Road (Pavement) closed between Stonebow and Coppergate from Sunday

From Sunday 15 September the connecting road between Stonebow and Coppergate, will be closed for four weeks, to enable Northern Gas Networks to carry out important upgrades in the area.

Pavement will be closed to all vehicular traffic until 13 October 2013, which will mean that bus routes serving Stonebow will also be diverted and revised timetables will be in place.

Bus routes that are not diverted may still experience delays so passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey.

At the same time bus stops at Stonebow with be upgraded as part of the £3.5 million Better Bus Area Fund, awarded by the Department of Transport in 2012.

Please check http://www.itravelyork.info/ for details of the bus diversions.

For further information, please contact BusInfo on 01904 551400 or visit the Bus Point located in the Travel Centre at York Rail Station.

A1237 to Beckfield Lane cycle path agreed in another ”behind closed doors” decision

The Council has decided on the layout for a cycle link on the A59.

Behind closed doors logo

No justification for the design detail has been published by the Council nor were the normal cross party consultations undertaken. The cost of the scheme has not been revealed.

The footway would be widened on the A59 from the by pass through to the Beckfield Lane junction. All crossing points at the junctions would be upgraded to allow them to be used by cyclists.

There would be some shared use paths accommodating both cyclists and pedestrians.

The cycle route connects to a proposed crossing of the A1237 before terminating at the new Poppleton Bar Park and Ride site.

A1237 to Beckfield Lane cycle path. click for larger map

A1237 to Beckfield Lane cycle path. click for larger map

Vehicle damage claims against York Council increase by over 400%

Potholes

The number of claims for damage to vehicles in York, as a result of poor road surfaces, has increased by over 400%.

In 2011/12, 13 drivers made a claim against the York Council

This spiralled to 70 in 2012/13

The value of compensation paid, however, reduced from £1455 to £333.

The Council had halved the amount that it was investing in highways maintenance in 2012/13.

A Freedom of Information response has identified the road in poorest condition in York.

Moor Lane, near Murton, attracted 10 damage claims between 23-12-2012 and 06-01-2013

The Council says that, generally, a road has a surface design life of 15 years.

At any one time there are around 40 potholes on the York road network requiring attention. This increases in the winter as a result of the impact that ice has on poorly maintained carriageway surfaces.

Potholes can be reported here http://www.mycouncilservices.com/

Motorists exploit Lendal bridge fine amnesty?

click to update

click to update

It looks like many drivers have heard about the fine amnesty on Lendal Bridge this afternoon.

Many are opting to use that route in preference to the heavily congested Bootham/Clifton Bridge link.

As a result there is standing traffic on St Leonards Place as well as on Lendal Bridge itself.

The Council is being pressed to reveal the value of the fines- levied during the first 10 days of the Lendal bridge closure – that it is cancelling.

Some estimates put the figure at over £100,000.

The Council is understood to be employing a third party to process the penalty notices and it is unclear how that contractor will now be paid for the work that it has done.

The Council says that it will levy fines for misuse from tomorrow (Wednesday)