Double yellow lines – revised Moorcroft Road proposal up for decision

For some time the council has been giving consideration to measures to tackle inconsiderate and irresponsible parking on Moorcroft Road near to the GP practice and the dentists, which often leads to the number 12 bus getting stuck.

In February proposals for double yellow lines on both sides of Moorcroft Road were published and formally consulted on. The extent of the restrictions that were proposed is set out on the map below.

Council officers have reviewed the feedback received through the consultation exercise, and as a result are recommending a revised scheme that would see double yellow lines installed on just one side of the road, between number 34 and the GP surgery.

The recommendation will go to a Decision Session of the Executive Member for Transport to be held on 21 July at 9.30am. This is a public meeting that will be held remotely. The papers for the meeting have been published on the council website HERE – the recommendations relating to Dringhouses & Woodthorpe are at agenda item 5, Annex C.

At a public meeting organised by ward councillors on 18 February at Moor Lane Youth Centre, a number of suggestions were put forward by residents to help tackle problem parking. These are all being pursued:

– Liaise with the GP surgery and dentist to encourage them to alert their clients to the availability of two hours free parking behind the shops and put them in touch the owners of the car parks behind the shops about permit parking for staff

– Install a dropped kerb outside the GP practice to enable them to create additional parking bays in front of the surgery

– Install a ‘Two hours free parking’ sign on the lamp post at the entrance to the shops car park

– Install white H-Bars across the driveways of the high-numbered properties on Bramble Dene to discourage visitors to the GP surgery and dentist from blocking driveways

The double yellow line recommendations for the Pulleyn Drive / White House Gardens juncton and the Yorkcraft slip road are unchanged from those advertised in February. The proposed double yellow lines for North Lane are not recommended for approval after considerable opposition was expressed, but instead it is proposed to install a white ‘H-Bar’ marking opposite the private driveway leading to four properties.

£5 million announced for Tadcaster Road improvements

On 30 June it was announced that City of York Council has been awarded £5million by the Department for Transport to carry out repairs on Tadcaster Road, following a successful bid to the Government’s Transport Challenge Fund 2020.

Cllr Paula Widdowson at a newly-resurfaced stretch of Tadcaster Road

The additional funding will be used to carry out wholesale maintenance on Tadcaster Road, including road repairs and drainage, in order to complement works the Council has carried out in recent years such as the replacement of ageing traffic lights, better cycling measures, junction improvements and resurfacing works.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of the Council, commented:

“We are pleased to be awarded £5million by the Department for Transport to carry out much-needed road improvements along Tadcaster Road. This is a key route into York, not only used for local journeys, but by millions of visitors and commuters every year. The wholesale maintenance works will help to improve traffic flow and ensure the city’s local road network is safe and more reliable for all residents”

Cllr Stephen Fenton, Lib Dem Councillor for Dringhouses and Woodthorpe, said:

“I welcome this additional funding which will enable further works on this crucial route in the city. The council has just invested over £600k in resurfacing of a large section of Tadcaster Road, and this new funding will open up opportunities to make further improvements. Whether using our Park & Ride to access the city centre, visiting York Racecourse or just cycling into town; Tadcaster Road is a pivotal route and this investment couldn’t come soon enough.”

New First bus timetables from 28 June

First York is adding more journeys on its services from Sunday 28 June to cater for an increase in travel.

The enhancements are being made to help manage continued capacity restrictions on buses due to social distancing as further lockdown measures are eased.

For the number 4, the frequency of buses increases to every 8/9 minutes during the day Monday to Friday and every 12 minutes on a Saturday

For the number 12, buses are restored to every 30 minutes between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays.

Full details of the changes and timetables can be found on the First website

Tadcaster Road resurfacing work completed

Local councillors have thanked City of York Council and contractors for the smooth running of the resurfacing works along Tadcaster Road.

The works are now complete and reinstatement of road markings are nearing completion. Cycle lanes have been widened to the standard 1.5 metre width along some sections of the road and the previous very narrow ‘filter box’ for vehicles and cycles turning right onto Nelsons Lane has been removed.

The presence of pedestrian refuges acted as a constraint in enabling more sections of cycle lane to be widened, which has led to calls for their replacement with zebra crossings to provide better facilities for pedestrians, slow traffic down and remove pinch points along the road for cycling.

The whole corridor from the Askham Bar Park & Ride site to Micklegate Bar is in need of a review to identify and tackle issues and obstacles that make people less likely to cycle along this route.

Hob Moor cycle barriers

In recent months it has been great to see more people cycling, with many trying new routes. Questions have been raised about the rationale for the current cycle barrier arrangements at some of the entrance points to Hob Moor and how changes might be made which could improve access for bicycles of all types.

Current position

Restricting barriers are in place at the following points on the moor – Railway underpass, Hob Moor Drive, Green Lane, Hob Stone Court (entrance onto the moor heading north), Hob Stone Court (on path from the Kingsway West entrance) and Kingsway West.

The barriers in use at these locations consist of:

  • a cattle grid leading to a raised ‘chain catcher’ plinth and shoulder-height guards
  • a kissing gate
  • a locked swing gate

A RADAR key which opens the swing gate can be purchased from City of York Council at a cost of £3, though on the council and i-Travel York websites there seems to be no explicit mention of the fact that these keys can be used to open these gates.

History

The current barrier arrangements were installed following planning permission being granted in August 2004. The issue was subject to coverage in The Press at that time.

From the information I have been able to gather, the barriers were installed in response to motorbikes using the moor, which was an issue that emerged in the 1990s. This behaviour caused nuisance to the residents whose properties are adjacent to the moor and posed a danger to grazing cattle. I also understand that easy access to the moor on motorbike was used by criminals to evade the Police. It was also considered safer to slow cyclists at the access points to the moor where sight lines are poor and a speeding cyclist could represent a threat to themselves, pedestrians and other cyclists.

There is a recognition by council officers that a review of barrier design across the city is needed, but this has not yet happened.

Analysis

The York Cycle Campaign (YCC) registered their objections to the barriers at the time they were installed. When considering changes to the current arrangements, I believe that views should be sought from a range of individuals and organisations with a legitimate interest, including:

  • Neighbouring residents
  • The farmer whose cattle graze the moor
  • The Police
  • Friends of Hob Moor
  • City of York Council planning, transport, ecology and legal officers
  • Ward councillors for Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, Westfield and Holgate wards
  • YCC and other cycling and access groups, eg Cycling UK York branch

It would be helpful to understand whether the threat posed by inappropriate use of motorbikes remains as great as when the barriers were installed. It would also be good to better understand from YCC members and access groups why the RADAR key option for securing access to the moor may not be a viable option. Is it due to the difficulty in getting hold of a key, or a (not unreasonable) wish to have barrier-free access without having to plan ahead for every trip?

There are a range of possible options, set out below. This is not an exhaustive list and some could be considered in conjunction.

  • Remove the plinths and shoulder-height guards
    • Pros – would facilitate easier access to the moor for more types of bicycles / trailers
    • Cons – would allow motorbikes onto the moor, may not allow sufficient width for some bicycles / trailers that would still need to use the swing gate, may require planning permission
  • Remove just the plinths
    • Pros – would facilitate easier access to the moor for bicycles, could be used as a ‘trial’ to see if the shoulder guards alone act as a deterrent for motorbikes
    • Cons – May allow motorbikes onto the moor, may not allow sufficient width for some bicycles / trailers that would still need to use the swing gate, may require planning permission
  • Promote awareness of the option to obtain a RADAR key and make it easier to obtain one
    • Pros – if successful, could make access to the moor more inclusive
    • Cons – does not facilitate easy access without forward planning
  • Replace the RADAR key with a technological solution, eg users are issued with a fob which triggers the gate to open when they ‘touch in’ and closes behind them
    • Pros – if successful, could make access to the moor more inclusive and may not require cyclists to dismount to open the gate with a key
    • Cons – possibly expensive, no ‘off the shelf’ product immediately available, would require maintenance, does not facilitate easy access without forward planning
  • Do nothing
    • Pros – it continues to be very difficult for motorbikes to access the moor
    • Cons – the current barrier arrangements continue to pose an awkward obstacle for many cyclists and do not permit access to the moor for non-standard bicycles or trailers which can only gain access via use of a RADAR key to open the swing gates

Next steps

A number of possible actions arise which may help to gather information to inform recommendations and decisions going forward.

  1. Ask the Police whether the threat posed by inappropriate use of motorbikes remains as great as when the barriers were installed
  2. Ask Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, Westfield and Holgate ward councillors whether their local knowledge indicates if the threat posed by inappropriate use of motorbikes remains as great as when the barriers were installed
  3. Ask neighbouring residents for their views
  4. Ask YCC and other cycling and access groups for their views
  5. Ask council planning, transport and legal officers whether planning permission would be needed for any alterations to be made to the current barrier arrangements
  6. Ask the council transport team about the likelihood of a city-wide review of barrier types starting sometime soon, and what residents can do to help, eg mapping barriers
  7. Ask the council’s Ecology officer what issues, if any, have been encountered in recent years in relation to damage to habitat on the moor caused by motorbike incursions
  8. Ask the farmer what issues, if any, have been encountered over recent years in relation to motorbike-related anti-social behaviour and the welfare of the cattle
  9. Ask Friends of Hob Moor for their views
  10. Explore options for a technological replacement for the RADAR keys

Resurfacing work progresses

The good weather has allowed the crews to make good progress with the resurfacing work on Tadcaster Road.

Tadcaster Road

We await proposals from council officers about how they plan to take the opportunity to improve safety for cyclists when the road markings are reinstated.

Some much-needed large patching has also been done on Hob Moor Terrace.

