On Saturday 18 September Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward councillors held two drop-in sessions for residents to have their say about proposed cycle, walking and bus improvements along the Tadcaster Road corridor, as part of a consultation which closed on 19 September.

The morning session was held on Little Hob Moor and the afternoon session on Hunters Way. Set out below is the feedback received from residents who wrote their comments on post-it notes and stuck them onto the relevant maps.

A1 – The Mount near Dalton Terrace

Afternoon session:

• Priority for cyclists at outbound junctions with Mill Mount Court and Mill Mount
• The current off-road provision outbound is difficult to use, many cyclists use the road

A2 – Mount Vale to near Knavesmire Road

Morning session:

• Existing segregated cycle / foot path should be retained in its current layout – don’t remove the white line
• All pedestrian crossings should be on raised platforms to slow traffic
• Concern that having too many crossing points will worsen traffic congestion and air pollution, which affects cyclists and pedestrians
• Oppose removal of Trentholme Drive filter lane
• Removal of sections of bus lane on The Mount is pointless and unsafe
• Oppose loss of central areas which provide safe space for right-turning cyclists
• Please add traffic lights back to the bus lane at the top of The Mount as congestion is awful with taxis rather than buses halting traffic
• Need yellow lines on Knavesmire Road

Afternoon session:

• Protected cycle lane needed inbound from St Georges Place

A3 – Tadcaster Road near Pulleyn Drive

Morning session:

• For Pulleyn Drive, and for Nelsons Lane, please reinstate the central area for outbound right-turning cyclists – move kerbs back to allow
• Cycle path from Knavesmire Road outbound should be two-way
• Need to educate road-users on why the changes have been made and the benefits
• Clear signage to indicate where paths are shared use
• All good for me

Afternoon session:

• Fill in potholes in existing cycle paths
• Keep cycle lane around the corner from Knavesmire Road onto Tadcaster Road
• Why not create an off-road cycle path on the inbound side of the road?
• Happy with shared used proposal, just like Sustrans routes which are shared with no markings
• No segregation will put pedestrians at risk from ‘racing’ cyclists
• Could northbound and southbound cyclists be segregated?

A4 – Tadcaster Road near Nelsons Lane

Morning session:

• Will proposed new pedestrian crossing be a toucan?
• Need right-turn box for outbound cyclists turning into Nelsons Lane
• Maintain cycle /pedestrian segregation markings on ‘shared’ path
• Not enough space for two-way cycle and walking
• Nelsons Lane crossing is a great idea
• Refresh off-road cycle markings

Afternoon session:

• Will there be access points onto the proposed extended shared cycle / foot path for cyclists joining from the streets opposite, eg Chalfonts, Nelsons Lane
• Will the new shared path be two-way for cyclists?
• Could the new path be for cyclists only?
• Pavements could be made more fit for purpose by cutting back vegetation

A5 – Tadcaster Road near St Helens Road

Morning session:

• Move bus stop on St Helens Road further away from the junction
• ‘Bypass’ for bikes outside St Edwards church for bikes to continue outbound when lights on red?
• Need decent-width off-road cycle lane all the way along the route. Inconsistent, patchy cycle route will not tempt drivers to cycle

Afternoon session:

• Pedestrians and cyclists need to be segregated on the proposed new path from the Tyburn to the Marriott
• Widening the footway will encroach onto the Knavesmire. Has this been discussed and agreed with the council’s Ecology team? Does it set a precedent? The land on the other side of the fence drops down quite a bit – has this been factored in, eg have civil engineers been consulted?
• Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation (MOVA) at the St Helens Road junction will cause more traffic hold-ups

A6 – Tadcaster Road near Slingsby Grove

Morning session:

• At Royal Chase junction need central space for right-turning cyclists
• Moving the bus stop would mean access to driveways at 96 & 98 Tadcaster Road would be blocked
• Encourage school families to use the St Helens Road crossing rather than the refuge near the Fox & Roman pub

Afternoon session:

• Multiple residents very unhappy about the proposal to relocate the bus stop to the end of their driveways (these driveways serve 3 or 4 houses set back from the road)
• Proposed new bus stop location would be too near to the existing bus stop at the end of The Horseshoe
• The bus stop in its current location is well-used by residents of the Royal Chase estate – leave it where it is
• Need to think strategically about bus stop and pedestrian crossing locations in this area. Is this stop needed?  Could it be relocated further up, eg nearer the library?
• Suggestion of a cycle lane inside the parking bays at the shops and the library
• Why remove the trees?
• What happens to the (Grade II listed) Pinfold?
• The proposed short stretch of off-road cycle path behind the parking layby on the east side of Tadcaster Road will destroy green space
• Support for the proposed cycle path behind the layby, will make it safer for cyclists
• Whatever the outcome with the bus stop, the build-out at the junction with Slingsby Grove needs to be extended to push parking away from that junction and improve sight lines for motorists turning right out of Slingsby Grove
• Layby and bus stop in front of the shops is a death trap – do we need a stop here so close to the stop at The Horseshoe?
• Take bike path onto the pavement inbound – enough room for a segregated path
• Introduce 2-hour parking limit outside shops

A7 – Tadcaster Road near The Horseshoe

Morning session:

• Oppose removing central / hatching – safe space for right-turning cyclists
• Retain verge width
• Tree roots make pavement uneven near here
• Do we need a new signalised crossing here? Maybe consider a zebra crossing or perhaps a refuge
• Consider 20mph limit

Afternoon session:

• Divert footpath away from the road at the Hunters Way junction to improve sight lines for motorists and cyclists pulling out onto Tadcaster Road
• A signalised crossing here will help pedestrians and also reduce traffic speeds
• A signalised crossing is not required here, will lead to more stationary traffic. A refuge is fine. What are the footfall stats in support of a signalised crossing?
• The footpath width is fine as it is
• Don’t remove right-turn filter lane for Middlethorpe Grove – useful for cyclists as well as motorists
• Cyclists don’t just cycle in and out of town – they cycle into and out of streets off, and this needs to be factored into the thinking

A8 – Tadcaster Road near Moor Lane roundabout

Morning session:

• An option to stay on the road for cyclists should be included and visible to drivers as not all cyclists will want to use the path
• Are the proposed changes to the footpath / cycle path arrangements between the Moor Lane roundabout and York College really needed?
• Move the Old Moor Lane bus stop further up Tadcaster Road
• Other parts of the city would benefit more from cycling infrastructure improvements
• Need to widen the segregated cycle path where Moor Lane turns left onto Tadcaster Road – blind corner and overhanging hedge
• Do we need to remove trees from the verge in the area around the bus stop opposite York College?

Afternoon session:

• Direct students to use the pedestrian crossing near to Yorkcraft, rather than the crossing at the College
• More significant intervention needed at the Moor Lane roundabout to improve traffic flow and in particular to support better bus reliability

A9 – Tadcaster Road near York College

Morning session:

• Support for widening shared cycle / foot path at ‘cemetery corner’
• An underpass (or footbridge) for York College should be a priority. Could the existing underpass to the solar system cycle path be adapted / extended?
• Could cycles use the Park & Ride road through to Tesco?
• Could the Park & Ride site become a bus interchange, which would allow the bus stops on that section of Tadcaster Road to be removed
• Need hatching on Tadcaster Road at the top of Sim Balk Lane to stop people coming from the A64 blocking the road
• This is just an enhanced version of the current poor layout
• How about a two-way off-road cycle lane on the racecourse side?
• The scheme continues to put cars first

Afternoon session:

• If trees are to be removed, new trees should be planted
• Put the existing pedestrian crossing at York College on a speed table and make that area a 20mph zone
• Ask Tesco to set up a small shop on the campus site to help reduce the footfall across Tadcaster Road
• Need a pedestrian crossing at the top of Sim Balk Lane – currently no provision there
• Support proposal for bus layby opposite York College
• Oppose proposal for bus layby as it will delay buses
• Close the ramp leading down to Tesco

Comments not specific to specific elements of the scheme

• More frequent bus services would encourage greater usage
• Scheme needs to be designed by urban design specialists, not traffic engineers
• Look at good examples elsewhere, eg Denmark, Netherlands
• Need a city-wide strategy, reduce space for cars if necessary, and be brave
• Action is needed to tackle cyclists who go through red lights or cycle on footpaths. A lot of anti-cycle sentiment (a fair bit of which we heard at the drop-in sessions) stems from the perception that many cyclists flout highway rules and endanger pedestrians with no consequences