Summer evening Park & Ride service from Askham Bar extended

Users of York’s popular Park & Ride service will be able to enjoy the attractions in the city centre for longer this summer after it was agreed that the timetable should be extended into the evenings for a ten-week trial period.

City of York Council and bus operator First York have agreed that Service 3 buses from the Askham Bar Park & Ride site will operate until 10.20pm on summer evenings.

The move will give visitors to the city more time to enjoy its diverse range of attractions, as well as making it possible for those attending Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, which will be open next to Clifford’s Tower from Monday 25 June to Sunday 2 September, time to catch the last bus back to the Park & Ride site after evening performances.

The last Service 3 Park & Ride bus from Tower Street currently departs at 8.05pm from Monday to Saturday and at 6.05pm on Sundays. For the duration of the ten-week trial, there will be additional departures every half hour up to 10.20pm. The buses will also stop at Rougier Street and at the Railway Station in the city centre.
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Moorcroft Road parking woes continue

Local Lib Dem councillors are calling on City of York Council officials to recognise the problems being caused by inconsiderate parking on both sides of Moorcroft Road in Woodthorpe.

Parking outside the doctors surgery and the dentist is causing difficulties for the number 12 bus, which serves Woodthorpe, which on occasions has been unable to get through.

An officer report to the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Planning and Transport on 17 May noted that residents who had objected to the proposed double yellow lines outside the doctors had said that the restrictions would be better placed on the other side of the road, outside the dentist. This suggestion was rejected by officers, who responded in the report by saying that “parking here [outside the dentist] is thought to be more intermittent.”

Cllr Ashley Mason attended the 17 May meeting to make the case for parking restrictions outside the dentist, but this was refused. Instead, it was agreed to defer the installation of double yellow lines outside the doctors surgery to enable more evidence to be gathered via a 7-day video traffic survey, which the councillors propose to fund from the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward budget.

Cllr Stephen Fenton commented  “We first made the case for parking restrictions outside the dentist at a Decision Session of the Executive Member for Planning and Transport held on 14 September 2017, but this was refused. It is disappointing that the same has happened again. Parking outside the dentist is not ‘intermittent’ as the officer report suggests – it is persistent. The photograph below, taken on 6 June, demonstrates this.”

Moorcroft Road – dentist on left, doctors surgery on right

 

Date set for start of traffic signals work on Tadcaster Road

The Council is due to commence work to refurbish the traffic signal junction of Tadcaster Road and St Helens Road as part of the Traffic Signal Asset Renewal Programme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The work will consist of:

  • Full renewal of the traffic signal equipment and ducting networks – this will include changes to pedestrian crossing equipment to facilitate Puffin style near side red /green man displays.
  • Conversion of the staggered pedestrian crossing on the south to a straight across crossing.
  • A new pedestrian crossing is to be provided on the northern arm

Works will start on Monday 30th April for the main civils / groundworks with all work expected to be fully completed by Friday 8th June 2018.

The hours of working will be 7:30am – 5:30pm, Monday – Friday and 9:00am – 3:00pm Saturdays. In order to safely install the duct crossings over the carriageway some evening works will be required. Works will be suspended between Wednesday 16th May and Friday 18th May and on Saturday 26th May due to York Race meetings.

Three-way traffic management will be in place at the junction during the works and motorists are expected to experience severe delays while the works are underway. Controlled pedestrian crossings will be provided during construction to allow pedestrians to cross the road safely. There may be some temporary footway closures in place, however full access will be retained to all businesses properties during these works.

The southbound bus stop on Tadcaster Road will be temporarily relocated during the works. It is not anticipated that there will be any diversions or suspensions to bus stops and services during the works. For more information on please visit www.itravelyork.info

Latest plans unveiled for St Helens Road / Tadcaster Road crossing improvements

Council officers have unveiled the latest draft of proposals to improve pedestrian crossing facilities at the St Helens Road / Tadcaster Road junction.


 

The scheme was approved by the council’s Executive in June 2017, and is part of the five-year replacement programme to renew traffic signal assets within the city (the TSAR programme)

The changes proposed look to improve pedestrian facilities, bringing them in line with current guidance, while having only minor impacts to vehicle delay. The main changes proposed at this junction are as follows:

  • A new pedestrian crossing on the northern side of the junction (outside the Cross Keys pub)
  • The existing staggered pedestrian island over Tadcaster Road is removed from the southern arm and a straight across pedestrian facility is provided
  • The island in the southern arm has been removed to allow the stop lines to be brought forward to improve driver to pedestrian visibility at the junction
  • Guard rail to be reviewed and if possible rationalised
  • Full refurbishment of the traffic signal equipment and ducting network.  This will include changes to pedestrian crossing equipment to facilitate Puffin style near side red / green man displays
  • Implementation of MOVA (Micro-processor Optimised Vehicle Actuation) control strategy at the junction to reduce delays
  • Associated road marking changes to facilitate the above

Local Lib Dem councillors are inviting residents to let them have any comments on the proposed scheme, so that these can be fed back to officers. Please send any comments to Cllr Stephen Fenton at cllr.sfenton@york.gov.uk

St Helens Road pedestrian crossing beacon to be upgraded

St Helen’s Road among those to be upgraded.

The Council is to upgrade the Belisha Beacons at 14 pedestrian crossing sites in York

New beacon design

A report says,

“There are 43 zebra crossings across the city and outlying villages. A
zebra crossing is required by law to have a black and white striped pole
with a flashing yellow globe on each side of the crossing. If there is an
island in the middle, additional beacons may be provided as considered
appropriate. For years this equipment remained fairly standard, but in
the last decade new products have come onto the market using high
intensity light emitting diodes (LEDs) to enhance the conspicuity of
the globe.
In recent years 9 zebra crossings have been upgraded to high
conspicuity units as part of road safety schemes. Feedback on these
has been very positive. The remaining 34 crossings have equipment of
variable age and condition”.
The new design id promised to eb more visible with diodes lastingt longer than older type.

The work is expected to be completed before the end of January.

Cycle parking boost

Some progress has been made to address the lack of cycle parking provision on Tadcaster Road, with the installation of a cycle hoop outside the shops at the junction with Slingsby Grove.

There remains no cycle parking outside the Post Office. With a new café set to open up next door, the need for some cycle parking here is even greater. We will press the case for some investment here.

Mixed news on double yellow lines

At a Decision Meeting on 14 September, the council’s Executive Member for Planning & Transport, Cllr Ian Gillies, approved the installation of double yellow lines at a number of locations. These measures will now be advertised, with the opportunity for residents to object if they wish to.

The report that sets out the proposed double yellow lines is available Here. The locations where double yellow lines were approved are:

  • Junction of Cherry Lane and St Edwards Close (see map below)
  • Junction of Ainsty Avenue and Mayfield Grove
  • Junction of Nelsons Lane and Breary Close
  • Moorcroft Road, from the doctors surgery to first junction with Bramble Dene

However a number of additional schemes which local ward councillors had supported were turned down:

  • Moor Lane, near the entrance to Chapmans Pond
  • North Lane, near junction with Jervis Road
  • Junction of Acorn Way and Wharfe Drive
  • Moorcroft Road, in front of the dentists

Cllr Ann Reid spoke at the meeting to ask Cllr Gillies to include these additional schemes, but to no avail.

 

Improvements at “left luggage” office at York Railway Station

It’s around 4 years since the left luggage facility within York station was relocated.

As we reported in 2013,  passengers face a challenging walk with heavy luggage to the new facility which is located near the Europcar Office on Queen Street.

We are pleased to report that the new luggage service operator (Autohorn Fleet Services) has gradually been improving facilities.

Details can be found on their  website  http://leftluggageyork.co.uk/ while they also have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LeftLuggageYork/

Autohorn say that they have

  • Moved the office slightly so it’s at a better angle for customers coming in and out of the office.
  • Now have the facility to take card payments.
  • Coned off our office from public walkways and driveways to ensure customers are kept safe (as the road can be very busy at certain times of the year)
  • Sign posting has become more apparent for travellers from the York Station. Adding onto the addition of our huge ‘Left Luggage’ flat, we’ve got smaller signs pointing towards our direction.
  • Multi-lingual signs to help aid foreign travellers within the city.
  • Been working with Make It York we’re also placed in the various tourist maps to showing clearer directions as to where we are.

 We do, however, hope that Autohorn and Virgin (who operate York Station) will continue to work to find a way of providing a direct route across the car park to the luggage office.

Changes planned for Tadcaster Road/St Helen’s Road junction

As part of a plan to upgrade the traffic signals at the St Helens Road junction a new Puffin pedestrian crossing facility is to be provided on the north side of the junction.

Full details are contained in this report

The report says,

“The replacement of the existing island has been proposed because the island is too narrow. It falls below minimum design guidance in terms of its overall width and the distance of its guard rails from the carriageway.

The substandard width results in difficulty for pedestrians in using the facility, especially those with prams and wheelchairs.

The substandard distance of the guardrail to the carriageway has resulted in vehicle strikes which in turn creates a maintenance liability.

The addition of a third pedestrian crossing on the north arm of the junction constitutes as ‘easy win’, in that it provides a desirable pedestrian facility without any significant detriment to the functioning of the junction.

There is no significant change to vehicular delays, queues, Practical Reserve Capacity or congestion.

Introduction of an additional pedestrian crossing on the north arm of the junction is a significant improvement for pedestrians as it serves a desire line accessing the inbound bus stop and Cross Keys public house.

Changes to traffic signals and junction layouts at George Hudson Street and East Parade in Heworth are also being considered

The same meeting will also consider a report following the presentation of a petition asking for carriageway repair works on The Horseshoe