Road closure threatens Clifton Green traffic flow

A meeting on 20th June is to look again at a permanent road closure on Westminster Road.

Residents in the street have campaigned for over 6 years for through traffic to be banned from using it (and The Avenue) as a short cut to avoid the Water End traffic lights. Now a 79 signature petition is due for consideration.

“Rat run” traffic levels on Westminster Road have always been well below the numbers seen on similar routes and the street has road calming “sleeping policemen” to control vehicles speeds

Westminster Road may be closed to traffic

Westminster Road may be closed to traffic


Part of the problem has been traced to parents dropping off children at the school on The Avenue. Around 30% of vehicles are making this trip between 8:15am and 8:45am.

Recent traffic patterns have been disrupted and trends are difficult to track.

Initially improvements to the A19/A1237 roundabout at Rawcliffe provide some relief to the Water End junction and later 2 approach lanes to the traffic lights were restored. Road works on Boroughbridge Road (and more recently at the A59/A1237 junction) have continued and may be deterring drivers from using this sector of the City.

Council officials report that morning traffic levels on Westminster Road have fallen recently although an increase in the evening peak has been noted.

Closure of the route could increase traffic on the Water Lane junction by 10% but the major influence is likely to be the Councils plan to close Lendal bridge to private traffic from August.

There is no doubt that this would increase traffic in the Clifton Green area, with particular problems building between 4:00pm and 5:00pm.

The Council has so far refused to publish details of the forecast traffic levels on York’s river bridges pre and post the Lendal bridge closure.

Officials are recommending that no road closure on Westminster Road be agreed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *