Executive: A new 10-year vision for transport in York

City of York Council's Executive will consider the first stage in producing a 10 - year transport strategy for York, at a meeting next week (14 February).

The draft Local Transport Strategy (LTS) has been prepared by officers with input from councillors, including a cross-party working group.

The document examines the evidence, sets out implications and suggests the sort of interventions which could be used to overcome the challenges with York’s existing transport system.

The Executive will be asked to approve a city-wide engagement programme, with the first stage beginning later this month, and with a series of webinars taking place throughout the year. More information on these will follow.

This will include consultation on detailed plans and a programme of interventions, which will include new transport projects that the council will seek funding for.

The draft strategy follows the extensive ‘Our Big Conversation’ programme of engagement in 2021 which asked residents, businesses and communities for their thoughts on what they want York to look like in ten years, as well as data analysis and modelling undertaken for the Local Plan Examination in public in 2022, and for the Climate Change Strategy.

This produced thousands of comments, which have been represented in the final strategies adopted in December - including the new Climate Change, Economic and Health and Wellbeing Strategies and the city’s Ten-Year Plan.

The draft strategy is focused on five major challenges - reaching net zero by 2030, strengthening the economy post covid and improving the health and wellbeing of residents, accommodating the growth set out in the Local Plan and addressing the existing shortcomings with transport in York as identified in Our Big Conversation.

The Transport Strategy is rooted in the wider city strategies and their ambitions and proposes to make a number of interventions, in order to achieve a reduction of 71 per cent in York’s transport carbon emissions, which York’s adopted Climate Change Strategy requires. 

To achieve this and to tackle congestion, the strategy sets out the goal of increasing the proportion of trips in York being undertaken on foot or bike, or by public transport.

In doing this, the proposed strategy is clear that these changes will take place over a 10-year period, with a coherent strategy enabling us to secure funding for the changes we need to make to our transport services.

Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, said: “In a period of much change and rapid growth, we have an opportunity and responsibility to plan for how our transport networks will support the city's growth and response to climate change. The draft Transport Strategy recognises the major challenges ahead of us and sets out potential policies which would help us tackle congestion and cut carbon emissions.  

“Together with the recently approved Climate, Economic and Health and Wellbeing 10-year strategies, we are ensuring that long term coherent plans are in place to make York the best place to live in, work and visit.

“Resident involvement will be key to this strategy to make sure we can go forward with a joined-up plan to improve York’s transport network, so I would encourage all to get involved.”

Councillor Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader of City of York Council, said: “The Local Transport Strategy is the starting point for work with residents and organisations across the city to implement these changes.

“We can rise to the challenge of achieving zero net carbon by 2030, encourage more active travel and deliver a transport plan which sets out a range of measures to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and make sure our environment is protected for future generations to enjoy.”

The council is already progressing a number of major transport projects to provide new transport infrastructure in York, including schemes to deliver the Tadcaster Road active travel corridor, York Central development, and the new station frontage.

The city has also won £40m to improve its bus services and electrify most of York’s bus fleet. It is delivering a new rail station for Haxby and a £6m programme of improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

If approved, further consultation on the draft strategy will take place later this year. The report to the Executive will help to inform consultation and engagement through 2023. At this stage the council is not setting out either schemes or policies in detail – that will come later, following the consultation.  

The York Delivery Plan will become part of the new statutory draft Local Transport Plan 4, for the new Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire (if approved) and will be submitted to the Government by April 2024.

Find out more: Strategies policies and plans – City of York Council

The Executive meeting will take place Tuesday 14 February at 2.30pm. The meeting can be viewed live or watched back at: www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

The agenda and associated reports for the meeting can be viewed here