WE at York Bike Belles were delighted to discover that Cllr Jonny Crawshaw is bringing a motion at this Thursday’s Full Council meeting to close Micklegate Bar to traffic.

We are in support of this. We applaud the sound ‘preservation of heritage’ basis for the motion. However, our main reason for support is the preservation and increase of health and well-being of York residents and visitors.

The main objective of York Bike Belles, a volunteer-led organisation, is to increase walking and cycling as the natural way to get around our beautiful city. We have worked with thousands of people in York over the last five years and have found that the main barrier to walking and cycling is a fear of

traffic.

Restricting traffic in Micklegate will bring the following benefits:

- Encourage and enable more people to walk and cycle down the street

- Reduce air and noise pollution and the negative visual intrusion generated by traffic. Around 40, 000 premature deaths every year in the UK are linked with air pollution, 70 per cent from road traffic. It has been dubbed “the greatest public health

scandal of our time”.

- Improve safety on the street

- Reduce congestion and improve city mobility

- Increase cycling and pedestrian footfall and so trade for the businesses on the street. Many studies have now firmly established that more walking and cycling on a street improves local trading.

- Create a better and more attractive street environment for residents and visitors.

We are confident that this measure will be popular with residents, visitors and traders on the street.

Sheridan Piggott,

Chair, York Bike Belles,

South Bank, York