Happy New Year!
Thanks for responding to the Rougier Route and other actions last month. We’ll keep you updated on these as they progress. We’re happy to report that we had a large number of ‘clicks’ to the consultation from our messaging to members. This demonstrates that when we mobilise for such actions we can potentially have a huge impact on city-wide policy. This is why we exist as a campaign, so if you want better cycling facilities, if you want to make York as good as Ghent, then do keep engaging and get all your friends to join. We now have just over 300 members. Imagine what we could do with 1,000 (like Camcycle)!

Rougier Route: An end to this madness?                         
Photo: Gavin Welch
Just because one campaign’s over it doesn’t mean there’s not plenty of other stuff to do. For starters, we need volunteers to help in some of our more regular, but nevertheless vital activities…

CAN YOU HELP?

CYCLE SECURITY MARKING EVENTS
We’ve been working with the police on security marking events. The format is simple – cyclists visit to get their bikes security marked by the police, while we engage them in conversation about how to best to lock their bike and  encourage them to join the campaign. Being helpful in this context, with the implicit endorsement of the police makes for a great recruitment opportunity for the Campaign. The next events are:

York Station with the British Transport Police 
4-6pm  between platforms 1 and 3 on:

Monday 2 February
Monday 23 February
Tuesday 31 March

Also, there’s an extra session if you just need your bike marked (but we’re not asking for volunteers):
This Saturday 17 January at 10am-12 noon, Acomb
Explore library (North Yorkshire Police)

RESIDENTS’ WEEKEND POP-UP CYCLE PARKING
YCC is running free supervised Bike Park at Minster Refectory for Residents’ Weekend. Leave your cycles somewhere safe whilst you take advantage of free and discounted attractions for York residents. Volunteers needed to help with the parking.

FRIDAY EVENING SOCIAL RIDES
Not a job this time – but a bit of fun! Meet at visitors’ entrance to York Minster for a gentle 30-minute ride around the city ending in a pub or café. All welcome – just turn up. Friday 30 January, 6:30pm

Rougier Route Consultation
The consultation is now closed and thanks again to all of you who responded. We have also  submitted our official YCC response which you can read on our website. Hopefully the trial will commence on time, be successful and stick before the next full council election – whatever that may bring! 

A special commendation for two dedicated YCC members – Michael and Joseph (pictured) who spent time one cold evening at the Rougier bus stops encouraging bus users to respond with very pleasing results! Forty-five people took a leaflet or scanned the QR code. They were very receptive, especially the group whose bus was cancelled!

Photo: Michael Driscoll

Wilton Rise Bridge Replacement
Thanks also for engaging over the railway bridge. Our campaign response, while broadly supportive, made suggestions about tweaks to the ramp, landing design and the bollard spacing, and about the extent of CCTV coverage.

Meeting with Active Travel Commissioner
In December, a representative of YCC joined York Civic Trust and Walk York for a meeting with the new Active Travel Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire – Rhiannon Letman-Wade. She said her main priority was to improve York’s Active Travel England score from 1 to 2 by 2027. She also outlined the bidding process for the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund. Public bodies can currently put in bids, and it will be open to active travel and community organisations, businesses and charities from late February 2026. We’re on it!

York Static in Active Travel 😦
The 2025 figures from Active Travel England show no improvement on York’s 2024 active travel capability rating of 1. According to the report, a rating of one indicates “Some local leadership and organisational capability with basic plans and isolated schemes that do not yet form a plan for a coherent network”. In our view, to raise its rating, York needs to get some projects completed (e.g. Shipton Rd, Water Lane bridge, and the raising of Jubilee Terrace just after Scarborough Bridge) and to pursue its stated aim to create school streets. As you can see from the above, we are engaging with the new Active Travel Commissioner on this dismal state of affairs.

“Snake” Threat to Cyclists
YCC member Rob Ainsley recently made it onto the BBC local news after encountering a serpentine raised ridge on the cycle path across Bootham Stray, which had caused at least one cyclist to come off their bike. Rob alerted the Council who acted quickly to repair the section, so credit to the council where it’s due.

And nice work too Rob!

So… another reminder to photograph and report hazards whenever possible.

Photo: Rob Ainsley

Flood on Foss Islands Path
Shortly before Christmas, the Foss Islands Path became so badly flooded it was challenging for cyclists and impossible for pedestrians without wellies or waders to negotiate. Our ward rep first raised this issue with the council almost five years ago. He is a keen mountain biker and says the December flooding was worse than conditions he’s encountered in the North Yorkshire moors. This is a well-used route and the Campaign is pushing to find out what action will be taken.

Photo: YCC ward rep (thanks!)

Cycle Parking for Askham Bar
The community diagnostic centre at Askham Bar now has covered Sheffield stands for bikes following contact from at least one of our members Tim Pheby. Yet another example of successful action by a member – well done Tim! Unfortunately the stands are a bit close together, which could be problematic when busy.  

Photo: Tim Pheby

Relaunch of Walk York
Murray Seccombe is spearheading the re-launch of Walk York, a campaign for better walking and wheeling facilities across the city of York. He wants to create a small steering group with experience / skills, such as: community engagement and volunteering; publicity & social media; working with public bodies; accessibility and street infrastructure design & management. Please email Murray, or text/phone 07354 914031, to express interest or just to talk it over

Winter Warmer Trail
Our Dutch “stringer” Maria Staal has been in touch to say that even in the Netherlands introducing “shared space” for pedestrians and cyclists can prove challenging, as beautifully illustrated in her YouTube video. Something to bear in mind as York’s own plans unfold.

Wanted: Cycle Commuters
YCC has been contacted by Sam Tracy, a cyclist writing a book based on real experiences of cycling commuters. If you’d like to help, they have a list of questions that can be accessed on Google forms or Survey Planet. Be warned, it’s not for the faint-hearted but, if Sam uses your words or an image you supply, you could end up with a free copy of the eventual book – and maybe review it for the newsletter!

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

Thanks for reading!
York Cycle Campaign 🙂