Hob Moor Terrace

Road and footpath schemes announced for 2020/21

City of York Council has published its programme of highways and footpath maintenance work for the 2020/21 financial year https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=5802&LLL=0

In Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, works are planned on the following roads:

Resurfacing

  • Tadcaster Road
  • Hillcrest Gardens

‘Large patching’

  • St Helens Road (section near the Tadcaster Road junction, already completed)

‘Micro patching’

  • Wains Road
  • Lowick
  • Troutbeck
  • Overdale Close
  • Glenridding
  • Windermere
  • Bramble Dene
  • Dringfield Close
  • Woodthorpe Primary School entrance

The Tadcaster Road resurfacing scheme is carried forward from 2019/20, when it was allocated £633,000. Local councillors have queried why, in the 2020/21 published programme of works, the scheme is listed as having a budget of £560,000 and the extent of the scheme seems to have shrunk from its original scope in the 2019/20 programme (The Horseshoe to St Georges Place) to Ainsty Grove to St Georges Place.

We have received clarification from officers that the total budget available for the Tadcaster Road scheme in 2020/21 remains at £633,000 and the extent of the works will be as per the 2019/20 programme.

No footpath resurfacing works are planned for Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward, other than those to be funded from the ward capital budget – these are a section of the Little Hob Moor cycle path and the path across Woodthorpe Green linking Summerfield Road and Glenridding.

How does the council decide which roads and paths get resurfaced?

In order to produce the programme of highway works for each year, council officers draw information from a number of sources:

  • Inspectors undertake an annual visual proactive condition survey of all roads and footways, this in addition to their monthly inspections for reactive maintenance
  • Digital camera capture condition survey of all roads and footways (GAIST)
  • United Kingdom Pavement Management System (UKPMS) visual and machine surveys (SCANNER) which records skid resistance.

All of this inspection data is collated by GAIST to produce five condition categories for sections of public highway, being grade 1 (very good), grade 2 (good), grade 3 (fair), grade 4 (poor) and grade 5 (very poor). 

The results of the condition survey are available via the council website

Each road and footway is assessed and given a ranking (score) based on a range of criteria, all metrics of the network were collated and a treatment solution determined.

In order to develop a set of schemes in accordance with the best practice promoted by the Department for Transport the council additionally considers criteria such as accident data, traffic levels, footfall, bus frequency,  proximity to schools, shopping centres etc.  This produces a list of schemes that can be delivered within the budget.

Councillors set the budget, but officers devise the list of schemes (other than ward-funded schemes).

Further bus timetable changes from 29 March

First Bus has announced further changes to timetables to come into effect from Sunday 29 March.

The number 12 service will operate a special timetable with buses every 60 minutes and early journeys on weekdays. Journeys after 7pm will continue to operate, subject to a usage review.

The number 4 service will operate a revised timetable operating every 30 minutes during the daytime with early journeys operating Monday to Friday. Services will operate at hourly intervals during the evening, with a reduction to hourly intervals earlier on a Saturday and Sunday evening than at present.

The Askham Bar Park & Ride service will be closed.

The new timetables are available online HERE

Number 12 bus – £65k subsidy sought to support Alness Drive / Acomb Wood Drive route

The subsidy for the section of the number 12 bus route which serves Alness Drive, Acomb Wood Drive and Bellhouse Way is to be extended until April 2020. But beyond then, a subsidy of £65,000 per year is being sought in order to retain that section of the route.

Local Lib Dem councillors are campaigning to protect bus services

An Officer Decision published by City of York Council (available HERE) states that a report will be prepared for the council’s Executive to consider the long-term funding given the annual cost is greater than the budget available.

Some key headlines from the published Decision are set out below:

  • First York planned to cancel service 3A, and the section of service 12 which connects Bellhouse Way, Acomb Wood Drive and Alness Drive with the city centre and Monks Cross, with effect from 29th September 2019. City of York Council agreed temporary funding for both services until 1st February 2020
  • A fully compliant tender process has been carried out and the winning bidder is prepared to provide an equivalent service to the existing route 12 (with vehicles meeting the Clean Air Zone emissions requirement) for approx. £65k per annum
  • The cost of operating both services from 2nd February until 31st March would be £14,800 (£4k for service 3A and £10.8k for service 12), which is within budget for the 2019/20 financial year
  • The cost of operating both services throughout 2020/21 and subsequent financial years would be £88,700 per annum (£24k for service 3A and £64.7k for service 12), which exceeds the anticipated subsidised bus budget for 2020/21 by around £26k. It is therefore not possible to fund both services beyond 4th April 2020 from within the budget.

Local Lib Dem councillors will continue to work with council officers and bus operators to maintain and improve bus services which provide a lifeline for many residents.

Shoddy road reinstatement work to be rectified

Action is to be taken to rectify shoddy road reinstatement work undertaken by a Northern Powergrid (NPG) contractor on Eason View.

City of York Council’s Streetworks team has been in regular contact with NPG about the need to return and reinstate the road surface to an acceptable standard.

NPG have agreed to come back and re-work the crumbling trench, with dates to be confirmed. The two-year guarantee period for the work will then restart after the second attempt at reinstatement has been completed. NPG will be using a different contractor to deliver the remedial works.