Swift and bold action on transport needed, says Civic Trust
The organisation has published its own 56-page transport strategy to stimulate a debate about what the future of transport in the city should look like.
Last updated 17th Feb 2022
York needs swift and bold action on transport if it is to cut congestion, pollution and meet its ambitious climate targets, York Civic Trust has said.
The organisation has published its own 56-page transport strategy to stimulate a debate about what the future of transport in the city should look like.
Proposals include: car-free days in the city centre; a priority network of continuous walking and cycling routes serving all parts of the city, including the villages; buses that run every 20 minutes and a 3.5 tonne limit on lorries in the city centre.
The trust created a citizens transport forum, made up of a representative sample of York residents, to come up with the strategy, which is being officially launched at Bedern Hall in St Andrewgate on Friday at 2pm.
The Trust, which has several transport experts within its own membership, said City of York Council urgently needs to update York’s 10-year-old Local Transport Plan. The council was due to publish a policy draft by December, but this has been delayed.
Stephen Lusty, chair of the York Civic Trust, said:
“Any future transport strategy will affect every one of us.
“If we can get the balance right, it should be possible to offer uncongested travel for the journeys which would be hard to make without a car. And we can help ensure that York benefits from improvements to its environment, celebrates its heritage, ensures that all its citizens enjoy a healthy, rewarding lifestyle and achieves the economic vitality necessary to support all of these.
“But we do need to act now if we are to achieve our carbon targets. For too long, York has put off the difficult decisions. We need to stop finding reasons for inaction.”
The Trust argues that the principal objectives must be to reduce congestion, pollution and transport’s contribution to climate change. It warns that if York is to achieve its target of being carbon neutral by 2030, carbon emissions generated by traffic will need to be slashed by 70 per cent.
Professor Tony May, a transport academic with over 50 years experience in transport planning and traffic engineering, said:
“Only around half of this reduction will come from a switch to electric vehicles – and these will not reduce congestion.
“We need therefore to change the ways in which we travel. We need to reduce the distance that we travel by a tenth and car use by a fifth by 2030.”
Funding the changes may require workplace parking levies and congestion charges, but the Trust said the ideas would require public engagement to form a consensus.
Prof May, the strategy’s lead author, added:
“Any new plan will be contentious, and it is crucial that the council starts the debate on alternative approaches soon.
“We hope that our new strategy will stimulate that debate.”