffed a bike park, or simply encouraged a friend to ride. York Cycle Campaign exists because of you.

So, to everyone here: thank you for your energy, your persistence, your creativity, and your belief that York can be a better place to cycle. This has been a year of action, impact, and community, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve achieved together. Here’s to another year of pushing forward, speaking up, and making things happen. Thank you!